Charity fundraising teams
The most common reason for doing the Three Peaks. Teams often include people new to mountain walking, so a realistic timetable, a warm vehicle and space to rest matter more than a fast finish.
Minibus hire with driver
Three peaks challenge minibus hire with a driver who stays with the group from the foot of Ben Nevis, through the night to Wasdale for Scafell Pike and on to Snowdonia for Yr Wyddfa, so walkers can eat, change and sleep between the summits while someone else handles about 450 miles of road.
The National Three Peaks Challenge means climbing the highest mountain in each of three nations: Ben Nevis above Fort William, Scafell Pike at the head of Wasdale in the western Lake District, and Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Snowdonia. Many groups set themselves the target of finishing all three within 24 hours, and others spread it over two or three days.
It is a driving challenge as much as a walking one. The road between the three start points is roughly 450 miles, and the time behind the wheel usually adds up to around ten hours or more, much of it at night. That is about the same as the time spent on the mountains, which is why the vehicle and the driver matter so much to whether the day works.
A minibus with a driver turns those road hours into recovery time. Walkers come off Ben Nevis, eat, change into dry clothes and sleep while the vehicle heads south. The driver knows where to stop for fuel and toilets, how the last miles into Wasdale behave in the dark and where to set down at Pen-y-Pass or Llanberis.
This page covers the national route, not the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which is a one-day walk from a single valley.
The usual starting points for challenge groups. Parking rules change, so check before you travel.
Each mountain has one start that most challenge teams use, chosen because it gives the shortest realistic route to the top and a place for a vehicle to wait.
Wasdale is the start that needs the most care. The valley is small and quiet, the lane beside Wast Water is narrow, and people live there. Challenge groups arriving in the early hours should keep voices low, close doors gently and take every bit of litter home. We plan to arrive and leave without blocking the road.
The Mountain Track, sometimes called the Pony Track, is the standard route. Most teams start from the visitor centre car park in Glen Nevis, a few minutes from Fort William.
Common pickups: Glen Nevis visitor centre, Achintee, Fort William town centre.
The shortest route starts near the head of Wast Water, reached by lanes from Gosforth on the A595. Seathwaite in Borrowdale is a longer alternative from the other side.
Common pickups: Wasdale Head, Wast Water, Seathwaite, Borrowdale.
The Pyg Track and Miners' Track start at Pen-y-Pass, where parking is limited and may need booking ahead. The Llanberis Path, longer but steady, starts in Llanberis village.
Common pickups: Pen-y-Pass, Llanberis, Nant Peris.
Approximate road times in normal conditions, with walking times for a fit group. Allow more for traffic, roadworks and rest stops.
Most teams go north to south: Ben Nevis first, then Scafell Pike overnight, and Yr Wyddfa last. Starting in Scotland means the longest leg is driven while the group sleeps, and the final mountain is in Wales, within reach of the motorways for the journey home. Some groups reverse it to suit where they live, and we can plan either way.
The legs are long but straightforward until the last few miles. The road south from Fort William follows the A82 past Glencoe and Loch Lomond to Glasgow, then the M74 and M6 to the edge of Cumbria. The final approach to Wasdale is on narrow, winding lanes. The run into Wales uses the M6 and M56, then the A55 along the north coast before the climb through the mountains to Pen-y-Pass.
| Destination | Road time (approx.) | Why groups go |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Nevis, up and down | About 4 to 5 hours walking | The longest climb of the three, from almost sea level in Glen Nevis. |
| Fort William to Wasdale Head | About 5 to 6 hours driving | Down the A82 and the motorways, then lanes from the west Cumbrian coast. |
| Scafell Pike, up and down | About 3 to 4 hours walking | Shorter but rocky near the top, often climbed in the dark. |
| Wasdale Head to Pen-y-Pass | About 4 to 5 hours driving | Back to the M6, then south past Chester and along the North Wales coast. |
| Yr Wyddfa, up and down | About 3 to 4 hours walking | The busiest mountain of the three, especially on summer weekends. |
These times add up to most of a 24-hour attempt before any delays. We build in rest stops and tell you when quoting how we would plan the driving.
Often, yes. Drivers' hours rules limit how long one person can drive and how long they can be on duty before a break or a rest. A 24-hour challenge, with the run to Fort William beforehand and the journey home afterwards, can easily go beyond what one driver can do. When that happens, the answer is either a second driver or a planned rest built into the itinerary.
We work this out from your actual plan rather than a rule of thumb. Where the group is starting from, when it wants to begin on Ben Nevis, and whether it is aiming for 24 hours or a more relaxed pace all change the answer. We confirm the driver arrangement when quoting, so there are no surprises on the day.
A planned rest can suit the group as well as the driver. Teams that split the challenge over two days often stop overnight in the Lake District or near Fort William, which means fresher legs on the next mountain and a daylight climb instead of a night one. For a charity group with mixed fitness, that version is usually safer and more enjoyable.
Most Three Peaks teams fall into one of these. The route is the same; the planning differs.
Most teams take on the challenge between late spring and early autumn, when the days are longest and the mountain paths are clear of snow. Midsummer Saturdays are the busiest, so avoid them if you can.
The most common reason for doing the Three Peaks. Teams often include people new to mountain walking, so a realistic timetable, a warm vehicle and space to rest matter more than a fast finish.
Minibus hire with driverBusinesses use the challenge as a team-building event, sometimes with two or three vehicles setting off together. We can collect from the office or a hotel the evening before.
Corporate travelExperienced club members often chase a faster time, which means tighter changeovers at each car park and food ready to eat as soon as the walkers are back in their seats.
Sports team travelBirthdays, memorial walks and personal goals. These groups often prefer the two-day version, with a night's sleep in a bed between Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa.
Family travelAn example for a charity team of 14 travelling up from Manchester. Every group's times will differ.
Most 24-hour teams start on Ben Nevis in the late afternoon or early evening. That puts the long drive south in the night, Scafell Pike around dawn or in the dark, and Yr Wyddfa in daylight the next day. The clock usually starts when the first walker leaves the Glen Nevis car park.
Collection from Manchester in the morning and a drive of about six hours to Fort William, with a stop on the way. An overnight stay near Glen Nevis gives the group a proper sleep.
The team starts up the Mountain Track. The driver rests, then has the minibus ready with the heating on and hot drinks to hand.
Back at the car park, a quick change and something to eat, and the minibus heads south down the A82 while the group sleeps.
Arrival at Wasdale Head, quietly. Head torches on and the team sets off for Scafell Pike.
Back down, breakfast in the minibus and the drive to North Wales, with a fuel and toilet stop on the motorway.
Set-down at Pen-y-Pass or Llanberis. The team climbs Yr Wyddfa and the driver moves to the finish point.
The last walker finishes, the clock stops, and the group heads home or to a hotel for the night.
Glasgow Airport is the usual choice for starting at Ben Nevis, about two and a half hours from Fort William by road. Manchester Airport suits the finish, about two hours from Llanberis.
Teams flying in from abroad or from the south often land in Glasgow, are collected at arrivals and taken up the A82 past Loch Lomond and Glencoe to Fort William. Arriving the day before the challenge, rather than the same morning, gives a margin for delayed flights and a night's rest before Ben Nevis.
At the end, Manchester has the widest choice of flights and is reached along the A55 and the M56. Liverpool Airport is a similar distance from Snowdonia. After a day like this, most groups book a hotel near the airport rather than catching an evening flight.
The 16 seater minibus is the size most challenge groups book, but not always for 16 people. A team of 10 to 12 in a 16 seater has room to stretch out and sleep on the long legs, with space for wet waterproofs, boots and food. A full 16 with rucksacks is possible but cramped for a night on the road.
Smaller teams of six or seven often travel in an 8 seater MPV, which is comfortable and easy on the Wasdale lanes. For groups of up to 12, a 12 seater minibus works well. Bigger teams usually split across two vehicles rather than use a 24 seater minibus or a coach, because the last miles into Wasdale and the parking at Pen-y-Pass are much easier with smaller vehicles.
Good for: Charity and company teams of 10 to 14 with full kit, who want room to rest between mountains.
The challenge passes through or close to these places, and many teams start from them.
Because the challenge crosses three nations, it links up with several of our other areas. Teams from central Scotland often begin in Glasgow or Stirling, and many from the north-west of England start in Manchester or Chester. Some groups add a few days in the Highlands or the Lakes before or after the challenge.
Both work with a minibus and a driver. The right choice depends on the group, not the target.
The 24-hour version is the famous one and the hardest to plan. Spreading it over two or three days removes most of that pressure and is often the better choice for a mixed group.
Everyone is mountain fit.. The team has climbed big hills recently and can keep a steady pace for three ascents with little sleep.
The goal is the time.. Sponsors or club members expect the 24-hour target, and the group accepts a night climb on Scafell Pike.
Experienced leaders are walking.. Someone in the group can navigate in the dark and in cloud, and knows when to turn back.
Fitness varies.. One slow walker on Ben Nevis can push the whole timetable back, and the drive cannot make the time up safely.
The forecast is poor.. Wind, rain and cloud on the tops make night walking on rocky ground slower and riskier.
Driver hours are tight.. A rest stop in the Lakes overnight can mean one driver instead of two, and a calmer trip for everyone.
Approximate road times for the journeys either side of the challenge. Allow longer on summer weekends.
The challenge itself is only part of the driving. Getting to Fort William from England takes most of a day, and the journey home from North Wales comes at the end of a very long one. We plan both into the same booking, so the driver's hours and rest are counted across the whole trip.
The A82 along Loch Lomond and over Rannoch Moor to Glencoe.
Up the M74 to Glasgow, then the A82 north.
The M6 and M74 all the way to Glasgow, with a stop on the way.
The A55 along the coast, the quickest way out of North Wales.
The A55, then the M56 past Chester.
The vehicle is your changing room, kitchen and bedroom for a day. Pack for that.
Bring two full changes of clothes each, one main bag in the luggage space and a small day bag at the seat. The group is responsible for its own navigation, clothing and safety on the hills. The driver looks after the vehicle, the road and the timings, and keeps it ready at each car park, but does not walk with the group or lead it.
At least one climb is likely to be in darkness, and Wasdale has no street lights at all.
A bag for wet kit keeps the seats dry. Soaked boots after Ben Nevis rarely dry by Scafell Pike.
Sandwiches, wraps, fruit and flasks for between mountains. There is little open in the small hours along the route.
Sleep on the long legs makes a real difference to the next climb.
Mobile signal is patchy in Glen Nevis, Wasdale and parts of Snowdonia, so agree pickup times before each climb.
Roughly 450 miles between the three start points, which usually means around ten hours or more of driving, before the journeys to Fort William and home.
It often does. Drivers' hours rules mean longer challenges may need two drivers or a planned rest. We work it out from your plan and confirm it when quoting.
Most teams start at Ben Nevis and finish on Yr Wyddfa, so the longest drive is overnight and the end is near the motorways. We can plan it the other way if it suits your start point.
Yes. The lane beside Wast Water is narrow, so we approach from Gosforth and keep to minibuses rather than coaches. The Hardknott and Wrynose passes are not used.
Most use the Mountain Track from the visitor centre car park in Glen Nevis, just outside Fort William.
Usually, but parking there is limited and the arrangements change, so check before you travel. The Llanberis Path from Llanberis village is the other common start, and we confirm the set-down when planning.
Yes. We meet the group at the station or at Glasgow Airport and take you to your hotel or straight to Glen Nevis.
Ten to 12 is comfortable, with room to sleep and store wet kit. See the 16 seater minibus for details.
Yes. The minibus and driver stay with the team for the whole challenge, waiting at each car park and driving between the mountains.
No. The driver looks after the vehicle, the road and the timings. The group is responsible for its own navigation and safety on the mountains.
Send your start town, the date, the number of walkers and whether you are aiming for 24 hours or a longer pace. We will reply with a vehicle, the driver plan and a quote. For other long journeys, see nationwide travel.