Open Three Peaks Series 2010

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Guided Three Peaks Challenges

On your own? Just you and a friend? Join An Organised Group..!

If you want to take part in an organised Three Peaks Challenge, but can find a team to enter with, and can't get a minibus or willing driver - then perhaps you should consider joining one of our Guided Three Peaks Challenges with some like minded walkers?

We provide the minibus, drivers, mountain guides, safety equipment, food & drinks during the challenge: you provide the determination to reach the summits.

Once again for 2010 we will be offering fully guided Three Peaks Challenge weekends for individuals and couples, where you can take on this exhilerating event with a group of similar minded people whilst being looked after by our highly experienced drivers and qualifed mountain guides, and being transported safely around the challenge route in one of our fully insured vehicles, and fed and watered after each mountain.

For more details about the challenge in general, please visit our comprehensive Three Peaks website.

ACCOMMODATION..! We do not include any accommodation in our costs. The challenge starts from Glen Nevis at around 12 noon and you will need to meet up with us by 11am at Fort William. Some people will choose to arrive in Fort William a few days before hand and organise their own digs, or perhaps arrive Saturday morning on the West Coast Sleeper Train.

If you travel with us in our minibus on Friday - then you will require accommodation in Fort William on Friday evening. Because some people want a simple shared room in a hostel at £20 per night, and others require a double room in a 4* hotel at £180, we do not block book group accommodation for our Open Bus events. We can normally organise accommodation for you if given enough notice, at cost price.

Some walkers decide to stay in north Wales on Sunday after the challenge, then make their own way home on Monday. Again, we can help organise this for you with plenty of notice. Most walkers however, will return home on Sunday.


This webpage last updated 28th September 2009. For any queries regarding spaces, deposits, payments or accommodation, please email Keith at Merseyventure. Sorry - all 2009 dates now fully booked.

2010 Entry forms now available.

Open Challenge 2010 Events are available: (places available)

24-25 April 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (8)

22-23 May 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (16)

12-13 June 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (16)

10-11 July 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (16)

24-25 July 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (16)

21-22 August 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (8)

25-26 September 2010: Open Bus Three Peaks Challenge (8)

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Typical Challenge Weekend

Each of these weekends contain a unique mix of people and personalities, with highs and lows that you can't readily explain to those not involved, but here's how a typical weekend will pan out...

Either drive to Liverpool and leave your car in our compound (we can also collect you from the train station or airport), or get a cheap flight into Glasgow International Airport. Meet our driver and mountain guide, and start to enjoy that Scouse sense of humour - you'll need it..!

Meet up with other members of the group as we collect them enroute, before arriving in Fort William. Time for a few pints and a good chat about what's in store, before retiring to your tent, bunkhouse, B&B or hotel... Merseyventure staff have been known to sleep in the minibus when accommodation is tight..! You can book the back row of seats short notice at £10 per person....  :-)

Saturday morning will offer the opportunity to shop for some momento's of your adventure on Fort William's High Street. This is also the ideal time to buy any items of kit or clothing required on our kit list which you have forgotten.

At 11am, all group members will meet up in Fort William for a welcome and safety briefing from the Merseyventure staff. You'll also meet the other walkers that made their own way to Fort William, and didn't stay up drinking until 1am. This is the time to thrash out the method of attack, and admit you've never used trekking poles before.

Start of the Challenge...

Just before noon, we will move down to the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre, and get ready for a 1200 hours start to our Three Peaks Challenge. Your mountain guide will get the latest weather reports, and advise you on what equipment and clothing may be required. Then - off you go..!!! Your mountain guide will have VHF radio comms with the support vehicle, and some hot food will be prepared for your return, most teams taking around 5 hours for this climb.

Upon your return, you will wolf down the food and quickly get changed into dry clothing for the long drive into the English Lake District to climb Scafell Pike - in total darkness.

Scafell Pike...

Your guide will lead you up to the summit, but be aware that this peak often presents even the most experienced guide with navigational difficulties in poor conditions. Slow and steady on the way up, then on the way down. This is no walk in the park (well, actually, it is a walk in the Lake District National Park). Return to the support vehicle for a bacon buttie breakfast - the finest in the land...

Snowdon...

After boarding your transport, you will be whisked away to Snowdonia. Sleeping on these country roads is not easy, but try your best as you will need the energy for the final summit - Snowdon. You will be dropped off at Pen-Y-Pass which offers the highest start point for all of the Three Peaks, but still involves a hard climb by the group. After reaching the summit, you will descend back to your support vehicle, hopefully within the magic 24 hours...

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Challenge Considerations

These Open Challenge organised events will consist of a number of other walkers that you have never met before. Some walkers may be faster or slower than you. Our group can only progress at the speed of the slowest walker, and thus, the group may not be able to achieve a sub-24 hour challenge time.

All walkers are expected to be fit and experienced enough to complete the mountains in the times as detailed. If you have entered this challenge, and cannot complete the mountain sections in the time required, you may be asked to retire from the walking challenge to allow the remaining walkers to attempt the challenge for a sub-24 hour time.

The times are:

Ben Nevis: 6 hours
Scafell Pike: 5 hours
Snowdon: 5 hours

On Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike, the minibus cannot leave until the last walker has returned. Our mountain guides will remain with the last walkers on all mountains, and any faster walkers may only venture ahead with the express permission of our mountain leaders. Walkers leaving the walking group against the wishes of our mountain leader will be considered to be outside of our liabilty.

Whilst we endeavour to achieve a sub24 hour challenge time for all teams, sometimes this is simply not possible. Slower team members, poor weather conditions, and road delays can all cause problems. Merseyventure cannot guarentee a sub24 hour challenge, or even a successful challenge.

Each walker will be required to bring all items as detailed in out kit list, and due to the confined space available on the minibus, should only bring 1x soft sided kit bag, and 1x small walking rucksack.

Each walker MUST present the clothing and safety items as described in the kit list. If a walker fails to provide these items at a kit check, they may not be allowed to participate in the event.

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Still Interested?

If you would still like to take part in one of our Open Organised Three Peaks Challenges, you need to consider how you will get to the collection points, what you will do for overnight accommodation, and how you will get home after the challenge?

If you need any help or advice, please just email us. We've 10 years experience, and are still miles cheaper than our competitors. We offer true value for money, and smiles for miles.


Our challenge dates still available for 2009 are:


Sorry - all events now full.


Other bespoke 2009 dates are only available to groups of 6+


TO BOOK

Please email Keith at Merseyventure to check current availability, then submit a booking form with your deposit or full payment to secure your place on the minibus.

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Open Three Peaks Challenge Series 2010