Walkers:
James Gowers
Toby Athersuch
Matthew Stevens
Drivers:
Lindsey Bartholomew
Louise MacDonald
To see where we went, please check out this map.
SUNDAY
After Carlisle, we headed into the Lakes and the roads became steadily more wiggly-windy, and more countrified. Lou could do nothing for the bunny that jumped out in front of us, and in a way I’m glad we didn’t end up in a bush avoiding it. Poor thing. In all, a fairly uneventful journey which was very welcome. These roads culminated in the single track road along to Wasdale Head.
We arrived about 2:45am at the small car park about a mile before the town alongside a few other groups who were obviously on a similar schedule to us and also doing OK. Not a lot of fuss before we headed out into the mist at 3am (ish)
***
Lindsey – I was too tired by this point to be as concerned as I should have been that the boys were heading into the dark and mist on their own….. After spending what seemed a lifetime turning the car upside down looking for a torch we couldn’t find, the best possible solution was to sleep!
***
Following Lingmell Beck up towards Brown Tongue, across the footbridge. A few spots of rain made us weigh up the option of raincoats but we decided the additional sweating would probably leave us more uncomfortable and just cost time. A good decision as the spots soon stopped. The mistiness reduced visibility considerably and we missed the path crossing back over the water (not a footbridge this time – just walking through Lingmell Beck) and ended up on a rocky track heading up at a ridiculous angle up Lingmell Scar (nice). Backtracking for a couple of minutes we found the crossing by spotting the track on the other side. Having corrected this error we were aware of how easy it is to be misled in the dark and to some extent wished we had done some navigation at night in our practice.
The path up Brown Tongue is pretty well made with stones but these are quite slippery in the damp. Following our navigational snag lower down I was very conscious to avoid accidentally taking the route via Mickledore and in striking distance of The Lord’s Rake, which I imagine is as nasty as it sounds for newbies like us… Eventually we started to head in a more sensible direction along the path that put my mind at rest a little and then the path became almost invisible, which didn’t. This was actually the correct path as we had thought, but the dark does dent confidence a lot. We were confronted by a field of boulders in the mist and only small patches of path here and there. Shining a torch was not really too helpful for long distance as the reflection from the mist in the air ruined the view.
After a quick regroup we spotted some walkers coming the other way and the path was more obvious. And then disappeared again. We hopped from patch to patch, heading for the cairns we could see and eventually made it to a more substantial path and out of the boulder field bit. We were all glad to be on more certain terrain and I was aware that we would soon be on the same part of the mountain that we descended on our (Toby and Mat) training walk and were therefore on familiar territory.
Soon after the track started winding its way up toward the summit instead of skirting the intervening rockface. The terrain here changed too and we were left on some of the most difficult stuff to walk on I have ever encountered with tired legs – medium-sized rocks which are not really very stable. This went on seemingly forever as it got light (around 5am) and we could turn off our torches. We all had pretty painful joints/limbs/extremities of one kind or another by this point and so the summit was a blessed relief when it finally came into view.
Unlike Ben Nevis, we were the only ones there when we arrived, having stayed just slightly ahead of another group and slightly behind several others. We weren’t alone for long. First to arrive was a slightly spaced-out chap holding a mug of steaming tea and his little dog who popped round from the other side of the trig point on our arrival.
<conversation>
Us: Hi there!
Man: Hi there.
Us: We’re doing the Three Peaks.
Man. You’re keen. I’ve just spent the night up here in my tent – just down there below the ridge.
Us. … *stunned silence*…
Man. Was quite a good night. Thought I’d get up early and here you are.
Us. Have fun.
Man. Goodbye.
Etc…
</conversation>
Very strange.
The wind coming from the east over the summit was cold and we wrapped up before having a little food and taking the trig point photo but were not in much of a mood to celebrate climbing the highest mountain in England. Soon we were joined by the group that had been following us up in the half-light. They were also ‘Three Peakers’ and told us they had started Nevis a lot later than us. They must have ripped up the tarmac on the drive to catch us up by more than 90 minutes! Tut tut. Having a lot more leeway than us timewise, they all looked pretty easy going and got tucked into some food and drink behind the trig point, out of the wind. They had also brought a little dog which was doing a great job of jumping over all the boulders with such little legs. Bless. We bid them farewell and headed off back over the blasted rubble scenery. Soon our knees and feet began to ache from the continual descent and was the first real reminder that this was going to be quite a big ask for our normally sedentary bodies. Other than a constant pounding on the knee ligaments, the terrain also presented endless opportunity for ankle sprains and other show-stoppers. I nearly came a cropper on one bit and really hurt my Achilles’ tendon making the next mile or so damn painful. Jim had to keep stopping to let the pain in his knees subside just for a few seconds before battling on.
While all this was going on, the girls had been trying to get some sleep. We later learned they weren’t that successful due to the onslaught of numerous other groups of walkers arriving and repeatedly slamming doors/revving engines/shouting and a raft of other things that are in the top ten of the Countryside Code ‘Things to not do’.
***
Lindsey writes – It took a long time to get off to sleep though – I can’t believe how many other people were out walking this time in the morning, I assume they were all doing the same challenge! With several headlights, car doors being slammed and with one door being opened onto my car I eventually got about 40 winks!
***
The final decent to, and along, Lingmell Gill was horrible too – despite the laid path – as the steps were small and slippery and in some places fairly treacherous. Our efforts were rewarded by a wonderful morning view out over Wast Water and a not-too-bad-considering time for Scafell Pike of 4 hrs 15 mins.
The girls met us with a hello and a camera back at the car park and we were quickly in the car and out of Wasdale Head along the road over all the cattlegrids. We were really hoping that bacon rolls and a cup of tea would be forthcoming, but were informed that the crush of cars and people that morning would have made any kind of cooking pretty impossible.
***
Lindsey writes – It was all true, with so many people there Lou and I decided the best course of action was to leave ASAP. With everyone being tired, damp and grumpy after the walk I think we made the right decision. I do apologise for not prepping the car for your return though but we decided sleep for us was the most important thing that morning!
***
We believed every word, but didn’t want to as we made do with a grotty “service-station” sandwich. To be fair, we were very happy to be back at the car and past Scafell Pike as it was a less than pleasant experience when all was said and done.
***
Mat writes – My memory escapes me a little now after the event. I knew before we started that Scafell Pike wasn’t going to be pleasurable, but somehow the last half an hour before returning to the car seemed to be a morale low-point between the boys. I don’t remember where or why it went wrong, perhaps it was the tiredness beginning to catch up on us, but conversation had ceased and faces were looking glum. Jim was striding out a good 50 yards ahead of me, and Toby another 50 yards behind, somehow we just couldn’t stay together. The crush of cars and minibuses at the car park was last thing I needed to see, get me out of here! I hope I haven’t remembered incorrectly this being worse than it was.
***
We took the road back out to join the A595 directly rather than going via Holmrook as we didn’t spot the turn until too late and just agreed to not try turning around on such a dodgy road which would undoubtedly have a load of people zooming up and down doing Three Peaks etc etc. Winding our way our through the lakes we got our first proper look at the place. Beautiful. Eventually we got out to the motorway to hit away some more miles and the absence of bends in the road to throw us around let the walkers get a bit of sleep and rest tired legs.
A driver change at some motorway services allowed a decent assessment of any further potential left in our legs and feet. I was pretty crippled and hobbled around. Mat and Jim also looked and felt pretty beaten, but we were all in high spirits as the sun had come out and we had made good progress. We made sure at this stop and during the drive that our bags were properly packed and our water refilled so that we could just be dropped off at Pen-y-Pas (no parking there unless you got there in the 60’s and camped on a space it would seem).
As we got closer and drove along the coastal road to Llanberis, the sun disappeared behind the cloud and the rain came in. I was pretty miffed having just smothered my shaved noggin with suntan cream and packed away my waterproof. Minutes later we had driven through the town and were on our way up to the start point. A Starsky and Hutch style bail out of the car saw us well and truly dropped offm, and the girls headed off to Llanberis for a kip and some food.
***
Lindsey writes – Lou and I were feeling pretty tired by this point. We found somewhere to have scones and hot chocolate which was fantastic but our overwhelming desire for sleep got the better of us. We had chosen a nice public spot to park our car – right by the ticket machine. I did wake up a couple of times with people staring at us – looking back it must have looked a bit odd but the need for sleep then was the most important thing!
***
It turned out that the weather was not that bad really and actually quite pleasant to walk along in the occasional spot of rain after we started at 11:50am . We had chosen to ascend and descend via the Miner’s Track. For the first half, this route is a wide, well made track that does very little climbing and goes across a causeway and around two lakes which are very picturesque. Following this doddle, the hapless walker is met with a huge rubble scree surface which goes up, up into the clouds, meeting the Pyg Track halfway. Fortunately, this climb is not as bad as it seems, just big. A lot of the path was well organised steps or clearly defined walkways across outcrops. The place was teeming with people – again sporting the full range of walking gear (flip-flops through to mountain boots etc) making progress slow at times.
As we reached the cloud line we donned some more clothes to keep out the cold and kept on plugging away, reaching Snowdon’s own zig zags just before the ridge to the summit where the track met that of the Llanberis path (daytripper motorway). As we emerged onto the ridge, a family wearing very inappropriate footwear made motions toward where we had just come from. I did try and point out it might be best not to got that way, but there was a language barrier and I don’t think I helped matters as they scuttled off down the track anyway. I hope they are OK. And not still clinging to the rockface somewhere…
On the way up the ridge, alongside the railway, I refused to tell Mat or Jim how well we were doing for time…
***
Mat writes – I was really running on empty by this point.
***
The summit of Snowdon is a pretty rubbish place to be as it is so busy, with the trig point covered in many, many people. We got on and off in record time for the photo at just under 2 hrs from the start of the mountain. This was a relief as all we had to do now was fall back down the things and we were done. Before descending, we popped to the new summit cafe to use the toilet and then zoomed with a fresh burst of confidence down the summit ridge and onto the track back towards Pen-y-Pas. With the goal in sight (well not really, but you get the picture), the way down whizzed past and despite my knee joint holding us up a fair bit (really very painful by this point), we were down the worst of it in no time flat and back to the gentle track around the lower lake and across the causeway.
***
James writes: After the pain on Scafell Pike, Toby and I had taken the decision to adorn our legs with the knee supports purchased back in Fort William. This move certainly helped our ascent of Snowdon and with the added knowledge that we had two and a half hours to descend the mountain we were in good spirits.
***
Having come down from the clouds, the early afternoon was cool and pleasant and was a very welcome end to our adventures. The long path was quickly dispatched. As we neared the end, we spotted the same folks who we have seen at the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre just starting their way up the hill, still wearing the DM’s and jeans. Good effort, I say, although I’d probably pass on sitting next to them on the way home…
We reached the Pen-y-Pas car park again at 3:32pm making our time for Snowdon 3 hrs 32 mins, and the whole lot done in 23 hrs 19 mins! Woohoo! I admit we didn’t touch the sea at Fort William or drive down and do a similar thing in Caernarfon at the end, but that would be just too pedantic and/or showy for us lot. We did what we had set out to do, and that was enough.
Just as we dumped our stuff down in the car park we spotted our good friends Dave and Debs in their car in the car park, who had kindly extended their holiday in Wales to come and see us finish. We all decamped to the cafe there for a nice cup of tea and told them about our adventures.
***
Lindsey writes – I was really disappointed I wasn’t there to meet you at the bottom of Snowden 
. Seconded by Lou…
***
The girls arrived at the appointed time – 24 hrs after we started in Scotland – and we gathered for the celebratory finish photo. Following that, we headed off to our stop for the evening in Swallow Falls, just outside Bets-y-Coed whereupon we had a nice pint and some dinner in the pub there.
***
Lindsey writes – When we arrived I felt so happy that we had completed the challenge within the 24 hours. It was a fantastic feeling! I did however feel like crying and felt a bit upset – I put this down the sleep deprivation! Good work team 
***
I think we all slept pretty well…
REFLECTION
Looking back, I am really proud we made it through this challenge in the time we had set ourselves. A number of factors were involved and I think we got a good balance sorted throughout our preparation. I would like to extend my personal thanks to all the others on this trip. Jim and Mat were committed to practice and determined on the walks. Linds and Lou made a great team navigating, organizing and driving long distances and putting up with considerable moaning from us walkers (sic). Thanks also to Macmillan Cancer Support who took and interest in our fundraising and were nice enough to call us just before we were due to start to wish us luck.
To be continued…
At the top of Scafell Pike
On our miserable trip down Scafell Pike
Matt losing a few layers now the fog has cleared...
Finally, the rain and fog clears so we can see the views
The easy bit at the beginning of Snowdon
Building on Snowdon - guessing something to do with mining
The slightly trickier part of Snowdon
The final few metres...
Success... 3 peaks challenge completed in 23hrs 19mins
