Advice for walking The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge Walk

Q. Me and a 20 strong team are attempting to complete this walk for charity in under 10 hours.

Is there anything I should know or take to help me out with this challenge

Jamie Hurst, Sheffield

A. All good points! We left a car at the Ribblehead viaduct with supplies. The best thing for us was to do parts of the walk before doing the whole thing, e.g. Pen-t-ghent and on to the viaduct [at Ribblehead]; Whernside, Ingleborough and/or both. Knowing the route gives a high psychological advantage. Ten hours is perfectly achievable if you remain focused; Have fun

Simon Packham, Keighley, West Yorkshire

A. If you are able to pick & choose dates, I'd recommend trying to find a day following a good dry period. In my experience, the slowest part is the boggy area after Pen-y-ghent and if there has been a few days of rain, it's very heavy going.

I would also suggest you set off early to avoid the crowds - there can literally be a line of walkers at some of the pinch points.

Don't stop for lunch - have it on the way.

A good strategy is to try to only ever take stops on the uphill parts.

See if you can persuade a non-walking friend to meet you with water/drinks by the viaduct and possibly later at where the path crosses the road before Ingleborough.

That would mean you can reduce the weight of water you will otherwise need to carry. (If they don't turn up though or get the meeting location wrong you'll be completely stuck. Better to carry your water - the weight will make very little difference to your time. Ed.)

Don't rely on mobile phones - on the 2 occasions I have been round the reception was very patchy.

Good luck. It's a tough deadline you've set but perfectly possible. As long as you're all fit I'd say the weather is the biggest factor. My best time was 8h 25m.

Jim Goddard-Jones, Bristol

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