3 Peaks - Advice + Experiences
Discussion
right, a group of us have been offered the opportunity to do the 3 peaks challenge...
we are getting a 50% discount and will be doing it next year in June (thank God)... our group is 5 lads and 1 girl and we are all in our early 20s and none of us are in bad shape... we wan't to get a decent time therefore are going to train for it as best we can and hope that the girl can keep up if we take all of her kit...
a few questions though...
realistically could a girl keep up with the guys up and down? is it that challenging that she wouldn't be able to?
what sort of kit would you say is essential...
are we going to need a pair of dedicated drivers?
any other opinions?
Cheers guys
jimbob
we are getting a 50% discount and will be doing it next year in June (thank God)... our group is 5 lads and 1 girl and we are all in our early 20s and none of us are in bad shape... we wan't to get a decent time therefore are going to train for it as best we can and hope that the girl can keep up if we take all of her kit...
a few questions though...
realistically could a girl keep up with the guys up and down? is it that challenging that she wouldn't be able to?
what sort of kit would you say is essential...
are we going to need a pair of dedicated drivers?
any other opinions?
Cheers guys
jimbob
ewenm said:
I know a few girls who'd lead most blokes up and down those hills. If you're all of adequate fitness, there being a girl along shouldn't be a concern (unless you're worried about her showing you up 
).
haha that's good to know. we aren't gonna make her carry any kit (or the case of beer for each one of the summits!) but we are really serious about getting a good time and all go to the gym as it is...).i know she would try her arse off but i don't see it being a problem on the first couple of hills but dunno if she will be able to keep up on the 3rd...
dave1409 said:
A few of my friends did it earlier this year, one was a 44 year old female, two of the men were 50 years old. You really shouldn't have any problems at your age.
don't mean to be cocky but i know i and the other lads wont have a problem completing it... but we wan't to "win" it by spending the least time on the mountain out of all the people from our work...Some of the locals get understandably frustrated with 3-peakers being noisy and messy in the middle of the night (usually Lake District) so my main advice would be to be considerate - that means being quiet, leaving no litter and not taking a crap in someone's field Basically they shouldn't know you were there.
Basically they shouldn't know you were there.ewenm said:
Some of the locals get understandably frustrated with 3-peakers being noisy and messy in the middle of the night (usually Lake District) so my main advice would be to be considerate - that means being quiet, leaving no litter and not taking a crap in someone's field Basically they shouldn't know you were there.
that's fair enough i suppose... do they mind us posing in boxers at the summit though? Basically they shouldn't know you were there.I did it last year and I am a (slightly) paunchy 43 year old. We were a group of similar age and we all trained a little bit and did a proper hike each weekend together. We also had a practice on Snowdon and a couple of the others had a go up Scafell.
We organized our own trip and we ended up raising over £15,000 for three local charities. Thereis no way we could have done it without two dedicated drivers. The most important thing the drivers did apart from drive was provide endless sweet tea and bacon butties. Our time was 23.5 hours, we lost over 2 hours through a blocked road near Fort William and roadworks in North Wales. As a complete non athlete I took all my reserves of physical and mental strength to complete, but we all did it and it still makes me proud of myself now!
Good luck and don't forget to enjoy the scenery!
d2t
We organized our own trip and we ended up raising over £15,000 for three local charities. Thereis no way we could have done it without two dedicated drivers. The most important thing the drivers did apart from drive was provide endless sweet tea and bacon butties. Our time was 23.5 hours, we lost over 2 hours through a blocked road near Fort William and roadworks in North Wales. As a complete non athlete I took all my reserves of physical and mental strength to complete, but we all did it and it still makes me proud of myself now!
Good luck and don't forget to enjoy the scenery!
d2t
Edited by drive2tractors on Thursday 11th November 15:52
jimbobsimmonds said:
ewenm said:
Some of the locals get understandably frustrated with 3-peakers being noisy and messy in the middle of the night (usually Lake District) so my main advice would be to be considerate - that means being quiet, leaving no litter and not taking a crap in someone's field Basically they shouldn't know you were there.
that's fair enough i suppose... do they mind us posing in boxers at the summit though? Basically they shouldn't know you were there.I did it last year in a team with two lasses, and we spent very little time on the mountains. In fact we would have got a brilliant time had we not been doing it whilst those fell runners were being air lifted off Mt Snowden! Still did it under the 24 hours though.
Was great fun. One lad in another team at work did it all in shorts and aasics trainers!
Rob
Was great fun. One lad in another team at work did it all in shorts and aasics trainers!
Rob
I've never done the 3 peaks in one go, but I've run up them individually and done a few 24hr races.
My tips to give you the best chance of success would be:
Re training - lots of hill work running / walking for 2-3 hours at a time. Cross training = mountain bikeing. You can do Nevis in under two hours if you're pretty fit.
My tips to give you the best chance of success would be:
- Definitely need dedicated drivers. Having all your runners being able to sleep is a godsend
- Change of base layer clothes needed for each summit - that is socks, undercrackers, tops. You need to stay dry or you'll get cold and miserable, and you'll soak your base-layers in sweat.
- Need a cook - someone to heat up some grub / make hot drinks to eat/drink in the mini-bus is a big morale booster.
- Plenty of fluids in the form of energy drinks that you've tested before you use them - some will make you feel sick, others give you gut rot. Different drinks work for different people
- Despite the routes being pretty well trodden pack enough kit to keep the group dry and warm to two hours - I would recommend a group shelter / bothy big (or a couple) big enough for your party. Pack some nav kit too - map compass and GPS (if you have one). Plot the route on the GPS before hand.
- Consider some poles - Nevis is a horrible descent and very hard on the knees.
- Good head torch - I would recommend this as its cheap and very bright http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29435
- Good fitting shoes nd good quality socks are essential - if anything (beyond weather) it will be blisters that'll halt your attempt.
Re training - lots of hill work running / walking for 2-3 hours at a time. Cross training = mountain bikeing. You can do Nevis in under two hours if you're pretty fit.
Edited by rhinochopig on Wednesday 10th November 20:20
Have you and the rest of the 'team' even walked to the top of a real mountain? If not do that as soon as you can, it's not as easy as you might think.
If it's an organised event be careful that they actually let you get some sleep before you start as I think that's what killed a few of our team. The briefing on friday night meant we didn't get to where we were sleeping until ~10:30pm and had to be up again at 4 am to start at 4:30am which meant nobody had a goods night sleep or time for a real breakfast before setting off on ben nevis. This knackered a few of us.
Make sure you get decent walking boots / trainers etc. and make sure they fit. The rest is all optional, however if it's an organised event you'll have minimum requirments to take part to do with safety. A warm jacket is a good idea as the top of any of them can be bloody cold and horrible even in the middle of summer, I did it in mid July and we had serious fog and freezing temps up Snowdon at the end.
Training on flat ground with walks etc. is a total waste of time IMO concentrate on getting up and down mountains.
If it's an organised event be careful that they actually let you get some sleep before you start as I think that's what killed a few of our team. The briefing on friday night meant we didn't get to where we were sleeping until ~10:30pm and had to be up again at 4 am to start at 4:30am which meant nobody had a goods night sleep or time for a real breakfast before setting off on ben nevis. This knackered a few of us.
Make sure you get decent walking boots / trainers etc. and make sure they fit. The rest is all optional, however if it's an organised event you'll have minimum requirments to take part to do with safety. A warm jacket is a good idea as the top of any of them can be bloody cold and horrible even in the middle of summer, I did it in mid July and we had serious fog and freezing temps up Snowdon at the end.
Training on flat ground with walks etc. is a total waste of time IMO concentrate on getting up and down mountains.
jimbobsimmonds said:
haha that's good to know. we aren't gonna make her carry any kit (or the case of beer for each one of the summits!) but we are really serious about getting a good time and all go to the gym as it is...
i know she would try her arse off but i don't see it being a problem on the first couple of hills but dunno if she will be able to keep up on the 3rd...
Gym training is OK for base fitness, but better specific training would be to get out into the hills. Treadmills and cross-trainers are good for improving your CV fitness, but yomping up (and down) big hills requires a different type of fitness and strength in your legs.i know she would try her arse off but i don't see it being a problem on the first couple of hills but dunno if she will be able to keep up on the 3rd...
Girls are at no disadvantage (unless lugging a 50 lb bergen) on this type of activity.
Rob_F said:
I did it last year in a team with two lasses, and we spent very little time on the mountains. In fact we would have got a brilliant time had we not been doing it whilst those fell runners were being air lifted off Mt Snowden! Still did it under the 24 hours though.
Was great fun. One lad in another team at work did it all in shorts and aasics trainers!
Rob
fair play... i'll do it in flipflops Was great fun. One lad in another team at work did it all in shorts and aasics trainers!
Rob
rhinochopig said:
I've never done the 3 peaks in one go, but I've run up them individually and done a few 24hr races.
My tips to give you the best chance of success would be:
Re training - lots of hill work running / walking for 2-3 hours at a time. Cross training = mountain bikeing. You can do Nevis in under two hours if you're pretty fit.
seems like sound advice...My tips to give you the best chance of success would be:
- Definitely need dedicated drivers. Having all your runners being able to sleep is a godsend
- Change of base layer clothes needed for each summit - that is socks, undercrackers, tops. You need to stay dry or you'll get cold and miserable, and you'll soak your base-layers in sweat.
- Need a cook - someone to heat up some grub / make hot drinks to eat/drink in the mini-bus is a big morale booster.
- Plenty of fluids in the form of energy drinks that you've tested before you use them - some will make you feel sick, others give you gut rot. Different drinks work for different people
- Despite the routes being pretty well trodden pack enough kit to keep the group dry and warm to two hours - I would recommend a group shelter / bothy big (or a couple) big enough for your party. Pack some nav kit too - map compass and GPS (if you have one). Plot the route on the GPS before hand.
- Consider some poles - Nevis is a horrible descent and very hard on the knees.
- Good head torch - I would recommend this as its cheap and very bright http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29435
- Good fitting shoes nd good quality socks are essential - if anything (beyond weather) it will be blisters that'll halt your attempt.
Re training - lots of hill work running / walking for 2-3 hours at a time. Cross training = mountain bikeing. You can do Nevis in under two hours if you're pretty fit.
Edited by rhinochopig on Wednesday 10th November 20:20
we will be doing it in June so hopefully won't need to go mental on the shelter side of things but change of clothes seems a good shout...
she is a relatively in shape girl going with a group of gym going (not just the weights either) lads... (she's gonna love it
)...will definitely train for it... a few yomps up and down bluebell hill should prepare the calfs...
so far we don't have a driver...
I used to help organise an annual charity 3 peaks event with 75teams so here's my advice to anyone doing it;
1) train on real mountains
2) have at least one dedicated driver who whilst the team climbs gets some sleep, prepares them a hot meal, lays out clean dry clothes and tidies the car ready for their return.
3) DO not speed on the driving sections (we actually used to set a minimum drive time and anyone who was within it was disqualified.
4) think about your start time and what it will mean your climb/decent times are later on in the route.. the fast teams used to plan the descent of Scarfell after sun rise (having started at Nevis) as it's easier to climb quickly in the dark than it is to descent quickly in the dark.
5) Do not eat or drink anything before or during the challenge that you're not used to.. every year there were stories of people being adversly effected by energy drinks/foods.
6) Enjoy the experience don't just do it with a tick box mentality.
To do the challenge within 24hours is actually quite easy provided you're sensible.
1) train on real mountains
2) have at least one dedicated driver who whilst the team climbs gets some sleep, prepares them a hot meal, lays out clean dry clothes and tidies the car ready for their return.
3) DO not speed on the driving sections (we actually used to set a minimum drive time and anyone who was within it was disqualified.
4) think about your start time and what it will mean your climb/decent times are later on in the route.. the fast teams used to plan the descent of Scarfell after sun rise (having started at Nevis) as it's easier to climb quickly in the dark than it is to descent quickly in the dark.
5) Do not eat or drink anything before or during the challenge that you're not used to.. every year there were stories of people being adversly effected by energy drinks/foods.
6) Enjoy the experience don't just do it with a tick box mentality.
To do the challenge within 24hours is actually quite easy provided you're sensible.
Its very hard to train to come down a mountain quickly.
Most people train to go UP the mountain, but coming down is a skill and requires knees like iron bars....
In my group admittedly not the fastest, we had two girls who HAD NEVER been on a mountain before, going up was ok, but coming down steep sections at the top of Ben Nevis, they lost all confidence took ages.
Don't worry about changing base layers, its fine just crank the heater up in the minibus and stink.
Get some hills in...
5 Top tips
1. Get out of the gym and onto some hils, you will struggle no matter how fit you might think you are if you don't do some endurance training at least 6 weeks before the off. There's nothing more likely to p*ss off your mates if you turn up with no real training and have to turn back half way up the first hill.
2. Camp out at the bottom of Ben Nevis, start soon after a good breakfast and don't b*gger about. The hardest part of the challenge is sleep deprevation so make sure you crack on as soon as possible.
3. Do it in trainers, carry boots in your bag for certain bits like the top of scafell which is very rocky. Boots not really needed on Snowdon unless snow.
4. Have an experienced, dedicated driver who can drive long distances at reasonable pace, you'd be surprised how many people crash doing this challenge. Two is even better and get as much sleep as possible.
5. When you get off the mountain, get in the car and get going quickly, you see so many people wasting ages chatting, putting on fresh clothes, eating cooked meals before getting on the road.
Typical times to get up and down the mountains.
Ben Nevis - 4-6 hours
Scafell - 3.5-5 hours
Snowdon - 2.5-3.5 hours
Good luck
1. Get out of the gym and onto some hils, you will struggle no matter how fit you might think you are if you don't do some endurance training at least 6 weeks before the off. There's nothing more likely to p*ss off your mates if you turn up with no real training and have to turn back half way up the first hill.
2. Camp out at the bottom of Ben Nevis, start soon after a good breakfast and don't b*gger about. The hardest part of the challenge is sleep deprevation so make sure you crack on as soon as possible.
3. Do it in trainers, carry boots in your bag for certain bits like the top of scafell which is very rocky. Boots not really needed on Snowdon unless snow.
4. Have an experienced, dedicated driver who can drive long distances at reasonable pace, you'd be surprised how many people crash doing this challenge. Two is even better and get as much sleep as possible.
5. When you get off the mountain, get in the car and get going quickly, you see so many people wasting ages chatting, putting on fresh clothes, eating cooked meals before getting on the road.
Typical times to get up and down the mountains.
Ben Nevis - 4-6 hours
Scafell - 3.5-5 hours
Snowdon - 2.5-3.5 hours
Good luck
Gargamel said:
Its very hard to train to come down a mountain quickly.
Most people train to go UP the mountain, but coming down is a skill and requires knees like iron bars....
In my group admittedly not the fastest, we had two girls who HAD NEVER been on a mountain before, going up was ok, but coming down steep sections at the top of Ben Nevis, they lost all confidence took ages.
Don't worry about changing base layers, its fine just crank the heater up in the minibus and stink.
Get some hills in...
Why would you deliberately want to make yourself more uncomfortable when you don't have to? Dried sweat also chafes more as well increasing the risk of sores and blisters on your feet. A change of base layer and socks for each mountain hardly takes up a lot of space in the mini bus.Most people train to go UP the mountain, but coming down is a skill and requires knees like iron bars....
In my group admittedly not the fastest, we had two girls who HAD NEVER been on a mountain before, going up was ok, but coming down steep sections at the top of Ben Nevis, they lost all confidence took ages.
Don't worry about changing base layers, its fine just crank the heater up in the minibus and stink.
Get some hills in...
Jimbob, for what they weigh I'd seriously consider at least one group shelter in your party - a two man weighs nothing - as even in summer Nevis can have snow on the top. If one of your party breaks their ankle on the descent, it will take an MR team or a SAR helo at the very least an hour to get to you. That's a long time to be sat on a wet windy hillside even in summer.
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