National Three Peaks Challenge: A Plan

by Tom Oswald October 13, 2023

13th October 2023 | Words by Tom @ WildBounds HQ

Summiting three peaks in one day may not sound like any great feat to the seasoned hillwalker. But summiting the highest peaks in each of three countries, with a total climb of over 10,000 ft (3,125 m) and with 750 km to cover between them, not to mention doing it all within 24 hours… well, that was a challenge for this group of six guys, who mainly held their training sessions in various central London pubs.

It is as much a physical challenge as a logistical one, with a fair dose of luck required. A car accident or heavy traffic along the M74 or M6 can derail even the most determined of Three Peakers. Many have met this fate.

Ben Nevis to Scafell Pike to Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)

We started with Ben Nevis, the most northerly of the three peaks, which is nestled in the Scottish Highlands. Then we made our way south to Scafell Pike in the western part of the Lake District, and finally onto Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, the highest peak in Wales. Those based in Scotland typically attempt the challenge in reverse, starting in the south.

Editor's note: There is some debate as to whether the challenge requires the descent of the final peak – or if its successful ascent suffices. The general consensus within our group was that successful completion of the Three Peaks Challenge means the ascent and descent of all three peaks.

The Plan

  1. Hit the road by 7am on Friday morning for the 10+ hour drive to the base of Ben Nevis
  2. Begin the challenge at 7pm with the 5-hour return journey to the summit of Ben Nevis in the early evening daylight. Complete descent by midnight
  3. Drive the 6 hours to Scafell Pike through the small hours of Saturday morning, when there would (hopefully) be no traffic. Arrive by 6am
  4. Climb Scafell Pike in the early morning sun. Complete by 10am
  5. Drive the estimated 5 hours to Snowdon, hoping the Saturday afternoon traffic is light. Arrive by 3pm
  6. Which would set us up nicely to complete the easiest climb – the ascent and descent of Snowdon – within 3 hours. Complete by 6pm – leaving a single spare hour of contingency 'padding' for mishaps

Millwall
We collected our vehicle of choice, a motorhome, from a rental place in Millwall on Friday morning, and hadn’t had enough coffee yet to think of a more creative name. She certainly wasn’t beautiful, but Millwall proved to be a trusty companion and quite capable of handling sharp turns at speed on narrow Scottish roads. She was also roomy enough to accommodate all of us and our gear, and made a good temporary basecamp for conquering all three peaks.

Ben Nevis

Getting out of London on Friday morning moved at a snail's pace. Finally escaping the M25 felt like an accomplishment in itself. By the time we started the Ben Nevis climb it was already dark enough to require head torches at full beam. The mountain path was muddy, but with fresh legs we made good progress up the first half.

We knew it was going to be chilly near the top of Britain’s highest peak, but we didn’t expect to find 8 inches (20 cm) of snow covering the top third. And we didn’t expect to find sub-zero temperatures in late May either. We got both. A few guys had brought only trainers – leading to a fair bit of sliding around in the dark, illuminated only by the beams of our head torches.

As we climbed over the mountain’s shoulder, the summit came into view. Bathed in moonlight, it was a striking and most welcome sight as we made the final push. Alas, on the descent in 2am darkness, we missed the trail leading back to the car park, setting us back 45 minutes. We had used 75% of our contingency time on the first peak. Brilliant.

Scafell Pike

Piling into Millwall, we headed south to the Lake District. We alternated driving duties so everyone managed to grab at least an hour or two of sleep. The walk up Scafell Pike meant negotiating a tricky mix of terrain. We passed through woodland, moorland, and boulder fields on the climb to the rugged, barren grey peak. In our favour, it was a stunning spring day with a clear sky and temperatures in the mid-twenties.

The summit area itself was strewn with boulders and the top portion required some scrambling. But it turned out to be a brilliant finish – smooth, quick and very friendly too, with other hikers cheering us on. With no serious missteps and everyone accounted for, we were up and down within 2¼ hours, clawing back the 45 minutes we had lost at Ben Nevis.

Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa

Saturday afternoon traffic plagued our drive to Snowdon. We lost close to an hour in heavy traffic, and after that struggled for what seemed like an age to find a parking space. We were now in a race against the clock to complete the final peak on what were by now, weary legs.

Snowdon was relatively crowded, but nonetheless a pleasant hike. The ascent proved straightforward, though by now some of the guys were complaining of blisters (or was that only me?). After snapping a quick photo at the summit, we spun on our heels and headed straight back down. At about the halfway point it began to look likely that we’d complete the challenge within the allotted 24 hours. Yet the car park refused to come into view. Legs were kaput now, with each step a chore. Then, finally, we saw Millwall. Minutes later, all six of us were down and done. Time check: 23:40. We’d done it with 20 minutes to spare – just enough time to have built a snowman on the top of Ben Nevis. Oh well, next time.

Images: 1: Sebastian Wasek/Alamy; All others: WildBounds HQ

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