Dorset 3 Peaks Challenge

Climate

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! We will run UK challenges between April and October, and although the summer months of June-August should be, in general, warmer, sunnier and more stable in terms of the weather conditions, we all know that this isn’t always the case. Please check the weather forecasts up to ensure that you bring clothing suitable for warm sunny walking weather and also sudden wind and downpours should they occur.

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

Here are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The terrain on the challenge is often rocky and in wet conditions can be extremely slippery. Please make sure that your walking boots have good grip. Trainers are not appropriate as they lack grip.
• The weather during the day can change very quickly. Please make sure you carry an additional warm layer, waterproof jacket and trousers and a hat and gloves.
• 12 hours is a long time to be out on the hills. Ensure that you eat lots throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.

Toilets

There will be toilet facilities both at the start and end of the trek; however during the challenge such facilities will be limited to the great outdoors!

Food & Drink

A breakfast snack will be available at registration in the morning. This will consist of cold pastries, fruit, breakfast bars and porridge pots along with hot drinks.

A packed lunch is provided at lunch.

Drinking water will be available at the registration point and at all checkpoints along the route. 

The drinking of alcohol the night before the challenge is strongly discouraged for your own health and safety during this tough challenge.

Accommodation

No accommodation is provided for this challenge.

We would like to encourage all participants whenever possible to book a few extra nights in the local area to fully enjoy their challenge and to put money back into the local communities. There are lots of excellent accommodation options to suit all budgets. For a full list of accommodation choices please visit the Visit Dorset website.

Getting There

We will confirm the event location at no later than 1 month prior to the start of the challenge. 

We will send across all driving details, plus the address of the registration point, at this time.

Challenge Timings

Your challenge begins early in the morning and you will need to arrive at the event venue at around 6.30am in order to maximise the time available to complete the challenge (precise arrival times and instructions will be sent out 1 month prior to the challenge) When you arrive you will be able to register and then meet your leaders and listen to their safety briefing.

You will be walking for approximately 12 hours, which makes your trek a very long day. You can expect to arrive back at the finish at around 19.00. Delays can happen, and the return time will all depend on the speed of your group, so please do try and book flexible return arrangements.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism. On this challenge in particular, we always liaise with local authorities, where applicable, to make sure that we minimise our impact on the local environment. Our leaders care passionately for the environment and will be keen to talk to you about how you can do your bit to conserve the local area and enhance your experience. We believe that acting responsibly should add to your enjoyment of the challenge so we won’t lecture you about not dropping litter. Instead we’d  like to encourage all our participants to spend a little extra time in the local area. Why not consider booking an extra night in a local B&B, and go out for a meal in one of the excellent local pubs after the challenge? Not only will you be able to celebrate your achievements but you will also be putting more money back into the local area. For extra information, please visit our Responsible Tourism section.

Terrain

Despite its location in the UK, the difficulty of this trek should not be underestimated as it includes one long day of hiking, with lots of ascents and descents. The route is predominantly on good paths, but it's the variation of terrain that makes this challenge a unique and fun experience.

Why book with Charity Challenge?

• The very best Mountain Leaders, who are fully qualified, highly experienced, knowledgeable and fun. They will do everything to help you complete the challenge and have a great time doing it.
• Ethical consideration. For every participant we donate money to a local conservation project order to protect the beautiful route that we use. We also do our best to use local suppliers, which helps us to put money back into the local area.
• The highest quality charity trekking experience on the market!

Leadership

We employ experienced and fully qualified mountain expedition leaders to accompany and lead you. The mountain leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in leading expeditions throughout Britain and overseas. They will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group. They will be carrying full safety equipment and mountain first aid kits with them at all times.

Group Size

Our minimum group size for this challenge is 30 and the maximum is 75. There will be one expedition mountain leader per approximately 10-15 participants and you may find you will naturally walk in smaller groups according to your own pace.

Insurance

We don’t offer insurance for our UK trips, as any medical emergencies would naturally be covered through the NHS. If you wish, you could look into your own policy that covers cancellation for travel within the UK.

Money

During the trek there are limited opportunities to spend any money. We would advise you should need no more than £20.00, excluding your joining and returning home travel costs.

Training

The Dorset 3 Peaks Challenge is a long, sustained event over 12 hours and covering mountainous terrain with steep ascents and descents. Therefore it requires a good level of fitness. The ideal training for this challenge is, naturally, hill walking. However, if you do not have the luxury of living near the hills, then the stairs at home (or an office block) are a great place to start. Most training should be part of an ongoing lifestyle, but if this is not the case then you should begin training 2-4 months prior to the challenge and gradually build up as suggested. Remember to use the walking boots that you will be wearing on the challenge in order to get them worn in, and take the daysack that you will be using during the challenge.

There is no substitute for walking in the hills so try if possible to get out on a weekend and train in an area with steep hills. You should progress to training with your boots on from week 4 at the latest, but preferably from week 1. The more you exercise before the expedition, the more you will get out of it. Also see your Charity Challenge Fitness Training notes.

Clothing & Equipment

Equipment of good quality and durability could make the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof and well-worn in boots will be indispensable. The terrain is uneven and can be rough and muddy, so it is vital that you use a strong pair of canvas or leather boots with good ankle support for this challenge, coupled with a pair of good quality walking socks. Sports trainers are not suitable. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated - so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are high quality gore-tex waterproof and windproof jackets and trousers, as well as technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. We would like to emphasize that jeans should not be worn on this challenge. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here. Once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners The Outdoor Shop, Outdoor Hire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Level of Difficulty

The Dorset 3 Peaks challenge is graded as tough. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind, who have taken part in other trekking challenges and now wish to test themselves in a slightly more wild environment. You can tell your supporters that on your Dorset 3 Peaks Challenge you will be:

• Trekking for around 12 hours in a single day.
• Covering approx 46km of undulating terrain.
• Ascending over 1350m in a single day. That’s more ascent than Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain!
• Summiting the 3 highest hills in Dorset, Lewesdon Hill (279m), Pilsdon Pen (277m) and Bulbarrow Hill (274m)