Lake District 5 Peaks Challenge

Why book with Charity Challenge

• We are a multi-award winning challenge events specialist with over two decades of professional experience organising and leading challenges worldwide 
• High quality route design that incorporates major landmarks and undiscovered highlights
• Fully supported walking challenge.
• The very best 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!
• Thorough safety management systems in place (Challenge Safe)
• Medal at the finish
• The very highest quality Lake District 5 Peaks Challenge on the market!

Level of Difficulty

The Lakes 5 Peaks challenge is graded as tough. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind and who wish to push themselves in a wild and remote region of one of the UK's most iconic landscapes. You can tell your supporters that on your Lakes 5 Peaks Challenge you will be:

• Trekking for around 10-12 hours in a single day.
• Covering 12.5 miles (20km) of mountainous terrain.
• Trekking without support, carrying all your food and water for the entire day.
• Ascending more than 1390m in a single day. That’s more ascent than Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain!
• Summiting 5 of the highest hills in the Lake District, Scafell Pike (978m) Great End (910m) Ill Crag (935m) Allen Crags (785m) and Rossett Pike (651m)

Training

This challenge is a long, sustained event of up to 12 hours and covers varied terrain. It requires a good to high level of fitness and you should not underestimate the importance of training beforehand. Even if you are active and exercise regularly, it’s good to adapt your training towards your chosen challenge. This is vital in building strength, cardiovascular stamina and muscle endurance for the endurance challenge ahead.

We recommend you start training as early as possible, ideally at least 4-6 months before your challenge. Make sure you check the distance, ascent and terrain of your challenge and create a training plan that builds up to this. Whilst you could start with short walks in your local area, it’s important to build up towards walking the distance of your actual challenge and being out and active for several hours at a time. Make sure you also check the type of terrain your challenge will take place in and plan your training to include similar terrain. Whilst an hour in the gym can help, you should ideally be training in a similar environment to that of your actual challenge and for several hours at a time.

As this challenge involves steep, mountainous terrain, make sure you have training days that include similarly steep sections. Building up the muscles for both ascents and descents is important and can make all the difference in enjoying your final challenge. It is normal for knees to ache when building these muscles up and we would highly recommend training with walking poles to help ease the pressure on your knees. Make sure you set up your walking poles so they’re a good length for you first – most outdoor stores will be able to advise on this and there are plenty of tutorials available online.

Training with the kit you will be using on your challenge is important so you can test it out beforehand and make sure it’s fit for purpose. This includes wearing in any walking boots or shoes and experimenting with the socks you wear so you don’t get blisters on your challenge. Make sure you also get used to walking with a backpack with at least 2 litres of water in. It’s very important to test out your waterproofs (both jacket and trousers) in the rain as there’s nothing worse than finding out your waterproofs leak 2 hours into your 12 hour challenge!

A healthy balanced diet is as important as your physical training. Make sure you fuel up on energy giving carbohydrates and muscle-repairing proteins before a long training session and test out the snacks you plan to take on your challenge as you walk. Not everyone gets on with energy gels, but most people can benefit from a slow energy release banana or a quick sugar hit from a jelly baby!

We provide plenty of additional information and guidance in your personalised login area, including warm up, stretching, cardiovascular training, exercise intensity, cross training, resistance (weight) training, cool down and the hazards of over-training.

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 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 the UK. 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.

This challenge is designed and run as a team event and we encourage everyone taking part to support each other throughout the trek. This challenge is not designed as a race for individuals. 

Partway into the challenge you will have begun to spread-out into your natural walking speeds. For larger groups, once you reach the first ‘checkpoint’ you may be allocated into a small group and designated a walking leader. These leaders will then be responsible for your safety. If you have any problems or need to join a faster or slower moving group, then please speak to your leader.

If you wish to walk together with friends, colleagues, family etc then this is no problem. Please just ensure that you all keep together and reach the checkpoint at the same time so that we can ensure you all get allocated together.

Your leaders will be aware of several important cut-off times at locations that we need people to reach by a certain time so the group can complete the challenge. This gives everyone plenty of time to reach the summit. Your leaders will manage the group pace and keep you informed about these and your options if they think you might be struggling to achieve these times. In certain situations you may be asked to turn around and descend. You will be accompanied by a leader should this happen. We ask everyone to respect the leaders decisions. They are made with the group’s safety in mind.

Please note that this route will not be marked by event arrows, nor is the event designed as an event for individuals to race. It is designed to be a team event, with like-minded people, all raising money for charity, supporting each other throughout the challenge.

Weather

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! Please check the weather forecasts to ensure that you bring suitable clothing and equipment for your challenge. We recommend you come prepared for any weather, which means bringing waterproofs and warm layers even if rain isn’t forecast.

For challenges taking place in the mountains, it is worth checking out the Met Office’s specialist mountain weather forecast here. You can use the search function to find the summit forecast for your challenge’s main mountain summit (e.g. Scafell Pike). You can also check the Mountain Weather Information Service forecast.

We will monitor the weather in the lead up to your challenge and make adjustments to the itinerary as required to ensure your challenge can take place as safely as possible. If a significant change has to be made to your challenge itinerary due to the weather, we will inform you as soon as is reasonably possible.

It is very unlikely that we will need to make significant adjustments to your challenge because of rain. Strong winds may require us to take a lower level route at times or to descend a hill or mountain early if the wind speeds become too much. Your experienced challenge leaders will manage this to ensure everyone is kept safe and their decision will be final.

In the event that lightning is forecast, we will still plan for the challenge to go ahead but will monitor the situation and make you aware of any change of plans. If there is already thunder and lightning when a challenge is due to begin, then the challenge will not begin on time. We will ask you to wait to see if the weather improves. Once we have a clear 1 hour window during which there has been no lightning/thunder AND there is also no further lightning in the forecast we would begin the challenge. If there is any thunder or lightning at any time on a hill or mountain challenge then the challenge will end and we will start to descend immediately.

For challenges taking place during a heatwave, we will ensure there is plenty of water available for you to keep your water bottles topped up or, if this isn’t possible, we will advise you where you may need to carry more yourself. In extreme cases, we may need to adjust the itinerary to ensure the group can walk at a more suitable pace and have more rest breaks.

Terrain

The majority of this challenge takes place over mountain paths within the Lake District, which, although uneven underfoot, are fairly well maintained and regularly used. However, there are a couple of small sections where you will be climbing down over rocks and using your hands to help you up and down. These sections are very few and far between, but may be termed a slight 'scramble'. 

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 safety 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 10-12 hours, which makes your trek a very long day. You can expect to arrive back at the Old Dungeon Gill car park at around 7pm.

Please note: Whilst we shall do all we can to stick to this finish time, please make sure you book flexible return tickets as delays can happen and we cannot guarantee a precise finishing time or be held responsible for any missed transport.

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 usually stay in YHA Ambleside, although we will confirm the exact hostel booked 1 month before your challenge. There is limited parking at the hostel and we would encourage you to car-share where possible.

For those using public transport, you can get the train to Windermere and it is approximately 4 miles from the railway station to the hostel. From the train station, the simplest option is to get a taxi, though if you wish to travel by public transport, you can take bus number 555 or 556 to Ambleside.

On the challenge day, you will need to drive your own vehicle to Langdale for the start of the walk, where there is limited parking available. For those without a vehicle, please speak to your leader who will be able to arrange transport for you.

If not staying an extra night after the challenge, we do recommend that you get a flexible ticket for the return journey or one which is not bound to a particular train in case of any delays to your progress during the day. Normally we expect the challenge to be over by 7 pm.

Please note: We will send you precise instructions about how to get to the registration point, and the timings of the event, one month prior to the challenge. We reserve the right to use alternative registration points and finishing points when necessary.

Accommodation

You will spend one night in hostel accommodation in the Lake District. You will be sharing single-sex dormitory style accommodation with your fellow challenge participants.

You can expect typical hostel style accommodation, with shared bathrooms and bunkbeds. Bedding is provided for you. You will need to bring your own towel.

We encourage everyone to see the hostel as part of the challenge!

Please note: We do not offer single room supplements on our UK challenges. If you wish to book a single room then please book this directly with the accommodation provider yourself. Please contact challenges@charitychallenge.com if you have any concerns regarding the accommodation.

Food & Drink

The following meals are included in the cost of this challenge:

• A continental breakfast on the challenge day.
• A packed lunch will be available to you during the day. This usually consists of a sandwich, fruit, crisps and a snack bar.

Dinner on the night before the trek is not included. However, dinner is available at the hostel but please book this in advance in order to guarantee availability. 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.

We advise you to bring enough bottles to ensure you have 2 litres of water on you at all times. We would encourage you to also bring some of your own preferred snacks to keep you going during the challenge.

If you have a severe allergy or dietary need, such as a severe nut allergy, please ensure you provide as much detail as possible about this when booking on the challenge (e.g. whether you need an epipen, whether it is an airborne allergy or not etc). If you have informed us of any allergies or special dietary needs as part of the challenge booking process, we will endeavour to ensure appropriate meals and checkpoint snacks are available to you. However, we would encourage you to also bring your own favourite snacks with you to ensure your energy levels stay topped up throughout the challenge. Please be aware that it may not always be possible for us to cater to special dietary or allergy needs – we will get in touch if this is the case.

Clothing & Equipment

This is a tough challenge and to give yourself the best chance of successfully completing it please make sure that you have consulted the kit list carefully and that you have all kit marked as essential. No spare kit will be provided on the challenge.

Footwear.
The most appropriate footwear for this challenge is a pair of walking boots. Walking boots provide more ankle support than shoes and can help protect you from ankle twists and sprains. They also have much better grip than your average sports trainer. Boots generally have stiffer soles that can better protect your feet from rough and rocky terrain, providing more comfort when you’re walking on uneven terrain for any length of time. In bad weather, walking boots can also keep your feet drier and warmer.

Many people prefer to wear a trail shoe instead of boots as they find that they are lighter and more comfortable. Trail shoes are fine to wear, but please make sure that they have good grip on the soles. Sports trainers are not appropriate on any of our non-urban challenges.

It is important to wear footwear that is the right fit for your particular feet. We recommend seeking advice from your local outdoor retailer and trying several different brands and models out to find the pair that you find most comfortable. Remember to check how waterproof they are. It is particularly important that you make sure that your footwear is well worn in, that you have tested them out with suitable walking socks and that you have any blister plasters that you may need.

Waterproofs.
As the weather can change quickly in the UK, it is important to make sure that you bring an appropriate waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers. Make sure you test these out before your challenge to check they can keep you dry for 10-12 hours at a time – you don’t want to find out your waterproof jacket is too thin partway into your challenge!

Walking Poles.
We highly recommend bringing walking poles to help you look after tired knees on steep ascents and descents. Your leaders will be happy to show you how to use them on the challenge, or you can check online in advance for videos on how to set them up for your height and the best way to use them.

Personal First Aid.
Your leaders will carry an appropriate group first aid kit on the challenge, but it is a good idea to bring personal first aid items along for yourself. These may include blister plasters or physio tape, any personal medication and any knee or ankle supports. If you carry an epipen, please make sure you bring two and that your leaders know where they are kept.

You will also need to consider bringing clothing and kit appropriate to the weather on the day of your challenge. Remember that the weather and temperature on the summit of a mountain can vary significantly from that in a valley. This may mean bringing hats and gloves as well as extra layers to keep you warm. Or it may mean bringing a sunhat, suncream and extra water. On some challenges, it will mean bringing kit for all weathers!

Once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners OutdoorHire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Please be aware that because of the environment that this challenge takes place in our leaders may ask to see the vital parts of your kit. Participants found without kit marked on the kit list as essential may not be allowed to take part in the challenge.

Toilets

During the challenge toilet facilities will be limited to the great outdoors!  Please make sure to follow the countryside code and take all litter, including tissues and toilet paper, home with you.

Money

You may wish to bring some cash or a credit card to pay for food and drinks at the hostel.

If you are driving to the start of the trek then you will also need to have some loose change for the car park. Prices vary for parking, but you can expect it to cost around £8.50 for a day ticket.

During the trek there will be no opportunities to purchase anything.

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 Scafell Pike is particularly steep and does involve the use of your hands to a small extent.
• The section of the challenge over towards Scafell Pike and Ill Crag follows a particularly rocky footpath and extra care should be taken over this section.
• 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 leading team are 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 always keep the group together for maximum safety on each peak and set a sensible pace for all to achieve this challenge within 10-12hrs. Should you find yourself unable to continue for any reason, then our support team 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

Charity Challenge believes that all of its challenges, whether in the UK or overseas, should have a positive impact on the communities we visit. We are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and always aim to make sure that we minimise our impact on the local environment.

You can help us to achieve this goal by:

• Adopting a policy of ‘leave no trace’. You can read more about this here.
• Taking all litter off the trek with you, including fruit peels and skins.
• Using public toilets when available and taking any tissues from ‘wild wees’ home with you.
• Stick to the footpaths at all times and avoid walking on their edges, to help prevent erosion from spreading.
• Only using the car park(s) designated for your event, and not parking on the local streets.
• Keeping noise to a minimum when passing houses in residential areas.
• Leaving rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them. Please don’t take these home with you.
• Avoid transporting and introducing invasive species by cleaning your outdoor gear regularly.
• Contributing to the local economy by paying for parking, staying an additional night in the local area or enjoying a local meal out.
• Being patient and understanding if at points you have to wait or slow down due to others being on the same path.

We ask you to think carefully about any memorial type activities you may plan for your challenge. We fully appreciate the emotional importance our challenges have for many of our participants and encourage you to mark that special moment in your own way, whilst ensuring that the natural beauty and protection of the environment you’re in is maintained. Leaving photos or other memorabilia or writing on stones is contrary to the leave no trace principle. Remember: ‘Take only memories, leave only footprints’.

For more details about our responsible tourism policy then please click here.