Topic: Four Peaks Challenge (Read 14451 times)

whoRya · « **on:** June 06, 2011 »

I'm doing the (UK) Four Peaks this coming weekend. We aren't going on an 'official' organised trip, instead we have planned and booked everything ourselves. There are 16 of us in all. As such we are taking a bit longer than some of the organised trips would do. Our brief itinerary is:

Friday
- 06:00 set off to climb Slieve Donard
- 12:30 Ferry: Dublin/Holyhead
- Pub grub and overnight in Bangor (North Wales) Travelodge

Saturday
- 05:00 set off for Snowdon
- 15:00 climb Scafell Pike
- Overnight (probably about 4 hours!) in Glasgow Travelodge

Sunday
- 06:00 Set off for Ben Nevis
- 20:00 Ferry: Stranraer/Belfast
- 22:30 BED!!!

Hopefully the trip will be a little less of a slog than the other trips where you only get to sleep on a bus. That said I think it will demanding enough. I reckon the craic will be good up until the journey from Snowdon to Scafell Pike then we'll probably be overcome with tiredness or the smell!!

Has anyone else done the Four Peaks before? And advice? Did you hit 'the wall' at any time?

LennyJ1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2011 »

I really wish you all the best. never done the 4 peaks but have done 3 peaks twice.

Its great craic. the wall is coming off scafell but thats going from ben down to snowden.

twentyclicks · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2011 »

Think that's going to be more exhausting than my weekend! I have no experience or advice, just the best of wishes.
Look forward to hearing about it after.

LandyLiam · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2011 »

hope you have time for photos

good luck, might even pop up donard on friday morning myself, but i'm sure i'll have come to my senses by then

Rumblebum · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2011 »

As your one of our drivers, please put the idea of hitting any 'walls' outta your head.

I think were gowing to get wet matey!

whoRya · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2011 »

Quote from: LandyLiam on June 06, 2011

hope you have time for photos good luck, might even pop up donard on friday morning myself, but i'm sure i'll have come to my senses by then

We hope to be walking about 07:00, I reckon we'll be at least 15 minutes behind schedule already by then. Still, we have generous amount of time to climb Donard. Pop down and see us if you are out and about. Having time for photos won't likely be the problem, kicking butts up the hills may be where it's at. Mind you I haven't done walking two days in a row a whole lot lately, never mind three days in a row. A bit of the unknown here.

I take you just went straight Lenny? Snowdon with head torches then? Or maybe you started early doors on Ben Nevis with the head torches? I'm sure that would look cool with a load of people snaking up the hill.

Quote from: Rumblebum on June 06, 2011

As your one of our drivers, please put the idea of hitting any 'walls' outta your head.

I think were gowing to get wet matey!

You'll be in the back in the drying room. There has to be some advantage to being a driver!

Remember folks, the winner of the May photo comp gets to pick June's topic. If I win, I'm darn well picking "The 4 Peaks" as the theme

LandyLiam · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2011 »

have you got a guide up any of the "foreign" peaks? i was reading this today, might be of interest
http://www.wasdale-mountain-rescue.org.uk/truestory25~3peaksguide~6%20may%2007.htm

MG1 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2011 »

Good luck mate. Fair play i would love give that a blast.

spartan00117 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2011 »

This sounds like great craic but can I ask what was the budget per person for this trip?

whoRya · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2011 »

£120 per person we've budgeted it at. I'll know next week exactly how much it works out at. Depends how harsh the bus is on diesel.

Simon Barry · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2011 »

I've been a guide on many "3 peaks" (working for a company) and have done the 6 peaks (throw in Carratouhill and Snaefell) so...

The "Wall" can hit you at anytime on any of the hills in a variety of ways......

As a guide the clients that I see who are likely to have an issue dont drink enough...or eat enough...or both. Even the slightest dehydration seems to cause major issues - and, as for food, little and often seems to work best in general - but this should be second nature to you.

Some of your driving times might be a touch tight - particularly the Scottish end - all you need do is hit a slow vehicle going up (or back down) Loch Lomond and you can easily loose 1/2 hour. Not a major thing, just be aware......

Technically Scafell is probably the most difficult in poor visibility - if you are walking out of Wasdale. The path back down is a dog leg and can be awkward to find in clag - its a boulder field and not obvious with the straight line taking you over some very difficult lines indeed. I have heard of a group taking the line and being there for 8 hours trying to work it out!

Have a good time...and, drivers, take it steady. There are still plenty of speed cameras here with average speed cameras on motorways...

As you are going north from Wasdale, I might look at walking in from Seathwaite (dropping in from Keswick) - longer walk for you but a lot less steep so not hugely different time wise, less technical in bad weather and a lot easier/quicker to drive than thrashing round to Wasdale - you simply drive up to Penrith (M6) across on the A66 to Keswick (dual carriageway) and then a few miles on A road - just reverse yourself to Penrith to head north up the M6.

Weather - um...weekend before last , Ben Nevis had snow and hail, Scafell had rain, clag and wind and Snowdon showers with sun (I did the Scafell section for a 3 peaks.

whoRya · « **Reply #11 on:** June 08, 2011 »

Thanks for that Simon. Your advice is much appreciated and respected.

The Scottish leg we have identified as being fairly tight. Ideally we would have been a bit further north when setting off on the Sunday morning. Availability and cost influenced our choice in the end. We can remedy it a bit by altering the time we set off at. Bottom line is we have to be at Stranraer for the boat, "the Ben" summited or not.

Scafell is definately the one that seems to present the most opportunity for going off-track so we'll be keeping a good eye on everyone there, all getting lost is preferrable to one or two getting lost! If we end up visiting Lingmell it won't be by design

.

twentyclicks · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2011 »

How did you guys get on with this?

whoRya · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2011 »

Really well, thanks for asking. I'll work on doing a wee write up. I've set up a few flickr accounts for the trip, once there are a few more photos uploaded I'll pull something together.

twentyclicks · « **Reply #14 on:** June 21, 2011 »

Excellent, I look forward to it.

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whoRya

Four Peaks Challenge

LennyJ1

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