What is the best time to start the British 3 Peaks challenge

Q. I am organising a 3 peaks challenge on 28th August starting in ben nevis and finishing in snowdon. We are a group of novis walkers but will be training very hard for this event. was wondering what is the best time to start the challenge on Ben Nevis? So we not walking too much in the dark. Thanks

David Fowler, Merthyr Tydfil

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A. Most people start up Ben Nevis using h100 Ben Nevis via The Tourist Path from Achintee, Fort William about 3pm. You will need to complete it within 6 hours (which is tough going) and start driving to Wasdale Head in the Lake District at 9pm, completing the 5 hour drive by 2am.

Climbing Scafell Pike will take another 4 hours (again tough going, particularly in the dark) using c111 Scafell Pike from Wasdale Head, Wast Water and be back down and heading for Pen-y-pass above Llanberis in North Wales by 6am.

It will take about 4 hours to get there enabling your to start climbing Snowdon at 10am. This will take about 4 hours (again tough going, and you are all really tired now) using gw100 Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) from Pen y Pass which means you finish the whole thing at 2pm - which gives you an hour buffer for slow people, traffic jams and hold-ups along the way like resistance from the locals at Wasdale who are quite rightly getting a bit sick of being disturbed by noisy inconsiderate 'Three Peakers' at 2 o'clock in the morning. Make sure you are not one of them.

This is a tough, tough walk so make sure you are raising lots of cash for charity beacause every penny will be thoroughly earned.

Hope this helps . . .

Mike (Editor)

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