Background.

I inquired whether anyone within the department at work would be interested in the 3 Peaks Challenge. It seemed like a straight forward event that just required a bit of organizing and some determination. Within hours, I had what I considered to be the maximum number to form a safe walking group - given the lack of hill walking experience under possibly poor conditions. Having researched previous attempts on a variety of web sites - from personal ones to big charity events, I planned the assault for mid-May, hoping for fair weather and slightly more daylight than earlier in the year. My employers, INSYS Ltd were good enough to promise to source the transport and costs (the bulk of the expense) and with little time for eating, there should be few other costs !!

A quick rundown on the team members and their 'attributes':-

me - plenty of hillwalking experience, DofE Gold award, Qualified First Aider, motorcyclist 

Matt - Scout leader, map man, experienced walker

Doug - Rugby player, another motorcyclist so at home in the cold and wet, desperate to prove himself before he's 40 (too late now!)

Tony - good club runner, no long distance walking experience

Steve - cricketer, nominal footballer!, we didn't realise how bad his asthma was until we started! no long distance walking experience

Hannah - trained for Trailwalker but fitness let her down, no long distance walking experience, will not be defeated!

Martin - trained with me for the marathon, otherwise lives on Guinness, no long distance walking experience

Rob - new boy in the office, unflappable bloke

Bernard - gadget man, ex-services, appears to participate in some sort of sport for all the hours he's not at work, lived on pepperami and fell asleep all the time!

Jen - support team, mum!

Malcolm - focus driver, big bloke with fabulous sense of humour ... very necessary ...

Lack of experience amongst the team prompted a request for a practice run, so I organized a weekend trip to the Brecon Beacons to scale Pen-Y-Fan (2950ft). A poor weather forecast promised a testing ascent, but after waking up to heavy drizzle, by the 10.30 start it was cloudy/bright and warming up. Despite strong winds at altitude, we made good time, and after lunch at the top out of the wind (but in partial cloud) we returned in good weather, having gained time against the route card. So all boded well for the real thing ....

Having hired a minibus for the Brecon trip, we realized that it wasn't a) quick enough, and b) particularly comfortable. We enquired whether INSYS would lend us a couple of Company cars for the trip. This they generously did, in the form of a Galaxy and Focus estate. Some concern about driving while tired led us to take on a dedicated driver for the car, the driving of the Galaxy to be shared amongst the participants.

Unbelievably, weeks before the Challenge, four of the team conveniently arranged a business meeting at Farnborough, for the Friday morning that we intended to drive north. They took the car with some of the gear that had been brought in the day before, and followed their meeting with the mammoth drive northwards.

Ampthill (or Farnborough, Hants) to Carstairs (nr Lanark)

The traffic was heavy as usual on the M1. The M6 was closed completely at Birmingham. Fortunately, we had planned to take the A50 from the M1 across to the M6 near Stoke anyway. This proved to be an excellent route and still wasn't very busy despite the extra load being diverted around Birmingham. The journey took about 6 hours. Arrived at our 4 star campsite and set up the tents. Walked the 1/2 mile into Carstairs village and met the car team at their hotel. For some, camping as well as walking up and down a few mountains was all too much, and a comfy bed before the Challenge was required! Enjoyed a few beers and a meal, and walked back to the site and bed.

8am Pack up and hot shower (20p/4 mins - 40p well spent). Then on to a Carstairs cafe for all day breakfast's (large) all round. Very well done food - ie. done to death ...

All of a sudden it's time to go (4pm) ... We set off at a good pace along a well groomed highway of a path in lovely evening sun. First break and time check at the lochann (about 800ft) (pic). The team were well spaced out, but we had made very good time, so could afford to slow to a more 'reasonable' pace. The ascent continued up a well maintained but increasingly rocky path. We passed the snow line (about 3000ft, 6pm) with continued good weather, but with clouds gathering. The path amongst the rocks deteriorates as the mountain start to level off - Lacking a clear route we track carefully across snow fields, keeping away from the sheer edge on the North side of the mountain.

Nearing the summit, we search carefully for the top under near white out conditions as the cloud slowly closed in. No trig point was found, but the GPS tracker assured us we had reached the quoted peak height. We found a small cairn with flag pole and called it the top !! (pic) No. 1 sorted in a fair time. 7pm. Turned round and straight down. Doug twisted his ankle messing about in the snow - silly boy - and completed the rest of the Challenge with the help of a deal of grit and a considerable quantity of pain killers !

We emerged back out of cloud and into the last of the evening sun. A small shower on the way down produced a lovely rainbow but was not worth putting on waterproofs for. (pic) Back to vehicles 9.15. More faff and off.

Fort William to Wasdale Head. (6Hrs) Rob took the first driving shift in the Galaxy, to the Motorway the other side of Glasgow. The sandwiches prepared by Jen while we were walking, were devoured ravenously once we set off. Steady consumption of soup and coffee continued through Scotland. The sun still hadn’t set by 10.30 enabling great views, and a good pace to be set back round Loch Lomond and across Rannoch Moor. Tourist cars dawdling to take in the views were despatched with aplomb by Rob’s firm, but fair driving technique !! Tony took over for the stretch of motorway down to the Lakes; a tricky stretch as the local Police were known to look out for ‘3 peakers’ tearing down their stretch of road in the dead of night. I took over from Tony as we left the motorway for the last stretch round the lakes, past Sellafield and down along Wastwater, to the car park at Wasdale Head. Not the most comfortable of journey’s (I’m told), but we made good time.

Arrived at a deserted car park and faff noisily as we wait for the car – from out of the night, dressed in thermal underwear and thick socks, appears a sleepy apparition. Having roundly berated us (and our Challenge kind) as a noisy nuisance, it slipped back off into the night. We set off (quietly) under a clear starry sky by torchlight. Navigation across the fellside was tricky until we joined the main path, another man made highway. We made good progress as dawn came up into a cloudless sky. Once it got lighter we could all go at our own pace without the risk of ‘losing’ someone. The last significant part of the ascent was up Mickledore, a short near vertical climb up rock and scree, to the coll between Scafell and the Pike.(pic)

From the top the breathtaking view of a perfect dawn over the Lakes could be taken in (pic).

A surprisingly long hike across the rock strewn summit to the trig point in a cool breeze was all that was left to complete number 2 (7am) (pic). Some degree of resistance to returning down Mickledore surfaced at the top. We returned down the alternative route around the buttress of the Pike before joining the original path. From the suffering noises, limbs, especially knees, were starting to get tired going down!

Wasdale Head to Nant Peris (5 Hrs) Following plenty more faffing in the car park on a lovely cool, clear morning, we set off, with Hannah driving us over the famous Wrynose/Hardknott passes. For those who had not been over these very precipitous passes before, it appeared a little unnerving as Hannah gaily declared she couldn’t see the road disappearing beneath the Galaxy as we surmounted another first gear pass. Those in the car behind were busy praying that she didn’t stop as we crawled upwards in first gear. I took over at the edge of the Lakes for the motorway run down to Wales. Unfortunately some tired navigating caused problems. We left the M6 too far south and spent a long time travelling across Wales. Nearing the Pen-Y-Pass car park the wrong directions were given to the car. Before corrections could be sent, the phones went dead. The Galaxy arrived at the car park, alone, in lovely weather, at about 1.30pm. (pic) Now we had a dilemma. Three of those in the Galaxy had all their walking gear with them. The others all had gear in the car. Rather than wait for an unknown time and not have any of the party achieve the 24 hours, the three left for the top. The others with gear in the car, left to look for the car. The ‘advance’ party took the miners track (missing the Pyg track start) and made good speed along the flat road to the bottom of the steep scree face at the end of Glaslyn. We gave ourselves 1/2 hour to do the first hands and feet climb up to the Pyg track path, then 1/2 hour to the coll and 15 minutes from there to the top. We made the Pyg track path in 7 minutes, and had a breather. Having made such rapid progress we then decided to continue steadily to the top, with plenty of time in hand. We arrived at the top with 1/2 hour to spare.

The feeling of achievement, for me, was considerably dampened by not having the full team there all together. However, this was partially relieved when the rest of the Galaxy members arrived with 10 minutes to spare, having come up with whatever kit they had from the Galaxy (pic). They had been to look for the car, and, not finding it, had returned to the car park and set off.

The car team eventually found the right car park and arrived a few minutes later, having made the ascent in the same time as the advance party. No.3 and the Challenge met (3.50pm). We strolled back down tired but satisfied, following a long and tortuous man-made path. This was obviously the replacement for the old Pyg track. It starts down the original track, then splits and runs round the back of the lower ridge and into the car park and seemed to go on forever ….

Depending on the condition of those willing to drive, we had intended to stay at a camp site near the foot of Snowdon. However, the majority decision taken at 7.30pm was to return home. We took three driving shifts to get back. Rob took the first, crossing Wales to the M6. Matt took the next to Cawley services where we stopped for a very well deserved sausage and bacon roll. I took the last back to Ampthill. The group unloaded and faffed for the last time, and we all drove home ...

Monday. (weather. Awful, rain, very windy)
1.30am arrived home. Shower (fantastic), bed (even better) ....

Challenge numbers:
• 1230 driving miles
• 42+hrs without significant sleep
• 11000ft Ascent
• 25miles walking

Conclusions/recommendations?!
• What fabulous weather – would we have all made it in poor conditions ?
• Don’t forget to take your hard copy of the driving route instructions !
• Take vehicles with bigger boots for organising kit, or less people in the vehicle !
• Great personal experience – made all the more so by the scenery, weather and those who took part.

Final note in response to the items appearing in the news about the 3 Peaks Challenge.
I have no qualms defending a small group pounding up and down well-trodden mountains keeping to very well maintained, ‘man-made’ paths. We have done no more damage to the hills than any other group of ramblers enjoying the scenery. However, the enthusiastic driving required to complete the challenge is a problem. At no time did we drive recklessly, and there was never an occasion when we were forced to ‘retire’ a driver because of a dangerous moment. I do, though, sympathise with those who live in peaceful, rural parts of the country, being subjected to the occasional?! late night Challenger’s vehicle, and disembarking occupants, preparing to take on the next part of the Challenge. I would, therefore, appeal to future participants to take into consideration the environment (natural and inhabited) through which they travel.

Home