Winter 3 Peaks Challenge

A True 3 Peaks challenge in winter conditions!

If you have a good level of fitness and previous mountain walking experience we now offer an alternative winter version of the traditional 3 Peaks Challenge.

In winter the mountains are truly spectacular offering walkers a completely different perspective in contrast to the hussle and bussle of the hectic summer months.

Led by qualified, experienced winter mountain instructors this offers a truly rewarding mountaineering experience.

We will train you to safely use Ice axes and crampons and give you advice and support through out this challenge. We also supply the axes and crampons, if needed.

The 3 Peaks Challenge is one of the UK’s best known mountain challenge event, which attracts thousands of people each year, it involves climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales. These are Snowdon – 1085m, Scafell Pike – 978m and Ben Nevis – 1344m. The aim is to complete all 3 mountains within 24 hours.

Why Attempt The Winter 3 Peaks Challenge?

There are many reasons for attempting the Winter Three Peaks Challenge, whether it be to raise funds for deserving charitable causes, to test yourself against the mountains or simply for the sheer enjoyment of being amongst some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. Whatever your reason for rising to the challenge it will be one of the most memorable experiences you will have.

Challenge Provisions

We offer this challenge to small and medium sized groups. Due to the arduous nature of this challenge, it is not suitable for large groups. You will be guided by a highly qualified mountain instructors who will provide support and assistance to you, on and off the mountain. We have a maximum instructor/client ratio of 1:8.

We offer a full organisation and planning service, with our in depth knowledge of the event and locations, you can trust us to deliver the logistical support that you deserve.

The majority of our events are run on an all-inclusive basis however if you would like us just to provide mountain instructors and equipment then let us know.

We can run this challenge either North to South or the other way around. It may be worth considering doing the challenge South to North if you live in the South of England and then flying back from Glasgow as most of our groups do.

We know that the average times for each mountain are: Snowdon 4 hours, Scafell Pike 5 hours and Ben Nevis 6 hrs. This gives you a challenge time of 15 hours to complete all 3 mountains. The total time driving from Fort William to Snowdonia is 10 hours, without stops, at the legal limit for minibuses/coaches. This gives a total time of over 24 hours – without stops, road works or any other issues! It should be noted that all vehicles, which have more than 9 seats, are now limited to 62mph, by law.

Challenge Options

There are a number of ways you can complete this challenge. At UK Challenges we can offer you 3 options:

Option 1: The 24 Hour Race – you need to be very fit to do this, as you need to beat the average mountain times. The road times can’t be beaten, legally! The clock starts when you start up Ben Nevis and stops when you return from Snowdon, so ascent and descent are taken into account, how it should be!

Option 2: The ‘sensible’ challenge – completing all 3 peaks up and down in under 15 hours. The average times for all 3 peaks adds up to 15 hours. You need to have a good fitness level to successfully complete it. You will not lose any hill time if you are stuck in traffic, road works or need to stop en route. So, the clock starts when you start walking up each mountain and stops when you return. All 3 times are then added to give your overall time. Seeing as the total, average drive time is 10 hours, this option makes sense especially with Winter weather conditions!

Option 3: 3 Peaks Over 3 Days – Take your time to enjoy the outstanding British mountain scenery – Please call or email for full details and costs.

Why Attempt with us?

We are one of the few 3 Peaks Challenge organisers who actually guide our own groups, in fact we are often booked by other outdoor challenge company’s to run the events for them! All of our staff are full time Professional Outdoor Instructors.