The Neil Mackenzie Trust – 3 Peaks Challenge

• 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 a 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)

• Single Room Supplement £90.00 per person (subject to availability)
• Late collection (8pm) at Glasgow International Airport £75.00 per person (subject to confirmation of minimum numbers).

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.

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 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.

We run the 3 Peaks Challenge as an open or bespoke event.  Our open events run every Friday to Sunday from May to October.  For bookings of 8 people or more, we also run this as an exclusive event on the dates of your choosing.  To book any number of participants on to an event, simply select the date of your choosing and follow the booking procedure.

We now also offer a late collection (8pm) at Glasgow International Airport on the Friday of our open events for the busy adventurer. A surcharge does apply.  (For the bespoke exclusive events a personalised collection time can be arranged with your event planner.)

If you are already booked on an event, please contact your event planner for further information or to request a later collection. If you are yet to book, please simply add on as an optional extra at checkout.

Please note – Fort William offers limited dining after 9pm and so, if you are on the late collection, we recommend you already have your pre event dinner before arrival.

After placing your booking with us, you will in the first instance receive an automated email from our system confirming receipt of your reservation. If you don’t receive it, it is worth checking your spam/clutter folder.

In the process of placing your booking, you will generally set up an access password to our online gateway where you can review the details of the booking.

Your personal event planner will then be in touch with you to start to confirm the details. This contact will usually be taken up in the working day after receipt of your booking, but may, in busy times, take a little longer. The event planner will then liaise with you regarding the details of the course. If you have any specific requirements, please do mention it at this stage.

To participate in this challenge for The Neil Mackenzie Trust 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.

Pay a registration fee at the time of booking and the balance 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.

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.