The National Three Peaks Challenge is an event in which participants attempt to climb the highest mountains of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
within 24 hours. It is frequently used to
raise money for
charitable organisation
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a ch ...
s. Walkers climb each peak in turn, and are driven from the foot of one mountain to the next. The three peaks are:
*
Ben Nevis / ' (), the highest mountain in Scotland
*
Scafell Pike (), the highest mountain in England
*
Snowdon
Snowdon () or (), is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (') in Gwynedd (historic ...
/ ' (), the highest mountain in Wales
The total distance walked is estimated at
[ Lawrence & Sparshatt (2010)] or ,
[ Turnbull (2007), p. 26.] with a total ascent of .
[ Turnbull (2007), p. 27.]
Ben Nevis
![Ben Nevis south face](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Ben_Nevis_south_face.jpg)
Ben Nevis ( gd, Beinn Nibheis) is the highest
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
in the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
. It is located at the western end of the
Grampian Mountains in the
Lochaber
Lochaber ( ; gd, Loch Abar) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig, as they were before being reduced in extent by the creation ...
area of the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Sco ...
, close to the town of
Fort William. It attracts an estimated 100,000 ascents a year,
around three-quarters of which are made using the Pony Track from
Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis ( gd, Gleann Nibheis) is a glen in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, with Fort William at its foot. It is bordered to the south by the Mamore range, and to the north by the highest mountains in the British Isles: Ben Nevis, Càrn Mor ...
on the south side of the mountain.
For climbers and
mountaineers
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...
the main attraction lies in the high cliffs of the north face; among the highest cliffs in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, they harbour some classic
scrambles
''Scrambles'' is the fifth studio album by Bomb the Music Industry!, released digitally and physically on February 15th, 2009. The album was released a year and a half after Get Warmer, making it the longest gap between the release of two chrono ...
and
rock climbs of all difficulties, and are one of the principal locations in the UK for
ice climbing.
The summit, at above sea level, features the ruins of an
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
, which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904. The
meteorological
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...
data collected during this period is still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather.
Charles Thomson Rees Wilson was inspired to invent the
cloud chamber after a period spent working at the observatory, for which he was joint winner of the
Nobel Prize in Physics
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
in 1927.
[ Nobel Foundation (1965)]
Scafell Pike
![Scafell Pike](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Scafell_Pike.JPG)
Scafell Pike is the highest
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
in England at . It is located in
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is a national park in North West England that includes all of the central Lake District, though the town of Kendal, some coastal areas, and the Lakeland Peninsulas are outside the park boundary.
The area was desi ...
, in
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
.
Scafell Pike consists of
igneous
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or ...
rock dating from the
Ordovician geologically part of the
Borrowdale Volcanics
The Borrowdale Volcanic Group is a group of igneous rock formations named after the Borrowdale area of the Lake District, in England. They are Caradocian (late Ordovician) in age (roughly 450 million years old). It is thought that they represent t ...
. The summit
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
of Scafell Pike, and that of other neighbouring peaks, is covered with shattered rock debris which provides the highest altitude example of a summit boulder field in England.
The boulder field is thought to have been caused in part by weathering, such as
frost action
Frost weathering is a collective term for several mechanical weathering processes induced by stresses created by the freezing of water into ice. The term serves as an umbrella term for a variety of processes such as frost shattering, frost wedg ...
. Additional factors are also considered to be important, however opinion varies as to what these may be. Clifton Ward suggested that weathering with earthquakes as a secondary agent could be responsible, while J. E. Marr and R. A. Daly believed that earthquakes were unnecessary and suggested that frost action with other unspecified agents was more likely. To the north of the summit are a number of high altitude ghylls or ravines, containing streams which flow into Lingmell Beck. These are good examples in Cumbria for this type of stream, and are also biologically important due to their
species richness.
Snowdon
Snowdon ( cy, Yr Wyddfa) is the highest mountain in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, at an altitude of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
, and the highest point in the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...
outside
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
.
[ Barnes (2005)] It is located in
Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951.
Name and extent
It was a commonly held belief that the nam ...
(') in
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain".
It is designated as a
national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna.
The rocks that form Snowdon were produced by
volcano
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...
es in the
Ordovician period, and the massif has been extensively sculpted by
glaciation
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
, forming the
pyramidal peak
A pyramidal peak, sometimes called a glacial horn in extreme cases, is an angular, sharply pointed mountain peak which results from the cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from a central point. Pyramidal peaks are often examples o ...
of Snowdon and the
arêtes of
Crib Goch
Crib Goch is described as a "knife-edged" arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The name means "red ridge" in the Welsh language.
The highest point on the arête is above sea level. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are co ...
and
Y Lliwedd
Y Lliwedd is a mountain, connected to Snowdon in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales.
Its summit lies above sea level.
The eastern flanks are steep cliffs rising above Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw. Y Lliwedd is the most conspicuous of ...
. The cliff faces on Snowdon, including
Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (, translates as the "black cliff of the black height"), or "Cloggy", is a north-facing rhyolite set of cliffs located on the northern flank of Snowdon mountain. Cloggy is considered to be one of the best traditional climbing a ...
, are significant for
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
, and the mountain was used by
Edmund Hillary in training for the 1953 ascent of
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
.
[ Marsh (2010)]
Snowdon affords some of the best views in Britain, and the summit can be reached by a number of well-known paths.
The summit can also be reached on the
Snowdon Mountain Railway, a
rack and pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a circular gear (the '' pinion'') engaging a linear gear (the ''rack''). Together, they convert rotational motion into linear motion. Rotating the pinion causes the rack to be driven ...
railway opened in 1896 which carries passengers the from
Llanberis
(; ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mo ...
to the summit station. The summit also houses a visitor centre called ', opened in 2009 to replace one built in the 1930s.
The name ''Snowdon'' is from the
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
for "snow hill", while the Welsh name – ' – means "the
tumulus
A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones buil ...
", which may refer to the cairn thrown over the legendary giant Rhitta Gawr after his defeat by
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
.
As well as other figures from Arthurian legend, the mountain is linked to a legendary ' (water monster) and the (fairies).
Logistics
Ronald Turnbull argues that it makes sense to tackle the summits from north to south, starting at Ben Nevis in the evening, and ending at Snowdon the following day.
[ Turnbull (2007), p. 28.] This is because the descent of Ben Nevis is the easiest of the three to do in fading light, particularly the lower section below
Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe ("Half-Way Lochan"), and because the night can be used for driving down the
A74(M) and M74 motorways
The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorwa ...
to Scafell Pike.
This then entails climbing Scafell Pike early the following morning and driving to Snowdonia for the early afternoon, in order to climb Snowdon and descend again by the evening.
Scafell Pike can be climbed either from the north side starting at
Seathwaite (
Borrowdale
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cumberland. It is sometimes referred to as ''Cumberland Borrowdale'' t ...
) or from the south side, starting at
Wasdale Head. The Wasdale approach is a longer drive but provides a shorter walk.
Snowdon is climbed from
Pen-y-Pass
Pen-y-Pass is a mountain pass in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a popular location from which to walk up Snowdon, as three of the popular routes (the Miners Track, the Pyg Track and the ascent via Crib Goch) can be started here. ...
, although an alternative descent leads to
Llanberis
(; ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mo ...
, and takes an additional 15 minutes.
Each mountain is expected to take up to 5 hours to climb and descend for a "standard strong walker", and a total driving time of 10 hours (although Google maps depicts 10:45 driving time) allows an average speed of on
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
s and on trunk roads and occasional comfort breaks and fuel stops.
[ Turnbull (2007), p. 29.]
Variations of the basic format have also been achieved, such as replacing the driving sections with the use of
public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
, or sailing between the three peaks across the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
.
[ Turnbull (2007)]
This walk (or similar - comprising in fact Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon) was first done within 23 hours in 1926 by Dr Charles Hadfield and Mr W. N. Pape. The driver was Mr H. P. Cain, (my great grandfather). The three conceived it as a 'Joy Joke.' They were all keen rock and fell walkers. It was reported in the Observer on 06 06 26 and in the Penrith Observer on Tuesday 8 June 1926.
Environmental impact
![Seathwaite, Borrowdale - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Seathwaite%2C_Borrowdale_-_geograph.org.uk_-_892355.jpg)
There is some controversy about the
environmental impact of the Three Peaks Challenge.
In an
editorial
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, suc ...
in the
British Mountaineering Council's ''Summit'' magazine, Jill Hudson argues that the Three Peaks Challenge should be shunned as it costs charities more to clean up after participants than they raise by taking part. In 2011, ''
Wanderlust'' magazine placed the challenge on a list of destinations in need of greater care, and that the numbers of participants should be limited. Organisers disagree, arguing that the 30,000 participants in the Three Peaks Challenge is small compared to the 250,000 who climb Snowdon annually. Since March 2010, the
Fundraising Standards Board
The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It was established on 7 July 2016, replacing the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB). The Regulator developed from recommend ...
has acted as a centralised hub for complaints from the
National Parks
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
about groups engaged in the National Three Peaks Challenge.
See also
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Three Peaks yacht race
*
Yorkshire Three Peaks
The mountains of Whernside (), Ingleborough () and Pen-y-ghent () are collectively known as the
Three Peaks. The peaks, which form part of the
Pennine range, encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales National ...
*
Five Peaks Challenge
*
Snaefell, the highest mountain on the Isle of Man
*
Slieve Donard, the highest mountain in Northern Ireland
*
Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in the Republic of Ireland
Further reading
*
Notable People
Notable people to have completed the Three Peaks Challenge include:
*
Les Ferdinand
Leslie Ferdinand MBE (born 8 December 1966) is an English football coach, former professional footballer and television pundit, who is currently the director of football at Queens Park Rangers.
A striker, his playing career included notable sp ...
– Tottenham and England footballer.
[https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sirles ]
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Highest mountains of the United Kingdom
Challenge walks
Peak bagging in the United Kingdom