Daily Diary of the 3 Peaks Challenge
During the 2023 Challenge Week Year 12 have taken on the national 3 Peaks Challenge to climb the highest mountains in England (Scafell Pike, 978m), Wales (Snowdon, 1085m) and Scotland (Ben Nevis, 1345m) over 4 days. In a challenge like this, the weather is a factor that can’t be ignored and it can make a big difference. Unfortunately, for all but one of the groups, this year Ben Nevis had to be replaced with a 17km walk along the scenic West Highland Way.
Day 1: Monday
Weather [Ben Nevis]: Torrential rain, strong winds and maximum of 6C
“On approach to the mountain [Snowdon] the weather seemed to become increasingly wild and dark, as we began the 1085m climb the lonely peak seemed to get further and further away, making some of us question why we were embarking on the challenge.
The sense of achievement was monumental as we all stood round the trig point with views to the coast and across the Snowdonia region scattered with blue lakes and the dramatic mountainous skyline.
The descent down the mountain was rapid, as we ran down the slope with stones skidding and tumbling.
From today’s challenge, I think I have learnt how when faced with a difficult situation, where you may feel the desire to give in, to be resilient and to push forward, as the end is closer than you think.”
Jack
“Today I have climbed Snowdon and the best thing about the day was reaching the top and having that feeling of accomplishment.
The biggest challenge was pushing onto the end, and going down the peak, as the downhill was not too bad, however I found it challenging as loose rocks were difficult to run on.”
Heather
“The best part of today was running down the peak [Scafell Pike] with my friends, at this point all of us were exhausted, but the sun was out, and we knew we were nearly done so we put our all into it. The biggest challenge for me today was definitely the slippery rocks leading to the very top of the peak.
Today I learnt that it is definitely mind over matter, from the beginning of our climb we could see our goal. There were many times that I just wanted to stop, but with some motivation and going slow and steady, I got to the very top. It was a bit disappointing when we got to the top and realised that we were stood in a cloud and couldn’t see the beautiful view, but on the way up we could see the mountains surrounding and it was gorgeous.”
TJ
Day 2: Tuesday
Weather: Cold, wet, windy.
After much studying of the weather forecast yesterday the decision was taken for coach 1 not to walk Ben Nevis – torrential rain and winds of 40 mph led to us choosing an alternative route of 17.5 km of the West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe Ski Centre. The conditions were still very wet but the pupils showed a positive attitude throughout. Fingers crossed for better weather for Snowdon tomorrow.
The best thing about the day was walking with and talking to people I haven’t spoken to much before.
The biggest challenge for me was staying positive as I was looking forward to going up Ben Nevis [went along the West Highland Way], and keeping going and trying not to pay too much attention to how far we had gone and to just keep on walking.
Sam
Day 3: Wednesday
Weather [Snowdon]: Rain and Drizzle with a Maximum of around 16C
Another difficult day weather wise but a brilliant attitude shown by coach 1 to reach the summit of Snowdon. It rained for the majority of the ascent and the group were greeted with strong gusts of wind on the summit ridge. Despite the atrocious conditions nobody complained and there was never a question of giving up and turning back – great resilience shown by all (including the staff). As a reward the rain stopped and the cloud lifted on the descent and we were able to enjoy some stunning views of the horseshoe on out way back to Pen-y-pass car park.
“Yesterday we were supposed to climb Ben Nevis but due to the poor weather conditions we went on a different walk along the West Highland Way. My favourite part of the walk was probably the view, we were right by some mountains but could also see the lake. The most challenging part was probably the bus journey, only because it was 6 hours both ways, and all of us were already quite tired from Scafell pike. I learnt that not everything will always go your way, and it’s best to accept it and make the most of it. As I still had fun during the walk as it was quite relaxed and could just have a nice laugh with my friends.”
TJ
Day 4: Thursday
Weather [Scafell Pike]: Some early rain followed by patchy sunshine, maximum of 7C
Coach 1 awoke to sunshine and blue skies and the realisation we may finally have a dry day on the mountain. The team set off in good spirits knowing there was a long day on their feet ahead of them. The weather stayed fair and the pupils had to show intense concentration whilst hopping over the boulder field near the summit. A great sense of achievement at the top and great to finally have a view from the highest point in England.
The pupils have been outstanding, it was wonderful to hear members of the public praising them for being polite, kind and generally upbeat whilst on the mountains.
The best thing about the day was everyone’s positive attitude and having laughing with my friends as we climbed the fell [Ben Nevis]!
The biggest challenge was running down as it was very difficult terrain and much tougher than anything I had ever done. From this experience I learnt that perseverance – even when the weather was difficult – is key for making it to the top!
Heather
Today I climbed Snowdon. My favourite part about today was reaching the summit. It was a fantastic view, the weather was great, the sun was out the entire day. The challenging part was the steep climb; at the start it was a slow ascent and then became very steep! It was straining, as we were all feeling burnt out from the last couple days. Although the fact that this was the last day, motivated us to keep going. Today I learnt perseverance is the key, keeping a positive attitude and knowing that other people may be struggling just like you; makes you feel like you’re not alone.
TJ
