national 3 peaks in 24hrs
Easily the most popular route of our trekking catalogue, the Classic 3 Peaks Challenge takes on Ben Nevis (Scotland’s highest peak), Scafell Pike (England’s highest peak) and Snowdon (Wales’s highest peak) and is tackled by thousands of people every year. A true British classic.
Difficulty: 4
typical itinerary
24 Hour Itinerary
Pre-Event Accommodation & Food
06:30 Begin Challenge at Ben Nevis
12:00 Complete Ben Nevis, jump in minibus
18:45 Arrive Wasdale. Ascend Scafell Pike
23:00 Complete Scafell Pike, jump in minibus
the next day:
03:45 Arrive Snowdon. Ascend.
06:30 Reach Summit! 24-hr challenge complete!
Descend Snowdon. Transfer to Chester for departures.
This itinerary can be altered to suit your requirements. We can include/exclude certain elements (such as accommodation and dinner) and most parts can be tweaked where necessary to best align with your needs.
typical route
Ben Nevis:
Scafell Pike:
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon):
The above images are a rough guide only. Please enquire for a detailed route overview.
important!
This route can be tailored to your requirements. Contact us for more info.
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Total Distance: 38km
Total Ascent: 3000m
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1 Day & 1 Night Trek
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Accommodation is organised in/near Fort William for the night before the trek. We can look into hotel or hostel options, depending on your preference. The second night is spent on the minibus.
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This challenge is difficulty ranked: 4 out of 5.
You are now moving into the realms of serious challenges where you are likely to encounter rough and steep terrain, sleep deprivation, or even high altitude. Be prepared to really stretch your comfort zone. Days can be over 12 hours of trekking, or less if over several days. You will need a resilient mindset & physique due to the strenous nature of the challenge alongside less home comforts, i.e using same clothes for several days, basic facilities if staying in mountain refuges, simple food and for the 24hr 3 peaks you will be sleeping on a minibus! You need to be in good shape to undertake any of these events, and you need to be training regularly. Expect plenty of ascent & descent over long distances! Escape routes will be less available for longer mountain based routes. Emergency assistance may become more of a challenge, especially in remote regions & outside of Europe.
To participate in these events you need have a very good level of overall fitness. You enjoy taking exercise regularly and should be building this up in the lead up to the event (a couple of times a week minimum). You should be happy cross training in several different types of activity (gym, swimming, running, circuit training). You should ideally be capable of running up to 5 or 6 miles at a good steady speed (around 9-10 minute miling). If you do not run, you should be regularly undertaking challenging walks or other strenuous exercise. You should be comfortable walking for 5-7 hours over 14-17 miles in the countryside to include purposeful ascent training of 450-600m ascent utilising local slopes on repeat.
other itineraries
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other itineraries 💚
There are many variations or alternative options to the National 3 Peaks in 24 Hours trek. Here are a few of our most popular. To discuss any of our itineraries in more detail, please contact us via the buttons on this page.
national 3 peaks in 36 hours
23.5 miles/38km
3000m ascent
2 days
Difficulty: 4 out of 5
national 3 peaks in 48 hours
28 miles/45km
3300m ascent
1 day and 2 half days
Difficulty: 3.5 out of 5
national 3 peaks in 3 days
28 miles/45km
3300m ascent
3 days
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
national 3 test day - box hill
20 miles/32km
1000m ascent
1 days
Difficulty: 2.5 out of 5
Standard Inclusions
Accommodation (hostel or hotel) - bed and breakfast
Pre-Event Planning & Communications
Bespoke Challenge Portal
Return transfers from accommodation to trek location
Experienced Mountain Leader
Packed Lunches
First-aid trained staff and supplies
Ride Snacks
Access to training plans, kit lists, nutritional guides and more
Registration management and support
your on-event support team
Leaders/Marshals will support the group along the correct route and ensure everyone is safe and accounted for.
Our Leaders/Marshals are extremely experienced, often with top-notch local knowledge, carry appropriate resources and are first-aid trained.
Included on events for larger numbers, a support vehicle is on hand for emergency support (where accessible) and refreshment provision. Often an 8-seater or similar, it acts an essential resource in the event of participant fatigue or injury.
On long day treks, the support vehicle can carry water and refreshments to be offered to participants at appropriate checkpoints.
Our team love nothing more than helping fellow walkers achieve their potential. They'll be there when you falter, to give you a helping hand, some encouraging words, or even a stern talking to. Their support will see you through so that, at the end of your challenge, you'll be able to stand there and say

