The Three Peaks Challenge, 26/27 June 2004

The three walkers, Steve Miller, Chris Priestley and Richard Woodward left Cardiff just after 9am on Friday 25th June 2004 and travelled to Stafford where we met our driver Angela Allen. We then journeyed to Fort William stopping briefly for lunch in Lancaster and shopping for food provisions at Glasgow. We arrived at our accommodation at about 8pm. After a long tiring journey cramped in the vehicle it was vital to rest and recuperate ready for the start of our challenge in the morning. We went to the Grog & Gruel pub and enjoyed some fine hospitality, local beers and whiskies. Kelpie Organic Seaweed Ale is not to be taken lightly!

Foot of Ben Nevis 0845 hours – 26.06.04

Up early and fighting fit we drove the half a mile to the base of Ben Nevis and started our assault at 08.45 hours. A long but gruelling walk up a stony, monotonous, winding path eventually saw us reach the summit of Ben Nevis at 11.15 hours. Happy with a climb time of only 2 and ½ hours we enjoyed the resplendent views from the summit. Steve had told us how one could see both East and West coastlines and even the Blackpool Tower from the summit. We stopped for one minute for a photograph amidst the horizontal rain, biting wind, mist and snow. After all, it was June.

Summit of Ben Nevis 1115 hours – 26.06.04

A return down the monotonous winding path where you can view every inch as it painstakingly rolls out before you, as the weather closed in, was completed trouble free in 2 hours. Great pleasure was had telling passing walkers how far it was to the top and how they would enjoy the view. Well they shouldn't have asked. After a quick change of clothes we boarded our car armed with hot drinks and sandwiches prepared by our now multi-tasking driver.

Leaving Fort William at 13.25 hours the drive to Wasdale in the Lake District was tortuous. Usually a beautiful, picturesque drive through Glencoe and along the entire length of Loch Lomond soon became an extremely slow two hours just to get to the outskirts of Glasgow, a mere 100 miles. We then grappled with the Saturday traffic through Glasgow before a long motorway stretch to Carlisle. Here we turned off and were back to another slow tortuous drive along A roads and then narrow winding country lanes. We eventually arrived at Wast Water near Wasdale Head at 19.05 hours on Saturday evening. As the evening drew to a close we looked up at the mountain in front us only to see mist and clouds. It helped not being able to see what lay ahead as we set off at 19.20 hours.

Foot of Scarfell Pike 1920 hours – 26.06.04

The climb up Scarfell Pike is rated as the hardest of the three peaks. Although the lowest it was very steep in places and in an effort to save time we decided to climb via the more difficult ascent up Mickledore, scrambling on hands and knees at times. Apparently, Steve told us, this Col provides stunning scenery with sheer cliff faces and breathtaking views once at the top. This is what we saw.

Ascending Scarfell Pike via Mickledore

At the top of the Col we then had to follow Cairns (piles of stones) through the thick mist for about half an hour but thankfully reached the summit at 21.25 hours, a climb of 2 hours and 5 minutes. Happy with our time we again stopped for one minute for a photograph and returned down the less difficult, but still energy sapping, main path as darkness fell quickly.

Summit of Scarfell Pike 2125 hours – 26.06.04

Reaching the car at the bottom of Scarfell Pike at 23.05 hours we again changed clothes and took on hot drinks and food, leaving for North Wales at 23.30 hours. The three of us attempted to sleep while Angela now came into her own. Work based in Liverpool, Angela had decided it would be quicker to cut through Merseyside and this certainly proved to be the case. Via a deserted Liverpool City Centre, the Mersey Tunnel and too many speed cameras we reached Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel near Llanberis at 03.20 hours on Sunday morning, a drive of only 3 hours and 50 minutes. Amazingly there were about 50 people in the car park when we got there!

Happy now that barring accident or illness we would achieve our goal as the driving was complete, the one factor that is really out of your hands due to speed restrictions, other road users, road works etc., despite the constant rain and ridiculous hour of the day, we set off at 03.35 hours, cheered by the knowledge we had 6 hours and 10 minutes in which to complete the challenge. The driving should not be underestimated as Angela had just completed some 500 miles in 9 and ½ hours out of the last 13 hours and 55 minutes.

We comfortably reached the summit of Snowdon in two hours at 05.35 hours, this being the easiest of the climbs, as despite fatigue and lack of sleep it is amazing what adrenalin does for you. The day was just breaking and in between the clouds the views were spectacular. However, we again spent one minute on the top, posing for a celebratory picture.

Summit of Snowdon 0535 hours – 27.06.04

We had just climbed the three highest peaks in Britain with some of the most spectacular scenery this country has to offer. We spent a combined total of three minutes on the summits and couldn't see more than five yards. Today, I couldn't tell you what the top of Ben Nevis looks likes or recognise Scarfell Pike from a photograph. You are probably still wondering why we did it.

The descent down Snowdon seemed to get faster and faster as we now had a chance of completing in a time beginning not with 23 hours but with 22 hours. Insignificant you might think reading this but you won't believe how good that can sound at 6 o'clock in the morning on top of a mountain when you haven't slept all night. We reached the finish at 07.19 hours and had completed the challenge in 22 hours and 34 minutes. Not one person had passed us on any of the accents or descents and we had probably seen about three hundred or so people throughout the three walks. Amazingly, we didn't have one blister between us.

Pen y Pass 0719 hours – 27.06.04

We breakfasted in Llanberis then after a sleep in our B&B celebrated with a few well-earned drinks on Sunday night in Betws-y-Coed. The next day we dropped off Angela at Stafford and returned to Cardiff. A 22 hour and 34 minute challenge had actually taken the best part of four days and over 1300 miles of driving. Hopefully we will raise something in the region of £2,000 for the Noah's Ark Appeal and when asked if we would do it again…we all said yes.

Richard Woodward.