Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge 2011
3 Peaks
25 miles
10 hours
The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge takes in the three highest peaks in Yorkshire – Pen-y-ghent (694m), Whernside (736m) and Ingleborough (723m) - covering a total distance of around 25 miles on a circular route, and climbing 1672m (and descending), before arriving back in Ribblesdale - all completed in one day..!
Read on for a full write-up...
We arrived on Friday evening at the campsite in the village, with great views looking up onto Pen-y-ghent. A lovely early summers evening, quite clear and dry and after pitching the tent, enjoyed a few beers and a barbie prior to getting an early night - well, as early as can be when half the campsite are still up and the farmer is displaying his hospitality through his famed sound system! I really don't know how the people in the next tent who were awake at 2 then again at 4.30 manage to operate the next day with so little sleep and with so far to walk... Anyway, a really cold night didn't help, but we were up and ready to be off by 7.
Campsite at Horton-In-Ribblesdale with Pen-y-ghent in the background
After departing to the meeting area in the main field, followed by registration and the usual disclaimers we were ready for a team pic and then down to business, we departed at 7.45. With approximately 35 of us walking we split into 3 groups, fast, medium and slow (Tony volunteered us for the fast group btw, before disappearing! - found out later he did Pen-y-ghent with my other brother who was only with us for the first one due to prior commitments) we left the village and started on the first peak.
Team pic, see if you can spot me!
Pen-y-ghent
A nice and easy initiation into the challenge of 3 peaks in one day, and we had it beaten in 1 hour and 10 mins, not bad going for someone who's training had been three weeks notice and walks of no more than 7 miles! Couldn't believe how busy it was at the summit, guess it was a Saturday in June after all.
Causing a hold-up!
Fellow team mates Andy, Matt and Chris
Reaching the summit
A spectacular view
Me at the top of Pen-y-ghent
Following a brief stop at the summit for something to eat and a few piccies, we set off on the descent and the long walk back down. Fairly uneventful apart from having to wait 10 minutes to cross the stile and then I found the only really wet part of the bog which managed to claim my left foot as victim, luckily no further, and I escaped with only a wet lower leg!
Approaching Ribblehead viaduct
The hike back down towards the Ribblehead viaduct was a fairly easy one, through beautiful almost alpine-like scenery just missing the cow bells for that authentic feel. As we approached civilisation again, the route flattened out and on the final drag back to the support van we encountered our first inclines for a while and then in sight of the van, the weather turned and it started raining, luckily we spent the next 15 minutes in the van while we repaired our feet, changed socks and had some food before embarking on the secobd peak.
Whernside
Ribblehead viaduct
With gorgeous views of the viaduct and dry weather again, we started the long drag heading away from and alongside the second peak which seemed to take absolutely ages before we got to the waterfall and started the next climb. What a killer the next stage was, a climb up steep rocky paths leading to a half-way point before crossing the wall and pressing on, over the seemingly never ending well laid paths, which I must admit was the toughest test so far, non-stop, thighs burning all the way before hitting a steeper incline and approaching the summit.
The view from Whernside
What a relief reaching the top was, we were rewarded with spectacular views of the valley in all directions, fairly busy but not as much so as Pen-y-ghent, the locals didn't seem bothered by the activity! Though quite chilly due to the wind we stopped again for 10-15 minutes, re-fuelled, took in the views, had the usual piccies at the trig point and made ready for the descent.
Me and Chrs at the trig point on Whernside
Click here to continue on to part two
All pictures © copyright Richard Nolan 2011