Three peaks challenge

[ambu75]

Has anyone done this? For someone who manages a step count of over 10,000 steps a day through work, is it doable or am I still going to find it tough? My job involves lots of walking up and down stairs and admittedly my hips and knees hurt at the end of the day 😂 really want to give this a go and I will be doing it for charity, but if I'm going to really suffer I might do a bake off instead 🤣

Don't do it alone
Wear proper footgear
Head torch
Have a map
Tell someone where you are going

My DH regularly rescues people who have set off poorly equipped (not formally rescues- he picks them up on route)

Was planning to do it as a charity event, with other members of the family and the charity organisers. My SIL done it a few years ago and found it really tough, she only managed one peak. I just wanted to know if it was worth signing up for or if having a cake and coffee event would be better 😁

If you don't run, and don't regularly go hiking, then you're not prepared - I wouldn't do it. Go for the cake instead!

Thank you! That was exactly the answer I was looking for! I do walk a lot, but don't run at all 😂 bake off it is!

How about the Yorkshire 3 peaks instead? Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Much more do-able, especially in good weather and you will have a sense of achievement without as much risk.

Ooh I'll have a look at this. Thank you!

Hmmm
My husband does that multiple times each year with friends who want to do it.
He has had to carry people down who were not prepared- again dont do it alone
Remember it will get dark before you finish and take a torch. He once found a man as he almost fell over rom completely lost in the dark.

Oh 😔 I really want to do something to raise money and awareness this year, for personal reasons. I don't want to attempt something that goes horribly wrong. I'll have a look at other options

Don’t do the Yorkshire 3 peaks without preparing, it’s a long way, and hard work if you’re not a regular hiker

Why don't you start off with one of the three peaks first and see how you get on?

I have done both challenges, Yorkshire and National. The national challenge is very hard work, physically mentally and logistically. It is very tough. The Yorkshire challenge is still a very long way but more doable because it can be done in one day. A good time of year to do it would be September, start around 6am and you should finish in the light. It’s not as warm this time of year. It is tough but plenty of people do manage it, on a Saturday there are hundreds of walkers doing the route! To be honest I would forget the national peaks challenge until you’ve tried the Yorkshire version.

Where do you live now? Any chance you can do one of the peaks to see how you get on? It’s not just the hills IMO that are tough, there is about a 12 mile walk between the first and second peaks which is harder than you think. Both times I’ve done the challenges I’ve felt ok the next day but I was marathon fit and already live in hilly Yorkshire so used to the hills.

If you go ahead take plenty of food and drink. Check the weather beforehand and don’t start if it looks bad. Take plenty of warm clothing and wear layers, it can be very warm lower down and freezing in the wind on top of the peaks. Have a headtorch and spare batteries. It’s a good idea to have people with you not doing the walk who can hang around by the roads in case you can’t manage it, there are a few access points where you could get picked up.

Have you ever done any fell / hill / mountain walking?

Try one, a big one, next weekend and then see how you feel about doing 3, with no sleep, partially in the dark.

Honestly, 10,000 steps as part of a working day is not relevant as an indicator of fitness for something like 3 peaks.

And I don’t get putting one Charity (mountain rescue) under pressure to support another.

Just to add- he has never had to carry friends down. They are typically my friends- women in 40s with a decent level of fitness and they manage to do it fine.

He found a man in Timberland deck shoes once- lost with no map or GPS.

As previous posters have stated, walking doesn’t prepare you for hiking. Start with one hike and see how you go from there. I always regret my decision to go hiking at one point of the way up, but you feel great when you get to the top.

Thank you everyone for your advice and experiences. We're in London, so don't want to plan something that fails miserably. I've found some walking events that will probably suit us better. As much as I'd love to get to the top of the peaks it sounds like it would be a bad idea. Really appreciate all your input

A 10k run or sprint triathlon would probably be more realistically achievable in the short term and would give you a basic level of fitness to start thinking about very tough hikes. 10k steps is unfortunately really simply not sedentary rather than fit without other training.

I thought OP meant the Yorkshire 3 peaks & even that is pretty demanding, more demanding than OP sounds fit enough to be doing. Definitely need others for moral support, too. It's a long day (Yksh 3P).

This isn't the right thing for you! If your hips and knees hurt after a day at work then God help you climbing a mountain!