Exploration
How to tackle Britain’s Three Peaks in 24 hours (or more)
Tackling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mt Snowdon in 24 hours is arguably the very best adventure challenge possible on these isles.
Anyone partial to the call of the wild should be familiar with Britain's Three Peaks Challenge. You may have even completed it yourself. For the uninitiated, it consists of climbing the country’s three highest mountains: Mount Snowdon (Wales, 1085m), Scafell Pike (England, 978m) and Ben Nevis (Scotland, 1345m). Often, the aim is to cover the 23 miles of walking distance, 462 mile drive and 3064 metre ascent in just 24 hours.
But if that sounds daunting, take a leaf out of adventurer Jamie Ramsay’s book. As the first man to run the entire trip solo and unsupported, the Scottish Adventurer of the Year 2016 has scaled heights few can hope to match. Until now, that is. Here, Ramsay shares his secrets – whether you’re aiming to complete the journey in 24 hours, 48, or simply looking for a few big walks...
1. Dig deeper than ever before
Thousands of people tackle the three peaks each year and no matter the time limit you hope to do it in, the trip is all about testing yourself in ways you may never have thought about, from nutrition to recovery – all on a debilitating lack of sleep. But, if you’ve more than 24 hours (or a long weekend) on your hands, it may be worth considering Ramsay’s even more exhausting approach.
“I wanted to tackle this challenge but put my own spin on it,” says Ramsay. “To do this I decided to run the entire route solo and unsupported. This involved climbing the three peaks, running the 462 miles in between and carrying everything I needed on my back. My time was 13 days, 23 hours and 40 minutes."
2. Plan your ascent
Start in Wales and work upwards. Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, is 246 miles (about a five hour schlep) from London.
“The logistics of running the entire three peaks is slightly more than the time pressure of a 24-hour race,” says Ramsay. “The biggest challenge is having the right equipment and being able to successfully strap it to your back. You also need to organise transport to the start and back from the finish. My recommendation would be to do this going from Snowdon, to Scafell Pike in the Lake District to Ben Nevis in Scotland. In my opinion the scenery improves as you go north up the West Highland Way.
3. Pile up your pennies
The view from Ben Nevis
© Steffen Schnur
Doing the trip in 24 hours might be a cheaper approach, but you will have to factor in fuel costs as you dart from Wales up to Scotland. Ramsay points out that if this is your first adventure of this type and you plan to be on the road for longer, you’ll need a good tent, sleeping bag, backpack, cooker, waterproofs and running clothes. Plus campsite fees and food. Prep your bank balance along with your body, have cash on you, and you won’t suffer any surprises en-route to the top.
4. Collect a gadget
Because getting lost up a mountain can be quite embarrassing, it’s worth packing some gadgets to help you stay on track, as our expert explains:
“In terms of the actual ascents, the most important thing is to know your route up the mountains, have maps ready and a GPS unit,” says Ramsay. “I use the new Land Rover Explore phone which comes with maps, pinpoint accurate GPS and is durable and waterproof. If the weather closes in then everything can look very different. Mountains are dangerous places and that is part of their attraction but you need to respect them.”
5. Manage your meals
The view from Great Gable at sunset on Scafell Pike
© John Finney
Proper fuel is vital for powering your efforts. Ramsay has a simple food strategy. For breakfast he eats porridge, for lunch bagels (one peanut butter, one pâté) and instant noodles and a can of tuna for dinner.
Keep an eye out for shops on your route, as you can always top-up on more snacks and drinks as you go.
6. Sustain and maintain
Whatever your time limit, keeping energy levels up is essential to a Three Peaks ascent. Motivation, determination and logistics are vital, but packing a good snack selection to hit those in-between meal slumps is vital on the mountain.
“Make sure you have the right nutrition in place to sustain you,” says Ramsay. “I use nuts, biltong, and occasionally supplements."
7. Stay light on your feet
“You want to pack as little as possible but necessary kit to enable success,” says Ramsay. “You don’t want to let your core get cold because that can seriously affect how you feel and in turn how you perform."
Here’s his kit list as a starting point:
- Raidlight 30l Rlight pack
- Vango F10 Helium 100 tent
- Robens Fire Midget Stove
- Vango F10 Catalyst 250 sleeping bag
- GSI Halulite minimalist cook set
- Land Rover Explore phone (with Adventure GPS pack)
- GORE-TEX Waterproofs
- Adidas Skychaser GTX trail running shoes
- GORE Wear Fusion running kit
- Hat, gloves, sunglasses, suncream, Buff neckwear
8. Build your body
“For the 24-hour trip I would try getting used to being on your feet for long lengths of time," says Ramsay. “If you have access to a gym, I would suggest taking a laptop and watching a full film while walking on the treadmill at full incline. For the full Three Peaks, you need to train with a full backpack. When I did it I was covering up to 50km a day, so your body shouldn’t be introduced to surprises just before the event."
9. Climb mental mountains
Ridge of the Crib Goch trail at Mt Snowdon
© Andrew Peacock
Of course, climbing three mountains back to back requires a certain sort of mental fortitude. Think about the whole thing too much and you might psyche yourself out before you begin. Ramsay has some advice.
“I would break the challenge into sections and only focus on the task in hand,” he says. “It can be easy to let the enormity of a challenge be overwhelming. If you set yourself achievable targets and then tick them off you will almost certainly achieve more.”
10. Take time to unwind…or not.
Well done, you’ve managed to scale the Three Peaks. Time for a pat on the back and a bloody strong cup of tea, right? Not so fast...
"If you have managed to push yourself to the top of the Three Peaks, then why stop there?" asks Ramsay. Don’t let yourself get comfortable and lazy – find the next challenge. There are so many amazing places to visit in the UK and they all challenge you in a different way. If you’ve done the Three Peaks in 24 hours, why not see how many Munros, Hewitts or Wainrights you can do in 24 hours or over a weekend? Never stop challenging yourself."
