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England, Scotland and Wales

Cancer Research UK – The 3 Peaks Challenge

May - Octoberfrom £499 pp

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The 3 Peaks Challenge in support of Cancer Research UK  is available on any weekend (Friday to Sunday) from May to October. You can join as an individual or any size group, and if you have a group of 8 or more participants we can offer the challenge exclusively for you on any date of your choice!

Three Peak Challenge Map

Quick Facts

  • Guiding on all 3 peaks by experienced mountain leaders.
  • 26 miles (42km) total horizontal distance, 3,000m (9,843ft) of vertical ascent, 3 peaks.
  • This trip is best run between May and October, outside of these dates we consider it winter conditions. However, if thats what you’re looking for let us know.
  • Pick-up and drop-off options along the route to provide you with several different options – just choose the most convenient for you. See our transport explained section for further details.
  • Expert driving team with lots of 3 Peaks experience. Please note that for safety reasons we adhere to all road traffic safety regulations.
  • Set open dates for individuals or small groups to join or bespoke events for group sizes of 8 or more – just ask if the date you want is not listed.
  • Many years experience in providing this challenge.
  • We aim to complete the challenge within 24 hours; some groups will take less time, others more – the fitter your entire group is, the more likely you will be able to fulfill the challenge!
  • You need to be pretty fit.

About & Details

The Three Peaks Challenge is an attempt to climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in ‘one go’. These peaks are Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Snowdon in Wales. Other bespoke options are available, including doing the challenge from south to north, to discuss alternatives or any ideas you may have feel free to call our friendly team.

We travel to Fort William on the Friday, starting with Ben Nevis on the Saturday morning, climb Scafell Pike that night and finish Snowdon on Sunday in Wales. This is a tough event and people participating should have the necessary fitness and be prepared to do without sleep! If your aim is to complete the event in 24 hours then we will need to complete Ben Nevis in 5.5 hours, Scafell Pike in 4.5 hours and Snowdon in 4 hours. The standard for measuring your official total time on the event is mountain time plus a fixed 10 hour drive time. The challenge is supported by qualified mountain leaders and a driver will be with you all of the way. We’ll do everything we can to get you through the challenge as quickly as possible.

We have many years experience in delivering this challenge. Over the years thousands of people have completed the event with us – we’d be delighted to help you with yours! If you want to do this challenge but think that you might benefit from sleep in between each peak, then we do offer this event over more relaxed timescales. For further details see our 3-Day 3 Peaks and 5-Day 3 Peaks Trip options.

Inclusions

  • Professional event organisation
  • Qualified mountain leaders
  • Transport between Manchester and Ben Nevis with pick ups en route
  • Transport between the 3 peaks
  • Drop offs between Snowdon and Manchester after the challenge has finished.
  • One nights’ twin room accommodation with breakfast. (Single rooms are subject to availability at an additional supplement)
  • Group first aid kit with qualified first aider
Exclusions
  • Travel to and from designated pick up and drop off points
  • Evening meals, lunches and beverages
  • Personal insurance (for cancellation, accident, health, emergency evacuation and loss, theft of or damage to baggage and personal effects)
  • Personal equipment (e.g. walking boots, rucksack, waterproof jacket and trousers, torch, hat and gloves)

Optional Extras

  • Single Room Supplement – £90 per person (subject to availability).

Transport

During each road based (North to South) Three Peaks event, our vehicle does a round trip from Manchester. This means we offer pick-up points for you at the following locations:

  • on the M61, M6, M74 and A82 between Manchester and Fort William
  • Manchester Piccadilly Station (approx. 10am).
  • Glasgow International airport (not Prestwick, approx. 4pm).

If you are based in the South of the UK we recommend you fly to Glasgow International Airport and then catch the return train from Manchester. This saves you a lot of time in the vehicle. Drop off points are:

  • Anywhere on the A55 and M56 between Snowdonia and Manchester.
  • Manchester Airport.
  • Manchester Piccadilly Station.
  • Alternative pick up and drop off points can be discussed upon request.

Pick-up times are the day before the event and drop off is during the afternoon of the event finish. We aim to finish in Snowdon by mid afternoon on the last day of each event and therefore your drop off should be no later than 6pm on the Sunday evening. However, there are no guarantees as it depends on the speed of your group. If you are making your own way to Fort William for the start of your challenge you should arrive the Friday afternoon/evening in time for the evening briefing and to be ready for the start of the challenge the next day.

Environmental Responsibility

Over the years concerns have been raised about the impact the 3 Peaks Challenge has on the environment and the local residents surrounding these peaks. The main concerns raised is an increase in traffic and noise in rural areas at unsociable hours, litter, erosion of the peaks through people taking short cuts and in particular the lack of water and toilet facilities at Wasdale Head.

At Maximum Adventure our ethos is to always respect the areas we work in. The company was set up by people who enjoy the mountains and respect the impact people climbing them have on the environment and local residents. When running our 3 Peak Challenges we adhere to the fundraising guidelines which were produced by the Institute of Fundraisers in line with the various authorities for the 3 Peaks. We mainly run small groups of between 10-12 people with experienced drivers and mountain leaders with them ensuring best behaviour on the mountain and not impacting on rescue services. In fact, on several occasions, our mountain leaders have acted as ‘rescuers’ by leading lost groups we found on the hill off the mountain! We always stick to the official paths on the mountains so as not to cause any environmental damage to the mountains, and we contribute to the maintenance of these paths. We make donations to the Highland council for the upkeep of the paths throughout the year. In the cases where we operate larger groups we seek prior approval from the various mountain authorities. We have worked closely with these authorities over the years and have a very good working relationship with them. We also manage groups access to the peaks to reduce the amount of people coming into and out of an area at any one time.

We aim to climb Scafell Pike before the midnight cut off time, thereby reducing the impact our arrival and departure has on local residents. We always have our own water supplies so we do not use local supplies and do all that we can to ensure our clients have access to appropriate toilet facilities outside of the area. Our drivers remain with the minibuses and ensure there is no excessive noise or illegal parking. We take the safety of our participants very seriously, and stick to driving regulations with separate non-walking drivers, making sure sufficient breaks are taken. We believe we are one of the most responsible operators on the hill and continually endeavour to improve our services whilst protecting the beautiful environment we operate in and ask that all of our clients respect our working code when travelling with us.

Departures

We run the 3 peaks challenge as an open or bespoke event. Our open events run every Friday to Sunday from May to the end of October.  For bookings of 8 people or more, we also run this as an exclusive event on the dates of your choosing.

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Friday

    Meet at designated pick up points and transfer to Fort William. Check in to your accommodation, evening briefing, route planning and equipment check with your guide. Time to unwind.

  • Day 2 - Saturday

    Early breakfast then depart for Ben Nevis at approximately 7am. Ben Nevis should be a round trip of around 5.5 hours. Afternoon transfer to the Lake District and evening ascent of Scafell Pike, which should be a 4.5 hour round trip.

  • Day 3 - Sunday

    Night time transfer to Snowdon and early morning ascent. This is a round trip of approximately 4 hours. Drop offs at designated points en route to Manchester.

Notes:

This itinerary is a guide only. It can be subject to change dependent upon viability, course members’ fitness and weather conditions.

The Route
Reviews

Find some of the reviews our wonderful customers have left for us below, or read them all here!

Heather Parr
3 months ago

Maximum Adventure exceeded expectations, planning a trip for me last minute and off season through the glorious Lake District. The hotels were top rate, as was the food and my daily gluten free sandwich. Nathalie got the route guide sent to me in a couple of days and the baggage service was impeccable. It was the only tour guide company that responded immediately to my last minute request. Looking forward to more adventures with your company!!!

Chris Evans
3 months ago

David and I walked the Speyside Way in September 2023 and very much enjoyed the adventure. Maximum Adventure Ltd organised our nightly accommodation and uplifting of our luggage in a seamless manner, which made the whole trip so easy with no stress. This is the second time that I have personally used Maximum Adventures Ltd and I would recommend them to others as they offer a friendly and efficient service.

Göte Fredriksson
4 months ago

We realy appreciated the tour we did on Hadrians Wall path in May.Beautiful scenery, decent weather, god arrangements including lodging, transport, bagagehandling etc. We came well prepared . In this preparation Maximum adventures gave us great support, as we are coming from abroad with no knowledge of conditions on the path. We had great BnBs and could concentrate on de daily walks that gave us great pleasure.Thank you England and Hadrians Wall path for your friendly reception and well mantained walking path.Thank you Maximum Adventures for your good service.We would love to come back in the future.

Jerry Kashinski
4 months ago

Maximum Adventure did a great job for us. With less than a month's notice, it set up an itinerary, lodging and luggage porterage for a walk from Carlisle to Newcastle, England along Hadrian's Wall. The lodging was fantastic, as was the itinerary and support during the walk. We'd definitely use Maximum Adventure again and would recommend them without reservation!

Fiona Reilly
5 months ago

I was part of a climb on 23/09, didn't think I would make ut, but I did. The descent was a different story.. I got jelly legs and lost my confidence. If it wasn't for James, my Sherpa would never have made it. Can't thank him enough, Will, met you briefly.Both of them were very knowledgeable, we had the most amazing views at the summit...the pain is still worth it and

Tom Graham
5 months ago

I walked the West Highland Way with my dad and brother. The organisation was excellent by Samantha. Itinerary and instructions were clear and all the bookings and luggage transfers went smoothly. As a result we were able to ensure the fantastic walk and not worry about anything. I would happily recommend Maximum Adventure to others.

Sarah Bracken
5 months ago

Absolutely brilliant guide - knowledgeable, interesting and humorous in addition to looking after our safety so well - making sure we ate and suggesting when to layer up! Would highly recommend!

Diana Straub
6 months ago

We just got home from our 8-days Hadrian's Wall hike and we just loved it!Everything was perfectly organized!We had great B&Bs and hotels with very friendly, welcoming and helpful staff. Our favorite was the Dacre House with Clare. But then again, all were great!The luggage was always at the day's destination, no matter how early we got to the accommodation.The description of how to get to the accommodations were clear and precise.The road map and the guide book were waiting for us as we got to the first B&B and were very helpful and interestingThanks, Maximum Adventure!

Kristin Hentschel
6 months ago

Praise for the West Highland Hike and the Maximum Adventure planners, esp. our planner Samantha. Great experience in every regard.

Simon Bradish
6 months ago

Booked for the 3 UK Peaks adventure, it was organised perfectly and everything when to plan. Accommodation was good, transport excellent, our guide (Patrick) brilliant, so cannot fault the trip and adventure. I personally expected too much from myself and was unable to fully summit as this adventure is not for beginners, I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2003 when I was 42 and twenty years later, although relatively fit, my endurance didn't last. So I did a half summit for Ben Nevis & Scafell, thanks to Patrick for letting go back down on my own, it was brilliant. With Snowdon, a half summit is tricky as you can't descend the way you go up, so I decided to do some hiking in the area while the rest of the group did the climb. I took a chance and went to the ticket office and managed to get a single return ticket up to the summit of Snowdon at 9am which returned down by 11.30am. I was hoping to see my group on top and spring a surprise but the weather was terrible. I highly recommend the trip but make sure you are fit enough otherwise as there is an emphasis on time, so a slow walk up is going to slow everyone down and really delay the trip. Have Fun, Simon Bradish

Charity Information

About Cancer Research UK
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How to take part for Charity

To do this challenge for a charity there is a non-refundable registration fee, payable to Maximum Adventure at the time of booking.  You can then choose between the two different options below.

Self-Funding

Pay a registration fee at the time of booking then the balance due 10 weeks before departure.  With the self-funding option, you personally cover the full cost of the challenge.  This option means that there is no minimum sponsorship target due, but we encourage you to raise as much money as you can for the charity.

Minimum Sponsorship Pledge

Pay a registration fee at the time of booking and confirm with your charity their minimum fundraising requirements for the balance.  This will typically be double the cost of the adventure, less the registration fee.  With the minimum sponsorship pledge option, you must submit 80% of your fundraising target to the charity 10 weeks before the departure date.

More Information

For more details of how fundraising works please read our step by step guide here or contact us for help.

Maximum Adventure work with lots of charities to offer our events as fundraising opportunities.  You can find our Charity Events from the ‘Menu’ in the corner of your screen or from our homepage.  If your chosen charity is not listed, please contact us and we will be happy to approach them on your behalf.

Why book with us

We know you have a choice of companies providing trips for your next adventures. Here are some of the reasons you should choose to travel with Maximum Adventure:

  • We are an established adventure travel business
  • We have been trading since 2002
  • We are financially protected in accordance with the 1992 travel regulation
  • Knowledgeable and available office staff
  • Qualified leaders and guides with ascents ranging from Ben Nevis to Mount Everest
  • All activities are risk assessed
  • We will provide you with the best service available
  • We are aware this is your holiday/your challenge and will do our best to make it an enjoyable and rewarding experience
  • We have many repeat clients stretching back over a number of years
20+ years adventure organisation experience
Full liability & financial protection
Leading provider of high quality adventure challenges
Great team of staff to support you