Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge

Why book with Charity Challenge?

• Fully supported trek, including hostel accommodation, qualified mountain leaders, a support vehicle, breakfast and plenty of lunch and snacks whilst on the trek.
• 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 the ‘Three Peaks project’ in order to protect the beautiful route that we use. We also stay in local accommodation, which helps us to put money back into the local area.
• The highest quality Yorkshire 3 Peaks experience on the market!

Level of Difficulty

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge is graded as challenging. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind, but perhaps haven’t taken on a strenuous challenge event before and are hoping to push themselves out of their comfort zone.

You can tell your supporters that on your Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge you will be:

• Trekking for around 12 hours in a single day.
• Covering 24 miles of undulating terrain. Almost a full marathon, but with 3 hills!
• Ascending a total of 1532m in a single day. That’s more ascent than Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain!
• Summiting 3 of the highest hills in the Yorkshire Dales, Pen Y Ghent (694m) Whernside (736m) and Ingleborough (723m)

Training

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge is a long, sustained event over 12 hours, therefore requiring a moderate to 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.

Group Size

Our minimum group size is 20 and groups are typically made up of between 20-40 people. There will be one challenge leader for approximately every 10-15 participants.

On occasion, we may be able to run a challenge with less than 20 people. This may incur a small group supplement. If this happens, it will be communicated before your invoice or fundraising deadline.

Group Management

This is a leader-led challenge and you will be accompanied by our challenge mountain leaders at all times.

We employ experienced and fully qualified mountain leaders to accompany and lead you. The mountain leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in leading challenges 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.

Weather

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 March and November, 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 and sunny temperatures as well as strong winds and downpours.

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 tough ascents and descents. The route is predominantly on good paths, but it's the variation of good walkable limestone and bogs that makes this challenge a unique and fun experience.

Challenge Timings

Please note: Precise details and timings will be made available in your Final Details that are sent out 1 month prior to the challenge.

Your challenge begins on the evening before the walk, and you should arrive at the confirmed accommodation by approximately 8pm in the evening. You will then meet the leader, as well as the rest of your challenge team, in time for your evening briefing.

On the day of the trek itself, you will have a very early start for your hearty breakfast. You will be walking for approximately 12 hours, which makes your trek a very long day. You can expect to finish at around 7pm. 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.

Please note: You will need to travel from the hostel on the first morning to the start of the trek. If you need to share a lift then your leaders will be able to help arrange this on the evening before the challenge.

Getting to and from the Challenge

Please note: Precise details and timings will be made available in your Final Details that are sent out 1 month prior to the challenge.

We will confirm your accommodation at no later than 1 month prior to the start of the challenge. However, we usually use the YHA hostel in either Ingleton or Malham as a base for your challenge.

Neither village is conveniently served by a nearby train station. If you would like to travel by public transport then buses do run from nearby Settle. Settle is easily accessed by train from Leeds.

We will send across all driving details, plus the address of the accommodation, at no later than 1 month prior to departure.

Please note: You will need to travel from the hostel on the first morning to the start of the trek. If you need to share a lift then your leaders will be able to help arrange this on the evening before the challenge.

Accommodation

We will confirm the precise hostel accommodation in your final details document sent out one month prior to the challenge. The YHA hostels in either Ingleton or Malham are usually used as accommodation for this challenge.

For the challenge you will be sleeping in same-sex dormitories for one night with typical hostel services and shared bathroom facilities.

If you would like to book any pre-or-post accommodation either before or after the challenge, there are several options in the area. Visit www.visittheyorkshiredales.co.uk for lots of accommodation options.

The challenge begins and ends in the village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale where there are two good pubs in Horton-in-Ribblesdale that can provide accommodation, The Golden Lion Hotel and The Crown Hotel. Alternatively, there is an excellent campsite in Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

The slightly larger towns of Skipton, Settle and Ingleton are all within 30 minutes drive and have a wider choice of accommodation.

Food & Drink

Meals while on the challenge include breakfast, and a packed lunch and snacks during the trek. We strongly encourage you to bring additional sweets and snacks if desired. It is essential to keep hydrated whilst trekking, and we recommend that you take 2l of water on the trek with you. Our support vehicle will be able to provide additional water top-ups and snacks on route.

Dinner is not included on the night before the challenge. Dinner is available if ordered in advance at the hostel and details about arranging this will be provided one month before your challenge date. If you wish to eat elsewhere on the evening before then that is fine but the drinking of alcohol is strongly discouraged for your own health and safety during this tough challenge.

Clothing & Equipment

Good quality, durable equipment 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 very rough, 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. 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, Outdoorhire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Toilets

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

Money

During the trek there may be opportunities to purchase an ice cream, some extra snacks or even a cup of tea, for which approximately £20 should be sufficient, which excludes your joining and returning home travel costs.

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 few 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 on the summits of the hills can be very different to down in the valleys. Please make sure you carry an additional warm layer, waterproof jacket and trousers and a hat and gloves.
•  The ascent of Ingleborough, your last peak, is particularly steep and does involve the use of your hands to a small extent.
•  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.

Emergencies

Your leadership team is trained to deal with emergency situations in remote areas and will be carrying mobile phones and radios in case the emergency services need to be contacted. The event is not run as a race and you will never be encouraged to walk at a pace ‘beyond your ability’. There will always be a wide variety in people’s walking abilities which will be carefully managed by the leader team. This team will keep the group together for maximum safety and set a sensible pace for all to achieve this challenge within the planned time frame. Should you find yourself unable to continue for any reason, then our support team, including our support vehicle, will be able to assist you coming off the challenge. Emergencies will be coordinated with the local Mountain Rescue service.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

We do not professionally vet your medical details. Please assess for yourself whether you are fit and able to take on the challenge. Please review the detailed Trip Notes and itinerary to get a better idea of what is involved. Please speak to your doctor or specialist if you have any concerns about taking part. If you think that there are things we can do to make the challenge more accessible/comfortable for you, it is your responsibility to let us know, and we will then let you know if we can accommodate your request.

Medical Support

First Aid qualified staff will be provided with the medical details that you give on your booking form but please note that they are on the challenge to support with medical matters related to the challenge environment and terrain itself, i.e. heat/cold and so on. They will deal with any incidents and accidents (cuts, sprains, breaks and so on). They are not intended to continue any ongoing specialist medical care that you receive in the UK for pre-existing medical conditions, and should not be assumed to have any professional experience of your specific medical condition.

If you have any specific needs around pre-existing medical conditions, you should discuss these with your family doctor or specialist in advance and then discuss any advice given by them with the challenge leader.

Insurance

We don’t offer insurance for our UK trips, as any medical emergencies would naturally be covered through the NHS. Therefore, the main thing that you will not be covered for is cancellation. You can see our cancellation policy within our terms and conditions here. If you wish, you could look into your own policy that covers cancellation for travel within the UK.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism. On this challenge in particular, we always liaise with the rangers at the Yorkshire Dales National Park 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 you to support the ‘Three Peaks Project’ who maintain the excellent footpaths we will be walking on. The Three Peak Project offers an excellent and informative mobile phone app that will add to your knowledge and preparation for the challenge. The app can be downloaded from all good app stores! (For more information click here.)

We would also 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 pages, where you will be able to view a list of the other projects that we currently support.