Wales 3 Peaks challenge success!
Yesterday, January 7th 2023, Matt completed the Wales 3 peaks challenge in a total time of 12 hours 41 minutes and 36 seconds. The actual movement time was 7 hours 56 minutes and 57 seconds. The rest of the time was travelling between the peaks. The route the boys took was the North to South route.
The original plan was the Cairngorm 4000s but the avalanche threat and precarious forecast meant that was postponed for now. Then the idea was to take on the Lake District 3000 challenge but after an 11-th hour issue with the GPX files and the difficulty of navigating the Scafell - Scafell Pike section through Mickledore, the decision was made to shelf that too until the spring. This one will require full route planning and better weather to take on Broad Stand.
At the last minute the decision was made to take on the Wales 3 peaks, a challenge that involves 135-miles of driving, climbing Yr Wyddfa (snowdon), Cadair Idris and Pen Y Fan and all within 24 hours. With the experience Matt has already had, only something catastrophic would be prevented success in this one but still the challenge was set for 14 hours by the team. The team consisted of Loui Mahon, Benny Dobson and Matt Roberts.
The team (with between 90 minutes - 3 hours sleep) met at 2am and set off for Eryri National Park (snowdonia), but soon ran into traffic when the police pulled the entire motorway to a standstill just before the junction to turn off for the m54 towards Telford at 3.30am. The boys were stuck there while whatever the incident was sorted for approximately 45 minutes. They set back off again around 4.15am and arrived in Eryri at around 6.30am.
With an official start time of 6.36am the team set off up towards the Snowdon summit from Pen Y Pass car park on the Pyg Track. Passing teams of people heading up the track, the rains opened up and the team were all soaked but still the motivation was high and they had reached the junction for the Crib Goch turnoff within 23 minutes. The march up to the summit was a decent pace and they hit the ridge line in pretty solid time just as a hazy cloud-covered dawn light broke. The Snowdon summit had wind but nothing on the scale of what was to come in the challenge and the first peak was bagged at 8.10am. The boys made it down to the car again to clock the Yr Wyddfa moving time at 3h 07m. After a refuel and changing out of the soaking wet attire, the boys were set to leave Pen Y Pass.
The next leg was a drive to South Snowdonia to climb Cadair Idris, a peak Matt had previously not climbed. Cadair Idris is translated to English as the 'Chair of Idris', with Idris being the name of a giant according to legend. This one was impressive on the approach and proved to be a tough climb. The team set off officially on the Cadair leg at 11.22am after parking up at Dol Idris. The route up was the Minffordd path, a tough but beautiful loop that starts and ends in the same place. This route is the shortest but steepest route up to the summit and it proved to be just that! The lads made their way up to a river-crossing before heading over a slate bridge and up to stye off to the right. Then a sharp left saw them tackle a long scree-slope and up to a second Stye. The second Stye crossing gave birth to some beautiful views of Llyn Cau (the lake at the base of the horse-shoe ridge). After a stop for pictures, the lads headed up to the summit plateau via some shallower-rising bog paths. They hit the summit at 1.26pm and were greeted with gusts of 65mph as they held on to the trig point, before scranning back some home-made flap jack. Benny makes the most banging flapjacks and it was agreed these would become tradition! The route took them around the loop and descend down to the lake eventually before heading back to the car for a total time on Cadair at just under 4 hours.
After another refresh and kit shuffle, the lads were now en route to their final challenge at Pen Y Fan on fatigued legs and keeping in mind the distinct lack of sleep. Matt suffered a left leg cramp during the journey, which made the journey uncomfortable but arriving at the Brecons just before 6, the team set up for the final push. The conditions here were poor. Driving rain, howling winds and decreasing visibility at the path made way upwards meant this was going to be uncomfortable. The time the lads set off from the car was precisely 6pm and they aimed for 45 minutes to hit the summit. Matt's headtorch was giving out poor light, the battery was on the way out but it was good enough, for now! Shortly after that incident Loui's practically died so we were. down to Benny's high powering head torch and Matt's dim headtorch. Darkness surrounded them and the mist towards the top was blinding. They persevered, hitting the Col from the Storey Arms side before heading off the right and underneath Corn Du. The actual summit time was 6.44, ideal! The winds up the top were 60mph but consistent and it proved impossible to get a nice picture but the boys had some good videos of getting to the summit marker. They then started their descent, realising that they could break the 8-hour actual moving time mark if they got down quickly enough. The running started as they formed a formation that meant the could all see when they ran side by side, the time was ticking and Pont Ar Daf car park came into sight! The car headlights travelling sown the main road were suddenly close enough to realise it was very much game on! 8 minutes to go and the boys turned the pace up even more, would they make it?
with a solid moving time of 7 hours 56 minutes 57 seconds and total challenge time of 12 hours 41 minutes and 36 seconds.. the boys celebrated with hugs, fist bumps and perhaps a little quick air punch. Great effort.
Stats:
Peaks Climbed: 3
Total Ascent: 2606m
Total Driving: 401 Miles (from Home to Home)
Hiking Distance: 27.72km
Total Steps: 47,437
Calories Burned: 3,990
Challenge Start: 6.35am
Snowdon Summit: 8.10am
Cadair Idris: 1.26pm
Pen Y Fan: 6.44pm
Challenge Finish: 7.16pm
The original plan was the Cairngorm 4000s but the avalanche threat and precarious forecast meant that was postponed for now. Then the idea was to take on the Lake District 3000 challenge but after an 11-th hour issue with the GPX files and the difficulty of navigating the Scafell - Scafell Pike section through Mickledore, the decision was made to shelf that too until the spring. This one will require full route planning and better weather to take on Broad Stand.
At the last minute the decision was made to take on the Wales 3 peaks, a challenge that involves 135-miles of driving, climbing Yr Wyddfa (snowdon), Cadair Idris and Pen Y Fan and all within 24 hours. With the experience Matt has already had, only something catastrophic would be prevented success in this one but still the challenge was set for 14 hours by the team. The team consisted of Loui Mahon, Benny Dobson and Matt Roberts.
The team (with between 90 minutes - 3 hours sleep) met at 2am and set off for Eryri National Park (snowdonia), but soon ran into traffic when the police pulled the entire motorway to a standstill just before the junction to turn off for the m54 towards Telford at 3.30am. The boys were stuck there while whatever the incident was sorted for approximately 45 minutes. They set back off again around 4.15am and arrived in Eryri at around 6.30am.
With an official start time of 6.36am the team set off up towards the Snowdon summit from Pen Y Pass car park on the Pyg Track. Passing teams of people heading up the track, the rains opened up and the team were all soaked but still the motivation was high and they had reached the junction for the Crib Goch turnoff within 23 minutes. The march up to the summit was a decent pace and they hit the ridge line in pretty solid time just as a hazy cloud-covered dawn light broke. The Snowdon summit had wind but nothing on the scale of what was to come in the challenge and the first peak was bagged at 8.10am. The boys made it down to the car again to clock the Yr Wyddfa moving time at 3h 07m. After a refuel and changing out of the soaking wet attire, the boys were set to leave Pen Y Pass.
The next leg was a drive to South Snowdonia to climb Cadair Idris, a peak Matt had previously not climbed. Cadair Idris is translated to English as the 'Chair of Idris', with Idris being the name of a giant according to legend. This one was impressive on the approach and proved to be a tough climb. The team set off officially on the Cadair leg at 11.22am after parking up at Dol Idris. The route up was the Minffordd path, a tough but beautiful loop that starts and ends in the same place. This route is the shortest but steepest route up to the summit and it proved to be just that! The lads made their way up to a river-crossing before heading over a slate bridge and up to stye off to the right. Then a sharp left saw them tackle a long scree-slope and up to a second Stye. The second Stye crossing gave birth to some beautiful views of Llyn Cau (the lake at the base of the horse-shoe ridge). After a stop for pictures, the lads headed up to the summit plateau via some shallower-rising bog paths. They hit the summit at 1.26pm and were greeted with gusts of 65mph as they held on to the trig point, before scranning back some home-made flap jack. Benny makes the most banging flapjacks and it was agreed these would become tradition! The route took them around the loop and descend down to the lake eventually before heading back to the car for a total time on Cadair at just under 4 hours.
After another refresh and kit shuffle, the lads were now en route to their final challenge at Pen Y Fan on fatigued legs and keeping in mind the distinct lack of sleep. Matt suffered a left leg cramp during the journey, which made the journey uncomfortable but arriving at the Brecons just before 6, the team set up for the final push. The conditions here were poor. Driving rain, howling winds and decreasing visibility at the path made way upwards meant this was going to be uncomfortable. The time the lads set off from the car was precisely 6pm and they aimed for 45 minutes to hit the summit. Matt's headtorch was giving out poor light, the battery was on the way out but it was good enough, for now! Shortly after that incident Loui's practically died so we were. down to Benny's high powering head torch and Matt's dim headtorch. Darkness surrounded them and the mist towards the top was blinding. They persevered, hitting the Col from the Storey Arms side before heading off the right and underneath Corn Du. The actual summit time was 6.44, ideal! The winds up the top were 60mph but consistent and it proved impossible to get a nice picture but the boys had some good videos of getting to the summit marker. They then started their descent, realising that they could break the 8-hour actual moving time mark if they got down quickly enough. The running started as they formed a formation that meant the could all see when they ran side by side, the time was ticking and Pont Ar Daf car park came into sight! The car headlights travelling sown the main road were suddenly close enough to realise it was very much game on! 8 minutes to go and the boys turned the pace up even more, would they make it?
with a solid moving time of 7 hours 56 minutes 57 seconds and total challenge time of 12 hours 41 minutes and 36 seconds.. the boys celebrated with hugs, fist bumps and perhaps a little quick air punch. Great effort.
Stats:
Peaks Climbed: 3
Total Ascent: 2606m
Total Driving: 401 Miles (from Home to Home)
Hiking Distance: 27.72km
Total Steps: 47,437
Calories Burned: 3,990
Challenge Start: 6.35am
Snowdon Summit: 8.10am
Cadair Idris: 1.26pm
Pen Y Fan: 6.44pm
Challenge Finish: 7.16pm