The Three PeaksThe Three Peaks
Over the weekend of 17/18/19 July 1998 a group of lunatics from Sheffield, England embarked on the challenge of a lifetime to walk up (and down) the three highest peaks in Great Britain within 24 hours. Sounds easy, but the logistics of walking and travelling meant it was always going to be a close call, even with the most efficient organisation.
| Start of Ben Nevis ascent (18th July 1998) | 08:10 |
| Time at Top | 10:50 |
| Time returned to Base | 12:50 |
| Total Ben Nevis walking time | 4:40 |
| Depart Ben Nevis | 13:10 |
| Arrive Scafell | 19:10 |
| Start of Scafell ascent | 19:25 |
| Time at Top | 21:00 |
| Time returned to Base | 22:30 |
| Total Scafell walking time | 3:05 |
| Depart Scafell | 23:00 |
| Arrive Snowdon (19 July 1998) | 04:25 |
| Start of Snowdon ascent | 04:30 |
| Time at Top | 06:30 |
| Time returned to Base | 08:05 |
| Total Snowdon walking time | 3:35 |
| Total Event Time | 23:55 |
| Total Walk Time | 11:20 |
| Total Miles Driven | 1040 |
Ben Nevis - Started cloudy with mist on top. Clearing on descent. Beautiful views during clear slots.
Scafell Pike - Small amount of cloud. Mist and moderate wind on top. Clear slots on descent showed lovely views of sun setting over distant hills. Dark as we arrived back at Mini-bus.
Snowdon - Set off at dawn. Dark grey skies turning to slightly lighter grey skies. Rain. Thick mist on summit - visibility 20 metres. More rain. Generally dismal.
After completion - No-one cared what the weather was like, just when our slap-up breakfast in the local cafe was going to arrive....
The overwhelming thought while trudging up the hills was I must have been off my head or drunk to agree to do this, especially going up the almost vertical scree slope to the summit of Snowdon, with rain and mist all around and visibility of no more than 20 metres, and my boots rapidly filling with water, all at 05:00! However, looking back after the event it was an amazing experience, especially the long, almost non-stop driving between the peaks. A great team of people sharing the experience helped enormously.
Apparently attaching a rubber band to yourself from the van is a good idea,
then you can stretch and stretch all the way to the top of the mountain and then boing! back down. Some say that
this was my tactic! Stopping in at a tent halfway up Scafell for a bowl of soup is a good idea. Lots of boiled
sweets to keep you from passing out on Snowdon. (+ a waterproof!!)
Steve Ramsey
What memories do I have?
Overall I was pleased and I guess a little surprised that there were no upsets
between anyone during what was a difficult exercise. Despite the general discomfort, cramped space on the minibus
and tiredness, there wasn't a wrong word between anyone that I can remember? Even though we all knew each other
fairly well, that is impressive.
How I felt leaving Pen-y-pass on 20 hours 30 minutes knowing that we only had
3.5 hours to complete Snowdon. How much my right foot was hurting from blisters as we set off and how I then spent
50% of my time on that part of the walk talking to myself, 'I can do this, feel the pain, enjoy the pain',
over and over again just to keep myself going. How can I really say that I enjoyed this?
How I felt walking into Pen-y-pass on 23 hours 55 minutes. Yes! Yes! Yes! was
all I was saying to myself. I was very emotional but just kept it to myself, this was the biggest challenge I'd
attempted with a team and the success was something special. I guess the fact that I'd initiated thing's, even
just the idea, made the success all the sweeter, but the involvement of everyone during the seemingly relaxed planning
phase played a big part in the final result and that made it all even better. The support team's driving which
was excellent. Sue starting off safe and steady from Sheffield to get us going and doing a great non-stop haul
up to Glasgow (was it?). Helen for taking over and continuing more of the same up to the grand metropolis of Lush
for our meal stop. Rachael taking over to fly us through the twisty bits to Fort William to get us there in time
for last orders. Then Sue and Helen continuing through the rest of the trip, steady and safe when I'm sure many
people take risks to make up time. Of course near perfect planning helped, apart from nearly running out of petrol
on the M56!
Harriet! Her carefree childlike qualities were a refreshing revelation, note
childlike not childish, i.e. natural responses that have not been corrupted by education and growing up generally.
What do I mean? She ran up the mountains like they were nothing, but as soon as she got the chance she just
slept to recover. Her direct line of questioning during normal conversation, i.e. asking the obvious questions
that many of us would think twice about. When we asked her to go up front with Sue when we left Scafell to help
keep Sue awake it was brilliant, e.g. shouting at the sheep at the top of her voice! Also, Sue's response to Harriet's
conversation was ace too, one question after another and Sue could only laugh as she struggled to come up with
answers to some of them!
Andrew looking very unhappy as he really struggled because of his cold, Scafell
was probably the worst for him, he seemed to cope better with Snowdon.
Rachael's pace, i.e. a slow plod up then a gallop down to give her an average
time the same as the rest of us! We needn't have kept waiting for her!
Jim falling in the river, I don't think he was very happy about that even though
he laughed it off later.
Now that it's all over it doesn't seem real in a way, the memories are of a
pretty well organised weekend that went according to plan!
The only question is what next year?
Tony Creed
I've done the three peaks three times now - the sun even shone on
one occasion - but this was without doubt the most satisfying of them all. This stems I think from a number
of things, but perhaps the most important of these is the fact we had a good mixture of people with the right kind
of attitude. When the blisters started to bobble up nobody moaned (although they may have inwardly cursed), when
Jim decided to float across the stream rather than walk, his spirit didn't buckle (his trousers just dripped a
bit) and when Andrew's legs started to go all wobbly he refused to be beaten - he just kept on wobbling. That was
the key I think - a positive attitude, the feeling that we were all on some big adventure. We'd all planned and
spent many an hour anticipating this, now was the time to experience it, not wish it away.
Some general thoughts -
Ben Nevis
A deceptive mountain. It's the biggest yet probably the easiest of the three.
The route is straight forward if a little too "bendy" at times, the views are spectacular when the clouds
clear and a good five hours is enough to get everybody up and down. The one thing to bear in mind is that it can
be an unforgiving mountain and that it should be treated with respect. When you see people walking up it in jeans
and trainers you just know they're asking for trouble.
Scafell
Travelling up from Wasdale head is like a short sharp shock to stiff muscles
after the rest from Fort William. The route up takes two alternative approaches to the summit. To the right is
a slipperly assault up a very steep scree face to the ridge between Scafell and Scafell Pike. To the left is a
more sedate though slightly longer route to the top. The choice of either is a trade off, but if the wind is gusting
and the rain is falling I'd rather avoid the scree! We followed a circuitous route and had the best of both worlds
- fun scrambling up the scree without having to worry about breaking our legs on the way down.
Snowdon
I bet it's nice in dry weather! The miner's track gave us a good opportunity
to make up some time. But all good things come to an end and they did on the scree challenge to follow. The best
approach we learned was to tackle it at the slope's edges rather than wade through the really loose stuff in the
middle. And when the rain is bucketing down, and the trousers are clinging to your legs and your boots start to
make squelchy noises, you keep telling yourself that the end is in sight. Although if it comes to it, a run
back down the miners track may be in order.
To conclude then - my tips:-
Be prepared!
Get fit!
There's no need to break the speed limit between hills
if you've done your planning.
Never underestimate the conditions you might encounter.
Be realistic - Don't overestimate your own abilities.
Be positive.
Have fun!
Andrew Brown
When it was first mentioned to me I just thought why not and didn't think anymore
of it untill the day we started.
As we started up Ben Nevis I felt ok and didn't think it would be too bad.
On the way back down I started having second thoughts ... as we neared the bottom the cold I had aquired the night
before started to take affect ...blocked ears,nose etc ... this was to be one of my many problems during
the next 24 hours.
When we got to Scafell, I started on the steady walk to the base again with
no apparent difficulty but as it started to rise I started questioning my sanity and why was I doing this ? ....
Finally a couple of hours later we reached the top and the thought was ... it's down hill ... it will be easier
.... alas my legs were thinking differently. I know one of the team said they were like jelly .
Then finally came the final Mountain (Hill). Given the time constraint
we were under I knew I had to push myself as I had been the last up all the HILLS ... this became a constant battle
of mind over matter. What a relief it was to finish and with only 5 minutes to spare ... it was a bit too close
for comfort. On finishing I didn't feel too bad but things were to take their toll over the next few days as my
muscles started to remind me of what I had done over one mad weekend.
Rob Underwood
The keenest member of the walkers - fell off his bike on the way to collect the minibus for the trip and badly smashed his elbow.
His comment on the trip - "Bugger!"
What the Press say
Extract from the Cap Gemini North East U.K. Regional Report August 1998
In a joint venture between Avesta Sheffield and Cap Gemini a team of 10 (8 walkers and 2 drivers) completed the 3 Peaks Challenge in a time of 23 hours and 55 minutes. This involved 11 hours 20 minutes of trekking up and down Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and over 1040 miles covered in the minibus.
Apart from a bad start, with Rob Underwood unfortunately breaking his elbow, while cycling on his way to pick up the minibus from the hire company, things progressed remarkably smoothly - reaching Fort William in time for Last Orders and getting down Snowdon in time for a well earned breakfast. Steve Adams and Harriet Leigh have raised over £350 for St Luke's Hospice which Cap Gemini have generously agreed to double, in addition to providing the minibus.
They would like to thank everyone for giving so generously, but would also ask that next time Cap Gemini arrange to have the minibus delivered, to save further casualties.
Links
This year's (2000) Organised Three Peaks Challenge in the UK
10 June 2000 - five men, three peaks, one challenge, twenty-four hours
