What is the National Three Peaks Challenge?

Tired of being in the house? Want a real challenge? Miss travelling? If you answered yes to all three then you may be interested in the National Three Peaks Challenge. Taking place within a time limit of 25 hours, entrants will have to hike Scotland, England and Wales highest peaks. These include Ben Nevis (1345m) Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (1085m). These challenges aren’t for the faint of heart. Not only would you have to climb up each one, but you then have to climb down and travel to the next stop. All while the clock is ticking down. 

There are many ways of going about the challenge, some people organise it themselves and do it alone, whilst others opt to join a tour. There are pros and cons to both, if you choose to do it alone then you can do things at your own pace. You don’t have to worry about the speed of strangers. As well if you want to have a break between climbs, you can book a room to rest and relax. However the downside is you have to do all the driving yourself. You can try and convince a friend or relative, however asking someone to drive for hours on end while you snore and stink up their back seats is a bit of a hard sell.

Opting to join a tour means everything is organised for you. You don’t have to worry about transportation and accommodation, it’s all organised for you. No need to worry about maps, you will have an experienced guide to make sure you are safe. Transport is also prearranged and there’ll be no arguments about who is driving. Giving your whole group time for rest and recovery. But these tours are businesses at the end of the day, and each empty seat means less cash. So you’ll often find the coaches are packed full giving you a less comfy ride. You may also find if you are too slow you may find yourself getting a tap on a shoulder. If they think you aren’t gonna make it up in time you’ll be told to turn around so as to not to slow down the group.

You can read more about the National Three Peaks Challenge, as well as other similar challenges on the official website. I’ve linked it using the button below for you to check out.

Regardless of what option you pick, making sure you have the right gear is paramount. These peaks can be dangerous, especially if you go in the colder weather. Having the right gear can make the difference between an enjoyable experience or a life-threatening situation. If you are choosing to do a self-organised trip then I cannot stress enough the importance of a GPS or at the very least a map. There’s some great apps like Komoot which can work without a phone signal and track your route. Keeping you safe giving you something fun to share on social media after. It is easy to get turned around and in an emergency, you need to know how to get to safety.

I have created a packing list to help you get started on your gear. Click on the link below to read all about it in my article. I’ve even include a free checklist you can download.

It’s common to pick up a medal for completing the challenge, although they don’t ask for proof of your times. A link to purchase this on Amazon is below. I may receive a small commission from any purchases made through this link, all of which goes back into the blog.