National 3 Peaks Challenge

With 2015 drawing to a close I am noting some of my other achievements besides marathon training. One of these happens to be the National 3 Peaks Challenge (N3P), which I did on Friday 21^st August to Saturday 22^nd August this year. What makes the N3P so exciting and daunting at the same time is that it manages to combine sleep deprivation, a real endurance challenge for any type of person, extraordinarily beautiful scenery and driving across Britain like a madman all in the space of under 24 hours. This blog is about my experience of the N3P and what my tips would be to people attempting it.

On our way to Fort William to scale Ben Nevis

It may sound like the most obvious piece of advice, but planning before the N3P is very important (as I was to find out later). It is best to set off early in the day before you begin your challenge, especially if you and your team are in different locations, and head to the first mountain you intend to climb. In our case this involved a long journey from the South-East to stay in Carlisle. We stayed overnight in Carlisle and then drove to Fort William to begin our run/ walk up Ben Nevis. My team mate Jamie, who had very helpfully done all the planning for the trip, had decided that we would tackle the largest mountain first. Besides the Yorkshire Three Peaks and some walking in the Lake District when I was a child, I had never really done any walking (or running for that matter) around Britain. So I was quite in awe of Ben Nevis when we approached it and then as we began to walk and in some parts run up the mountain. The hardest part for me was the beginning of Ben Nevis as it seemed to be just getting steeper and steeper in gradient and, being a road runner, my adjustment to the uneven surfaces of the trail were quite trying at times. Once you get about half way up the mountain you are greeted by some spectacular views of the surrounding region. I am quite proud of this picture, although I do not think it does the actual landscape justice. Simply put you should go and see it for yourself.

Going up Ben Nevis

When we began to get near the top of the mountain the weather began to change and the amazing views were obscured by the cloud coming in. With the visibility being reduced we decided to run down the mountain, which was quite an experience, along with the rain that seem to come and go as we were going down. I don’t know what it was about the rain on Ben Nevis, but it seemed particularly hard that day and by the time we were had got down the mountain I was completely drenched. Hopefully the video just below gives you some idea of how amazing it was going down the mountain.

Unfortunately it was in my soaking wet gear that I found out when we got back to the car that I forgot to pack any spare trousers. I had also forgotten to pack my running leggings, which meant I just had shorts on a not so warm August evening. Luckily our driver- Paul- very kindly donated his salopettes to me for the remaining two mountains. The drive to Sca Fell was overnight and was not the most comfortable ride. This was because we all had gear and food for three nights in an estate car; that combined with Jamie and I drying off meant that it was quite a cosy arrangement in the car. The key thing I found when going from mountain to mountain was trying to: ensure that I rested, had eaten some food and tried to relax as much as possible. This sounds easier than it really is, because you have just come down a mountain at some pace and even though you can rest at that particular moment, in the back of your mind you know that you have another two to do. The best advice I can give is to focus on eating and then see if you can relax. I didn’t have any caffeinated drinks and I think that at least helped me to drift in and out of sleep between each of the mountains, which I felt allowed me to recover slightly. 

Three very surreal things happened as we drove towards Sca Fell. The first was that a deer ran in front of our car as we were speeding along one of the A roads. Luckily we didn’t hit, but it was one of those moments where you are aware that something could have gone horribly wrong and also questioning yourself as to whether it actually happened. The next two things were that we had to negotiate what seemed like a ‘sea’ of sheep in the pitch black and then what seemed like some outdoor type of rave near Sca Fell, which all seemed very strange with little sleep at that point. 

To say that I found Sca Fell the hardest mountain is probably correct. We were going up the mountain at night and it meant that you had little or no feeling of progress. It had also become quite foggy as we began our walk up the mountain, meaning that we had very little visibility ahead of us. Jamie, who had even gone up the mountain earlier in the year, was now finding it hard to navigate the way ahead. Even just finding the various cairns along Sca Fell was a challenge. We did have a map with us, but without being able to reference where we were it was not the easiest task, and at some points we were just guessing. Luckily we bumped into a really nice group of people who were doing the N3P as well. One of them had a GPS signal on their phone overlaid onto an ordinance survey map and this made things a lot easier getting to the top. The video gives you some understanding of how dark it was.

Even though I was relieved to have got to the top of Sca Fell I found the descent pretty challenging. It was only near the bottom of the mountain that it started to become light and there were a couple of times when I fell over going down. That said, the scenery was really beautiful and at one point I thought it would be just nice to sit down and watch the day go by.  I know the picture quality isn’t great, but hopefully the photo below gives you some idea of how beautiful Sca Fell is. It is one of the mountains I would like to visit again.

Going down Sca Fell

The drive to Snowdon like the drive to Sca Fell was tough, as again it was trying to unwind from the previous event, get some food at the same time and all whilst sitting in a tight car space. By the time I got to the last mountain I knew that I definitely felt the last two mountains in my legs. I also entered the stage where everything felt strange, due to a lack of sleep and a bit disconnected. Jamie led a really good pace up to the bottom of the Snowdon, but as you can see in the video below I am pretty tired by this stage.

Jamie was pretty good at waiting for me at various points up the Miners Track and, just like at Sca Fell, I couldn’t get over how amazing the landscape was. The last part of the Miners Track was quite tough, not just because it was pretty steep but also because there were loads of people on the mountain either going up or down. I would like to do the Snowdon again at a gentler pace, as well as earlier in the day so that there were less people on the mountain. When we got to the top of the mountain I felt ecstatic and relieved. At this point Jamie still wanted to race against the clock, whereas I was more concerned about taking everything in. So we decided to go down separately, with Jamie going back down the Miners track and I decided to take the gentler (and slower) Pyg Track. I completed the National Three Peaks Challenge in around 21 hours and 10 minutes. I think the picture of me below, shows how relieved I am. I think the main things I am going to take away from this challenge is how sublime the landscape was, you really felt like you were on your own (that is a great feeling to have when you live in a crowded city like London), that I have a lot more to learn about trail running and I definitely want to explore more mountains/ hills across Britain.

Feeling relieved after having ascended Snowdon

My advice for the National Three Peaks

After telling you how my experience went for the N3P, these are the tips that I would give to anyone attempting the challenge:-

·         I would definitely complete the mountains in descending order of size. So Ben Nevis, then Sca Fell and finally Snowdon. After my experience of walking up Sca Fell in pitch black, I would start Ben Nevis at about 7pm to 8pm rather than 4pm. That way you get to drive overnight to Sca Fell and arrive when it is becoming light. It may mean Snowdon is a little bit more crowded at the end, but you get to see more of all the mountains.

·         That said if you wanted to do what Jamie and I did, which is start Ben Nevis at 4pm, then my advice would be to do the challenge in June, which means you will get more hours of daylight.

·         Also prepare for the Three Peaks, as you would a major race where you are attempting a personal best. That means don’t do what I did and leave major bits of kit at home and also a few other sub-points:

o   Practice other mountains first, but if you can one of the mountains on the challenge. That way you can get used to what it feels like, how your kit feels and what you need to take up with you to be comfortable for the walk, e.g. food, water etc.

o   Do not train too hard the week before, especially if you want to set a good time. Your legs will need to be as rested as possible for the task ahead.

·         A head-torch is a must.

·         Agree on a pace both you and your team mate are comfortable with.

·         Have a dedicated driver. It really allows you to switch off between the mountains.

·         Take good quality maps, compass and even GPS if you really want to be secure in the route you are taking.

·         In terms of food and water, pack according to how long you estimate to up on the mountain but do not go overboard. Remember you have to carry it up there until you have eaten or drunk what you are carrying.

·         In terms of footwear I used normal Karrimor walking shoes, but I am sure trail running shoes will be just as good.

·         We stayed at the Pizza and Pint hostel after doing the three peaks. The food was really good,  the accommodation was decent and the staff were friendly.

Finally let me know if you have any of your own hints and tips for tackling the 3 Peaks.