If you’re into exercise, exploring and challenging yourself in a team, the Three Peaks Challenge is so much fun! It’s an amazing opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors whilst taking on an epic challenge of hiking the three tallest peaks in the UK in 24hrs.
Take a look at our handy guide to taking on the Three Peaks Challenge With TentBox.
What is the Three Peaks Challenge?
The Three Peaks Challenge is a mountaineering feat that challenges participants to climb the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales, within 24 hours. People also opt to tackle the three peaks in a longer time frame or even over the period of weeks and months.
During the course of the challenge you’ll walk a total distance of 23 miles and an ascent of 3064 metres overall. All the while, those who compete to do it in 24 hours will try and travel between the peaks in that time.
As you can gather, success in the Three Peaks Challenge is about the organisation and logistics of where you will sleep and what times you travel, as well as physical fitness and a determined mindset.
The locations you’ll cover in the Three Peaks Challenge Are:
- Ben Nevis, Scotland
- Scafell Pike, England
- Snowdon, Wales
How to complete the Three Peaks Challenge in 24hrs with TentBox
Completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours is hard, but rewarding and well worth it. Completing the Three Peaks Challenge with a TentBox on your roof makes it much easier too. Here’s our tips on ensuring that you complete the Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours:
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Sleep overnight in your TentBox the night before
The 24hrs starts when you take the first step on your first mountain (which you may complete in any order, but Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon are generally considered the best order for speed).
To get as much sleep in as possible you’ll want to sleep overnight wherever you start so that you’re not already tired. Having the TentBox to sleep in at the carpark or nearby campsite means that when you wake up in the early morning you can wake up at 5:30am and get straight on the track as opposed to staying in a hotel an hour away and having to wake at 4am and drive to the start point.
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Have a strong team
The challenge has to be completed in a team, as you can’t hike and drive because it’s dangerous. The team members hiking will probably want to sleep in between hikes when they can. A strong team will include one or two drivers, a first aider and fit hikers who love adventure and are up for a challenge.
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Train properly to make good time on the mountains
If you’re trying to complete the Three Peaks Challenge in under 24hrs, you need to be speedy on your feet. This means that you’ll need a good level of fitness to make it up and down each mountain in less than 4 hours for each one. Think uphill walking on the treadmill, hitting the cross trainer and pumping out a few hours a week on the stepper machine.
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Take a speaker
If you want to keep morale up on that last mountain it’s recommended that you take a speaker and blast some tunes. It helps keep everyone going and is a bit of fun. Plus, other people will be able to hear you coming and go single file on the foggier tracks.
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Head torches are essential
The official kit list is here and should be adhered to, but the head torch is perhaps the most essential item. Don’t underestimate this challenge, and how much your footing can be affected when you’re climbing on loose rocks at 4am in the pitch black. You will need a head torch.
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Choose your driving times wisely
You need to start early in the morning to avoid bad traffic. If you hit traffic you probably won’t make the 24hrs unfortunately. This is where having a TentBox is amazing.
If you sleep over the night before in your TentBox, you can start Ben Nevis at 5:30-6am on morning one. This means you’ll time the driving well to avoid traffic. If you set off at 5:30am, you’ll likely be driving at around 10am-4pm on day one to get to Scafell Pike. After hiking Scafell for around 4 hours which takes you to around 8pm you’ll then make the 5 hour drive to Wales in the evening from 8pm-1am (again avoiding traffic). At 1am it’s time to rise and tackle the last mountain with 4 and a hours to spare.
Share your TentBox Three Peaks Pictures!
Are you thinking of taking on the Three Peaks Challenge with your TentBox? Let us know how you get on by tagging us in your photos on Instagram @tentbox.
