United Kingdom

National 3 Peaks Challenge (24 Hours)

93

Hike the highest peak in England, Scotland and Wales. A tough but rewarding outdoor challenge that requires a high level of fitness to reach the summits within 24 hours.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet the team

You'll be collected from the train station, or one of the other pickup points (see FAQs below) on route to Fort William before heading to your hotel. In the evening you'll enjoy a briefing from the guide who will inform you of the plan for the challenge and answer any final questions you might have.

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Day 2: Hike Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike

After a hearty breakfast, you'll be transferred to the bottom of Ben Nevis where you start your 24-hour challenge. The aim is to summit Ben Nevis by 11:30 AM before heading back down the mountain for the transfer to the Lake District. We aim to begin the Scafell Pike ascent with a few hours of daylight left. You'll arrive at the start point around 8:30 PM. During the summer months, you’ll reach the summit as the sun sets across the Lake District. Once down the mountain, you’ll head straight to Snowdonia in Wales.

Please note: The walking pace is brisk to fast and the guide will be aiming for approximately 4km per hour in order to attempt the challenge within 24 hours.

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Day 3: Hike Snowdon

The transfer to Snowdon takes around 4.5 hours and includes a driver changeover. This transfer is through the night so you will be sleeping on the bus. Have a quick snack, then get some rest. You'll arrive at the foot of Snowdon around 5:30 am. You trek as the sun begins to rise, aiming to get to the summit at approximately 8 am to complete the challenge.

After the challenge, you'll be transferred to Chester Station or Warrington Station where you can continue your journey. The exact arrival time at the drop-off point can vary so we advise booking open rail tickets for your journey home, to be safe.

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What's Included

Included
  • Qualified UK mountain leaders.
  • Professional transport throughout the challenge.
  • Pickup/drop off from agreed locations.
  • 1 night, twin room accommodation (minimum 3* B&B) in Fort William. The second night is spent travelling in the bus to Snowdonia.
Not Included
  • Travel costs to/from the agreed pickup location.
  • Bottled and boiled water.
  • Meals and snacks.
  • Travel insurance.
Have a question?

If you have any questions about this trip or want to speak with an expert, get in touch.

We're ready to help.

Team Images
Team Images
Team Images

Rated 4.5

93 verified reviews

Tapiwa
Tapiwa

(Oct 2024)

We had a fantastic group and it was such an amazing experience. Fast pace all the way. Rob Swindle our guide was amazing. He took time to check if everyone was okay and he was so encouraging to everyone. O really it was an amazing experience. Will definitely do it again and again.

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Steven
Steven

(Sep 2024)

What can I say, absolutely loved every minute of my 3 Peaks challenge last weekend. Kev B our guide was excellent. We had every weather known to man but thoroughly enjoyed it. I won’t lie it was hard going but the views and sense of achievement after was great. I’ll definitely be looking at booking something else.

liam
liam

(Sep 2024)

Our guide Kev was fantastic, the hotel was really good, the transport was well organised. Skyhooks process of accepting people onto a "challenge" was poor and made what should have been an excellent experience very disappointing. The fact that one of the participants had the guide carry his bag from the first mile of the first mountain was an absolute joke. I shall never be booking a "challenge" through Skyhook again. For this type of activity I suggest you find like minded people who you personally know and trust will take it as seriously as you do. To not complete this in the 24 hours because of others lack of preparation was so frustrating.

Rameez
Rameez

(Sep 2024)

I think it’s fantastic what people are able to achieve, however I think it would be better if people’s levels were properly serviced. I was aware of the pace needed to complete the challenge however due to others in the group aiming for a much quicker time, other members of the group got left behind which ruined the experience for me. While my goal was to take part and push myself for charity close to my heart, being forced to work at the pace of the quickest person in the group meant complete failure which as you can imagine was very disheartening. To alleviate this I think having two guides would really help, one at the front one at the back. By no means is this an easy feat to accomplish but you do a disservice when you add extra pressure by only caring about those who were pushing for the faster quicker times. That being said the people involved were great, although my guide did not check in with me on why I failed the first mountain at all (again seeming only to care about those who were flying at pace) they seemed genuine, and particularly the drivers were very friendly which was good. The accommodation was poor, while it might be listed as 3 star I’d imagine this is closer to a 1 or 2 star establishment. Hopefully my constructive criticism helps you create better experiences for those taking part.

Adam
Adam

(Aug 2024)

The weather was rough but the experience was awesome Rob the guide was also really on form.

FAQs

Before you go

You need to be in good physical shape to participate in this trip. The National Three Peaks Challenge includes climbing the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours, so it is tough going! However, you don’t require any mountaineering experience. The guide will aim to set a pace that is necessary to complete the challenge within 24 hours. It should be noted that there will be minimal time for breaks and this is not a leisurely walking pace. Cut-off times may be implemented for legal reasons to do with driver's hours or to benefit the majority of the group.

See inclusions and exclusions above.

Clothing Items: - walking boots that are waterproof with ankle support (good boots are required for participation, if you are unsure message us) - walking trousers (lightweight and not denim/jeans) - t-shirt/base layer (cotton is best avoided for better moisture management) - fleece/jumper (lightweight fleece such as microfleece is best) - thick walking socks - hat - gloves - waterproof Trousers (essential regardless of weather forecast) - waterproof Jacket (essential regardless of weather forecast) - Gaiters (Optional) Hiking gear: - personal 1st Aid Kit including blister plasters and any personal medication/inhalers etc. - head Torch with new batteries (required for participation) - small rucksack of 25L Max (2 shoulder straps, waist belts are beneficial) - food/snacks (cereal bars, nuts, bananas, and pasta are all good ) - at least 1.5l water pr mountain (any energy drinks taken should be in addition to water to avoid dehydration) - walking Poles (optional but beneficial for descents) - camera Additional items to be left on the vehicle: - travel pillow - additional food and drinks for in-between mountains (pasta, sandwiches, snacks etc.) - comfortable travel clothes and an extra set of walking clothes (in case one set gets wet) - ear plugs and eye mask The above list is not exhaustive, you may have additional items you may wish to bring with you. Keep in mind that you will be carrying your own bag and it's beneficial to pack light. Please note that space is often limited in the bus, this should be considered when packing.

Typically groups are no more than 10 with one guide for each group. Please note that if there are more than 10 booked on a trip we will split the group. If you have booked with friends or family, please let us know so that we group you together.

YES! We require that all clients have good hiking boots. Waterproofing is highly recommended. Please be advised that we reserve the right to turn you away from this challenge if you do not have suitable footwear. We also cannot take any responsibility for injuries or failure to complete this challenge caused by inappropriate shoe choices. The terrain on all 3 mountains is rocky and very slippy when wet. Given the nature of the trip with people progressively getting more fatigued, boots reduce the risk of strains, sprains or worse. An ankle injury is not always a major problem however, it can pose significant logistical issues and impact the success of the entire group.

On your trip

The guide will aim to set a pace which the group can realistically attempt to complete the challenge within 24 hours. This will mean a relatively fast walk with minimal breaks of no more than a few minutes to drink, have a quick snack or catch your breath. If you are well off the pace or struggling, the guide may need to make a call as to whether you can continue the challenge. If you have concerns about your fitness levels or would like to take a little longer to complete the 3 peaks at a more leisurely pace, we recommend that you consider the National 3 Peaks -3 Days trip (also available through Skyhook).

Accommodation in Fort William is in twin rooms. Sharing a room is a great way to get to know your fellow trekkers. A single supplement in Fort William is sometimes possible (subject to availability). This needs to be requested before arrival. You can chat with the guide on your Skyhook dashboard. Single supplements cost £100pp. You need to pay this direct to the 3-Peaks Team, before the event.

This challenge includes a driving distance of around 725km / 450 miles. This means we spend around 10 hours on the road, most of that at night. This leaves us with 14 hours (maximum) to complete the ascent and descent of the 3 mountains within the 24-hour challenge limit.

Day 1: 10:30 AM - Pick up in Warrington or Northwest agreed location (if needed) 3:00 PM - Pick up Glasgow Central Station or/and International Airport (if needed) 3:30 PM - Transfer to hotel/B&B 6:00 PM - Arrive at hotel 8:00 PM - Challenge briefing and Q&A session Day 2: 7:00 AM - Breakfast 8:00 AM - Transfer to Ben Nevis start point 8:15 AM - Final preparation 8:30 AM - Start challenge (Begin Ben Nevis) 11:30 AM - Summit Ben Nevis 1:30 PM - Transfer to Wasdale Head (transfer includes a 45-minute maximum driver rest stop. This is a VOSA legal requirement) 8:30 PM - Begin Scafell Pike ascent 11:00 PM - Summit Scafell Pike 1:00 AM - Transfer to Pen y Pass Day 3: 1:00 AM - Transfer to Pen y pass 5:30 AM - Begin Snowdon ascent 8:00 AM - Summit Snowdon 9:30 AM - Complete challenge at Pen y pass 10:00 AM - Transfer to drop off point Note that although our drivers and guides do their best to stick with the itinerary, weather & road conditions, group dynamics and other factors beyond the team's control do need to be taken into consideration and can affect these times.

The total walking distance is 23 miles (37km) and the total ascent is 3064 metres (10,052ft). Ben Nevis is the highest point reached at 1,344m.

Please choose your preferred pick-up location on your trip form after booking (it's on your dashboard). Pick ups are: * Birchwood Centre/Train Station Car Park 3 (WA3 7PU) - You can leave a car here for £10 for 5 days* - 10:15am * Warrington Bank Quay - 10:30am * Glasgow Central - 15:00pm * Glasgow Intl Airport - 15:30pm Drop offs are: * Chester Station * Warrington Bank Quay * Birchwood Centre/Train Station Car Park 3 (WA3 7PU) - If you left your car here you will be returned at the end of the challenge We only stop at each if required obviously.  *Prices correct at time of publication Although we aim to complete the challenge on time (between 8:30-9:30 AM) times can vary depending on the speed of the group. **We cannot guarantee drop-off times and strongly advise that you either pay on the day for train tickets or book an anytime ticket**

Meals and water are not included on this trip. The key is to eat small amounts and often. Make sure you bring enough food and snacks for 3 mountains. Energy bars, dried fruit and nuts, sandwiches and prepared pasta work well. For water, you will need to have at least 1.5l for each mountain (minimum 4.5l total). Any energy drinks should be in addition to this, to prevent dehydration. You will only need to carry enough water for each mountain at any time, the rest can be left in the vehicle. Do not rely on being able to refill your bottle at the start of each ascent.

Other FAQs

You must be at least 18 years old to do the 3 Peaks Challenge.

Yes - we highly recommend taking out travel insurance right after booking the trip. Unfortunately we can't recommend travel insurance providers (as it's a regulated industry in the UK), but we can confirm that many customers choose to take out BMC travel insurance or similar.

Although our guides do their best to set a brisk pace and complete the challenge within the 24hr mark (and usually do), this is unfortunately not possible to guarantee. Weather conditions, participant fitness and health as well as other factors beyond our control have an impact on challenge time. For this reason we ask that guests please take responsibility for their own fitness and show up having trained for the challenge and in good physical shape. This is for your own benefit as well as that of the other guests on the trip.

Your head guide is Simon

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Mountaineerin Ltd, based in Warrington.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Simon