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The National 3 Peaks Challenge

The National 3 peaks challenge comprises climbing the highest mountain in Scotland, England and Wales, all in 24 hours.  This is a strenuous event requiring a good level of physical fitness and stamina. When you book your 24-hour National 3 Peaks Challenge with Active Mountaineering, you will be escorted by our amazing team of fully qualified, fully insured Mountain Leaders who have vast experience in all of the routes that you will use.  These highly skilled guides have the minimum Mountain Leader (Summer) qualification provided by Mountain Training UK and are also qualified first aiders.  They are personally vetted by your lead guide Chris and encompass all of the skills and ethos that make our challenges so successful. They have a wealth of experience in the mountains and have been highly trained in navigation, especially in poor visibility.  They also undergo continuous personal development to keep these skills current and up to date.

On the day of your 3 Peaks Challenge, you will walk about 36km, climb over 3000m (and come down) and drive over 450 miles. Feeling ready? Then get in touch with the team at Active Mountaineering to book your 24-Hour 3 Peak Challenge today or keep reading to find out more about our National 3 Peaks Route.

Preparation for the 3 Peaks Challenge

You need to be comfortable walking in the mountains to complete the 3 Peaks Challenge in 24 hours.  Mountain weather is very changeable, and you should be happy walking in poor conditions as well as on uneven ground. Good tips for preparation would be to go walking (uphill), jogging, or even attend one of our training days.  You'll find out exactly what is required, and your Mountain Leader would then be able to advise you on a training plan to help you achieve your goal.  If you feel that the 24-hour 3 Peaks Challenge is too strenuous, then please take a look at our 3-day 3 Peaks Challenge which is highly recommended.

Preparation for the 3 Peaks Challenge

You need to be comfortable walking in the mountains to complete the 3 Peaks Challenge in 24 hours.  Mountain weather is very changeable, and you should be happy walking in poor conditions as well as on uneven ground. Good tips for preparation would be to go walking (uphill), jogging, or even attend one of our training days.  You'll find out exactly what is required, and your Mountain Leader would then be able to advise you on a training plan to help you achieve your goal.  If you feel that the 24-hour 3 Peaks Challenge is too strenuous, then please take a look at our 3-day 3 Peaks Challenge which is highly recommended.

Our 24-Hour 3 Peaks Challenge Itinerary

Your National 3 Peaks Challenge begins on the way to Fort William.  We recommend joining our bus to Fort William from either Liverpool or Glasgow Airport.  You will meet your lead guides Chris & Nic as well as your fellow challengers. This helps build up a comradery between everyone.  We will then conduct our briefing once everyone is aboard the bus.  This is a very detailed briefing about what to expect during your 3 peaks challenge and is very important.  If you wish to make your own way to Fort William, we will send you a briefing summary and recommend that you travel to Fort William on the Friday before your challenge. This is mandatory for people choosing to join our bus to Fort William. You will be able to get a good night’s rest before your challenge and ensure you are at your best on the day.  During the briefing, we will talk about food for your trip and when we arrive in Fort William, we will take you to a local supermarket to stock up on your supplies. The rest of the evening is for your own enjoyment. Please note that accommodation in Fort William is not included in the cost but we may be able to help arrange this for you.

On Saturday morning, we will arrange your collection from our pickup points and transport you in our own bus with professional driver to Ben Nevis to begin your challenge at 8.30am.  You will head directly up the tourist path to the summit of Ben Nevis and descend via the same route.  Your Mountain Leader will keep pace and look after your group.  You will attempt to complete Ben Nevis in 5 hours and set off for Scafell Pike by 1.30pm.  You will have time to rest and eat on our bus while you are transported to Wasdale Head to arrive by 7.30pm and start the climb up to Scafell Pike.

Scafell Pike will be completed during the night and a headtorch, with spare batteries is vitally important.  You will aim to complete Scafell Pike in 3.5 hours and set off to Snowdon by 11.30pm.  You will again have time to rest and refuel as we drive for 5 hours into Wales to arrive by 4.30am and begin your final climb up Mt Snowdon.  You will aim to complete Mt Snowdon in 4 hours and finish your challenge by 8.30am. 

After your 3 Peaks Challenge is complete, you will be transported to Liverpool South Parkway train station which has good connections to all parts of the country. We would suggest that if you are travelling by rail to and from the event, you should purchase an open ticket for your return home in case of any travelling delays between the mountains.

Travel to and from your 3 Peaks Challenge

Our bus departs from Liverpool South Parkway train station at 10am on the Friday before the challenge and collects at Glasgow airport at 3.00pm. These options are included in the cost of your challenge.  Please select a travel option when you book.  You can change this option at any time.

- Make your own travel arrangements to Fort William. Select option 'Fort William - Liverpool'

- Join our minibus from Liverpool to Fort William. Select option 'Liverpool - Liverpool'

- Collection from Glasgow Airport. Select option 'Glasgow - Liverpool'

After your challenge, we will return you to Liverpool South Parkway train station.

We can cater for any dates to suit you for your national 3 peaks challenge.  If you have a particular date in mind, then please contact us before booking.  Our 3 peak/24hr challenges are usually run on a Saturday and Sunday and our 3 peak/3 day challenges are usually run on Tuesdays to Thursdays, however, we can arrange any trip on any date if you have other requirements.

24-Hour 3 Peaks Challenge dates:

September 21st & 22nd, 28th & 29th

2025 DATES NOW AVAILABLE TO BOOK!!

May - 3rd & 4th, 10th & 11th, 24th & 25th, 31st & 1st June

June - 7th & 8th, 21st & 22nd, 28th & 29th

July - 5th & 6th, 12th & 13th, 26th & 27th

August - 2nd & 3rd, 16th & 17th, 30th & 31st

September - 6th & 7th, 20th & 21st, 27th & 28th 

Mountain Weather

Mountain weather is unpredictable, however, forecasting is also very accurate nowadays.  You must be prepared to walk in poor conditions i.e wet and windy.  No challenge would be cancelled due to weather unless under extreme circumstances.  Your Mountain Leader will have a full, up to date weather report and will check this regularly during your challenge.

Equipment

Your equipment is vitally important for your enjoyment and safety on your challenge.  The following list is a minimum requirement by Active Mountaineering.  You can purchase equipment quite reasonably at outlets such as Go Outdoors, Decathlon, Millets and Mountain Warehouse.  

Clothing

- Boots – Covering your ankle, well worn in.

- Thick socks x 2

- Liner socks (Worn under thick socks, helps prevent blisters)

- Lightweight walking trousers

- Waterproof over trousers

- Thin base layer

- Fleece or synthetic mid layer

- Waterproof jacket

- Gloves x 2 (Waterproof, 1 thin pair and 1 thick pair)

- Hat

- Spare trousers and top incase you get wet

Equipment

- 35 litre backpack with rain cover

- Waterproof backpack liner

- 2 litre water carrier (platypus or 2 x 1 litre water bottles)

- Headtorch with spare batteries

- Personal first aid kit/medication (group first aid kit supplied)

- Walking sticks (optional)

- Sunglasses

- Sunscreen

- High energy snacks/gels

- Personal wash kit/deodorant

- Travel pillow, sleep mask, ear plugs (optional, for use on the minibus)

- Money for food/drink

Food

On the mountains, food is your fuel.  It is vitally important that you are well fuelled before you start your challenge but would advise against eating too much before you start.  Have a good, hearty breakfast at least 1 hour before your challenge starts and pack a good quantity of high energy snacks or drinks in your back pack.  Fruit, cereal bars, chocolate, nuts etc are very good for on the mountains. 

In addition, you should have some good carbohydrate rich food to eat on our bus whilst travelling between the mountains.  

We will discuss food at the briefing on Friday and then take you to Fort William town centre to stock up on your supplies.

Rest

You will find your challenge much easier if you can rest and get some sleep while travelling between mountains.  We  therefore recommend that you bring along a travel pillow, sleep mask and ear plugs.  Even 1 hour will have a huge impact on your enjoyment of your challenge.

Sponsorship

If you wish to raise money for a charity, and are funding this event yourself, it is best to set up a JustGiving page for your fundraising and book by adding your chosen event to your basket.  If you wish your fundraising to pay for your event, the best way to do this is to set up a GoFundMe page and pay us from the money you raise, donating the rest to your chosen charity.   You can, if you wish, opt to allocate your fundraising to our own nominated charities.  We support the NSPCC and the Mountain Rescue teams that operate on Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mt Snowdon.

Payment

When you book for a national 3 peaks challenge with Active Mountaineering, we require only a 40% deposit at the time of booking with the balance due no later than 4 weeks before your challenge date. 

After your challenge has been completed, you will receive a medal. 

We recommend that you take out travel insurance for any cancellation/curtailment.

You can book your 24-hour 3 Peaks Challenge online or if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at Active Mountaineering – we’re here to help.