UWOC 3 PEAKS CHALLENGE: Introduction

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Challenge Introduction

Challenge Introduction

Whats it all about?

OK, you get a nice big car or minibus, a comfortable bed in a Youth Hostel (and about 4 hours sleep), a few cans of Red Bull, the highest mountains in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon), oh, and 24 hours in which to climb them all and drive between them.

Photo: The Fast Team race down Ben Nevis, 2004.

Why why why?

We`re really not sure. If you enjoy getting up at 4am, and think that tasting the snow on top of Ben Nevis and getting on the road before 9am is a bit of a laugh, and if then you quite fancy a less-than-causal walk up Scafel Pike in the Lake District the same afternoon, and would rather trek up Snowdon in the dark than go to Soul Nation, maybe you might see the fun side.

Photo: Sunny weather as teams start Scafell, 2004.

History

The three peaks challenge was started at Warwick in 2002, six people from the orienteering club participated. In 2003, 19 people, split into 3 teams participated in the challenge. About half of the members were from the orienteering club, others were friends of club members, members of other outdoors clubs, and a few randoms. Their times were roughly as follows:

Take one for the team team: 21 hours 25 ms
The one with the woman: 22 hours 30 mins
Team Goose: 25 hours 10 mins (Ryan & Lawrence "sprint finishers": 23 hours 55 mins)

Last year we took over 80 people from a range of sports clubs, societies and individuals, completing the challenge in between 18.5 hours (Fast Team) and 32 hours.

Photo: Sunrise over the Miners track ahead of teams descending Snowdon, 2004.