[tommytwotone]

So it's me and my best mates' 40ths next year, and there's been a bit of discussion about trying to "do" something. When I was down at his place earlier in the summer he was talking about the 3 Peaks - however I'm not keen for any number of reasons, main one of which is that I'm probably not fit enough to do all the walking.


Been wondering about an alternative - namely a multi-pitch / vertical / climbing 3 Peaks, but I'm ashamed to say that despite a few university trips to Snowdonia back in the day, I have zero experience of doing anything like that in The Lakes or Scotland.


So - my question is - are there any "proper" climbing routes that would allow us to climb Ben Nevis / Scafell / Snowden (and preferably allow a top out/summit)?


Difficulty would need to be low (I'd say no harder than S), as a) we're both primarily boulderers, he's never led a route so it'll fall to me to do all the leading and b) me mate tried to remove his left index finger with a rotating saw earlier in the year, he's got a decent chunk out of it but will probably be fit enough by next summer but won't be cranking on crimps.


Aware this may be a ridiculous / doomed plan but thought I'd put it out to an audience that may be a bit of experienced / well-travelled than me.


 

[tomtom]

A few on Scafell - and I think many of the classic Ben Winter routes (I'm thinking tower ridge ) are also easyish multipitch jobbies...

(tower ridge is a 3 star diff...) https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=563

Sounds like a great thing to do over a long weekend. One a day etc... weather might be an issue......

BTW, Yorkshire three peaks is piss... just lots and lots of steps...

[andy popp]

There are loads of options for Snowdon: Lliwedd; Cloggy; Cyrn Las; Crib y Ddysgl - all lead to the Horseshoe and thence to the summit with scrambling/walking.

[cheque]

he was talking about the 3 Peaks - however I'm not keen for any number of reasons, main one of which is that I'm probably not fit enough to do all the walking.

Unless you're a heavy smoker, obese or planning on carrying unecessarily heavy gear/ wearing impractical footwear I think you're overestimating it- it's just walking up hills on footpaths. You might be knackered and sore for a few days afterwards but you won't fail to do it.

[T_B]

3 routes on Scafell/Ben Nevis/Snowdon over a long weekend would be way more tiring than the Yorkshire 3 peaks in a day.

Why not just go to N Wales and do a big link up like Main Wall on Cyrn Las and Parson's Nose, then have a few beers and the following day N Ridge of Tryfan/Bristly ridge or similar?

[nai]

Sorry Tom but this sounds like type 2 fun at best. Chances are you'll be having a spa on your 50ths asking each other what the fuck you were thinking.
I reckon you'd (ok, I'd) be dreading it as it approached, so many variables that will have to fall into place to make it work out on a specific weekend - weather obviously, connies (you'll be in high crags that may need weeks to dry), and so much driving when you could be sat in a pub with food and beers.  Guess you'd still have the walking routes as a backup though.
I'd look for a challenge that involves being in one place: Yorks 3 Peaks as TT suggests; Welsh 3,000s, maybe approaching the ridges via rock routes; some big rock enchainment days out, e.g Idwal Slabs - Glyder Fawr.

[tommytwotone]

I have to say you may be right Ian.


Think a may / will depend on my mate's injury recovery etc - might just end up being a weekend in Snowdonia / Porth Ysgo, probably more potential for Type 1 fun!

[andy popp]

some big rock enchainment days out, e.g Idwal Slabs - Glyder Fawr.

The Idwal/Glyder Fawr link up, finishing with Manx Wall on Clogwyn Ddu is absolutely superb and likely to be all but deserted once you're above Holly Tree Wall. Ideally, so you could get the best out of Glyder Fawr you'd want to be comfortable at VS so you could do Grey Slab

[dave]

Parsons Nose in the cwm above Crn Las is good and easy rock/scramble. If you fancy a monster day then do Main Wall as the approach....

[Johnny Brown]

My favourite link up in Ogwen was Ordinary route, continuation wall etc, Cneifon arête, down into Glyder face and up Chasm route then down Bristly edge and over Tryfan.

You could do an amazing three peaks challenge, especially in a good April which could potentially include Point five, Central buttress, Cloggy etc, like man of the pass with a load of driving.

But worth noting the whole three peak challenge is generally regarded as a bad thing. Congestion in spots like Wasdale head at all hours, minimal contribution to local economy.

[tommytwotone]

But worth noting the whole three peak challenge is generally regarded as a bad thing. Congestion in spots like Wasdale head at all hours, minimal contribution to local economy.

That's my main (though obviously a bit hypocritical as I hang out at other honeypot locations all the time nowadays) objection to the "proper" three peaks thing.


Think a weekend with a big mountain day / bouldering day might be a better bet...cheers all for recommendations!

[petejh]

Endless good possibilities for type-2 suffering in the mountains of the UK.

Sounds like you need to find yourselves a Misogi.
''More pain quest than workout, misogi is the secret, punishing ritual that has revolutionized Atlanta Hawks supershooter Kyle Korver's game. You have time for this—if it doesn't kill you first.''

https://www.outsideonline.com/1928041/one-day-year-fitness-plan

Then you could celebrate guilt-free with a piss-up in the spa with Nai!

[nai]

That's my main (though obviously a bit hypocritical as I hang out at other honeypot locations all the time nowadays) objection to the "proper" three peaks thing.

Visiting your local easy access crags with a load of good climbing within your grade because you have demands on your time and want to enjoy the little you have free is bugger all to do with arriving in Wasdale in the small hours, pissing in someone's garden before racing up a hill and buggering off before daybreak without spending another penny in the local ecomony.  Three Peakers should have to have walked the hills previously to demonstrate an appreciation of their beauty, quite why you'd want to steam through them in such a way is beyond me, surely it's only a personal challenge once you have some comprehension of whatit involves.

[duncan]

My sister did the hillwalking version and said it was mainly a driving challenge for anyone not completely sedentary. This was some time ago and the more recent popularity has well-documented adverse impact. 

Bonnington did a three rock routes version - Centurion, Central Buttress and White Slab - in the distant past, using a dedicated driver.

Plenty of other entertaining challenges of course - I've done all the SW Hard Rock Routes in a day which was good fun and an acceptable amount of driving. Three classic SW sea cliff moderate adventures: Skeleton Ridge, Traverse of the Gods (Swanage) and Exposure Explosion (Ogmore) would make a great outing and it would go in 24 hours with a very early start and possibly some headtorch action.

All the lakes classic rock routes have been done in a day on foot

There are rather more Welsh classic rock routes, so perhap a bike might be acceptable to do it IAD?!

[dunnyg]

Doing all the classic rock routes in the lakes over a weekend looks like a good type 1/2 balance. Might go on the to do list

[Will Hunt]

National three peaks is a twat's game. Yorkshire three peaks is piss and boring unless you really like traipsing aimlessly around the countryside.
The closest thing would be a punter's version of Bonnington's Centurion/CB/White Slab day out. Possibly Tower Ridge, Moss Ghyll Grooves (substitute for Pisgah Buttress Direct if MVS is too hard for you), and some Cloggy classic. But your main challenge there is driving and I doubt that a standard pair of climbers would get all that done in a day without moving together.

Why not do the Cuillin Ridge traverse? People talk all sorts of shite about needing "marathon level fitness" (absolute nonsense) but it's not actually that hard, it's completely gimmick free, and it's definitely one of the most memorable mountain days out you can have in the UK.

[dave]

Main problem with the Cuillin ridge, apart from the time commitment simply getting there, is getting the weather. You could start trying it for your mate's 40th then actually end up doing it when he's 50.

I wouldn't touch an actual 3 peaks thing with a bargepole.

[Will Hunt]

If you go for a week in May (tie in with a holiday with family?) then you'll get it done. I spent three weeks there spread over three years, always in late May/early June, and have seen two days of rain.

[Johnny Brown]

Bonnington did a three rock routes version - Centurion, Central Buttress and White Slab - in the distant past, using a dedicated driver.

Chapeau. Good choices.

If you go for a week in May (tie in with a holiday with family?) then you'll get it done

You seem to be ignoring the most powerful of all natural laws there Will.

[Falling Down]

Parsons Nose in the cwm above Crn Las is good and easy rock/scramble. If you fancy a monster day then do Main Wall as the approach....

I second this as a suggestion.  A grand day out... I did it as a three which was great fun. 

[petejh]

Depending on the gill allocation between the pair of you - sea-level traverse from south stack to north stack. Could follow it with a fight in Holyhead pub for extra g-narl points.

[webbo]

Try and do something really heroic, a pint in every pub in Otley in a day.

[tomtom]

Both three peaks are fine challenges in their own right. National ones is dominated by the driving and the zig zags on the Ben. The Yorkshire one is fine - and despite doing it on a fine weekend when it was quite busy I enjoyed the experience.

We met (and overtook) quite a few large organised teams on it - but they didn't detract from the experience. I wasn't expecting a day of isolation. It's also worth taking some perspective here that (after chatting to many people doing it) for many it was by far and away the Hardest and most challenging thing they had ever done outdoors. This may well be sniffed at by many here as nothing big - but for them it was and good on them for getting it done.

[tomtom]

As an alternative on Webbos game - when I worked in Aber - we'd do a pub crawl spelling the persons name out in the first letter of each pubs name.

[Will Hunt]

It's also worth taking some perspective here that (after chatting to many people doing it) for many it was by far and away the Hardest and most challenging thing they had ever done outdoors. This may well be sniffed at by many here as nothing big - but for them it was and good on them for getting it done.

That's all very well if you're a muggle from Harehills, but TTT is supposed to be a non-sedentary climber with some experience of the outdoors. We did the Yorkshire three peaks carrying a miniature pool table, cues and balls and had a game on each summit and it was still too easy.