Gear used during the Three Peaks

With the Three Peaks Challenge now well and truely behind us we felt it was worth looking over the key equipment that proved essential when undertaking this challenge. Here is a quick look at the gear we chose when taking on Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon.

Waterproof Jackets  

Berghaus RG1 Waterproof Jacket (Mens)
Ideal for all year-round use, on the hills or around the streets.

Incorporates Aquafoil technology, the RG1 is waterproof and extremely breathable. Features a roll-away hood for easy access to protect from any sudden downpours. Hardwearing but lightweight jacket.





Berghaus Calisto Waterproof Jacket (Womens)

Female version of the RG1. Again, ideal for all year-round use, on the hills or around the streets.

Incorporates Aquafoil technology, the Calisto is  waterproof and extremely breathable. Features a roll-away hood for easy access to protect from any sudden downpours. Hardwearing but lightweight jacket



Trousers

 Berghaus Deluge Waterproof Overtrousers

Ideal for any outdoor lover who wants protection from rain, sleet and snow, without excess weight.

Lightweight yet effective, the Deluge Overtrousers are designed using Berghaus' very own Aquafoil technology (AQ) ensuring they provide hardwearing protection from winter weather over your existing activewear trousers when you need a waterproof cover which is fuss free.

Sprayway Santiago Waterproof Overtrousers (Womens)

If you're seeking a simple no fuss rainpant to provide easy going protection when the weather toughens up, look no further than the Sprayway Santiago Waterproof trousers. Made using a unique 'bombproof' Taslan fabric and a simple no-fuss design, the Santiago Waterproof Trousers are ideal worn alone, over leggings, or as an overtrouser in cold and wet conditions.

With an elasticated waist and internal storm guard as well as a rain gutter, you an face the rain with a smile, whilst the Santiago stay put.

Fleeces

Berghaus Spectrum Micro Half Zip Fleece (Men & Woman)

Lightweight, sporty and warm, the Berghaus Spectrum Micro Half-Zip is ideal for all your outdoor pursuits where comfort is key.

Made using Berghaus' AWL 100 fleece, it is the perfect fleece to grab and go, and thanks to special non-pilling fabric,  as well as having a soft velour touch it's also low maintenance to take care of.

As well as being comfy enough to wear day to day as well as on the hills, the fleece also has function covered too, with a zipped pocket on the chest, you can make sure that if you need your mp3, phone, map or a snack then it will be right at your fingertips.

Craghoppers Corey Microfleece (Men)

Warm and lightweight, the Craghoppers Corey microfleece is perfect for layering, in everyday use and travelling adventures.

The Corey is made from fast drying wash and wear fleece polyester fabric, ensuring precious exploring time isn't wasted as it can be worn straight from your backpack.

Baselayers

Helly Hansen Stripe Crew Baselayer Top (Mens)

The Helly Hansen Stripe Baselayer is a quick wicking baselayer that provides comfort and dryness in a range of activities.

Specifically designed to keep the body dry, this crew top is perfect for intense outdoor activity, whilst the 100% polyester construction ensures this can be cleaned at home with ease. 

Hi-Gear Long Sleeved Baselayer Top
Made in a soft to touch polyester/cotton blend, the seamfree Long Sleeved Baselayer top from Hi Gear is ideal for use during periods of activity in cold environments.


Made without seams,this smooth fabric avoids abrasion and is ideal for all day wearing underneath multiple layers. 

Walking Pole

Hi-Gear Walker Antishock Pole
The Hi Gear Walker Trekking Pole is fitted with comfortable ergonomic rubber grip with an adjustable webbing strap, letting you get the best hold on the pole for maximum comfort and support.

It is also extendable to 135cm and compacts down to 65cm for easy packing in a rucksack or bag.

Hiking Boots

Hi-Tec V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe Wpi (Men & Womens)
Hi-Tec's top of the range hiking boots. The boots feature:
•ion-maskTM hydrophobic technology
•Waterproof full grain leather upper
•One-piece vamp for waterproof durability
•V-Lite metal hardware lacing
•Micro-fibre collar and tongue lining
•V-Lite design and build technology
•Comfort-Tec contoured sockliner
•Stabila-Flex, contoured thermo-plastic bi-fit board
•CMEVA midsole for cushioning and support
•Exclusive Vibram rubber outsole

Hi-Tec V-Lite Rapidtrail Ultra WPi (Men)
Super hiking boot featuring:
•Waterproof Nubuck/Suede Leather and mesh upper
•ion-mask waterproof technology
•TPU heel locking system
•V-Lite Hardware lacing
•Molded rubber toecap and mudguards for protection
•V-Lite design and build technology
•INSOLE
•Comfort-Tec contoured sockliner
•OUTSOLE
•Advanced Stabila-Flex, contoured thermo-plastic bi-fit board
•Exclusive Vibram rubber outsole

We would love to hear if you have tested the same products as well as your thoughts? Full reviews coming soon.

Nearly all our gear was purchased from Go Outdoors but our boots were generously donated to us by Hi-Tec to which we are most grateful.

The Ramblers

At the foot of Ben Nevis - The challenge begins and the smiles start to fade.

Nevis Say Never Again – one Rambler’s thoughts on a return to the UK’s highest peak.

Last October, at almost exactly the same time as this year’s challenge, I undertook my first ever hike up a mountain. Whether out of ignorance, showmanship or blind optimism Ben Nevis was chosen as my first peak. There was no particular reason to this choice although a number of factors did combine to make it a definite favourite - I’d never been to Scotland before, I wanted an excuse to drive a fast car up the motorway and probably the major contributing factor was that my stepdad had asked me if I wanted to fill a space which had come available. A slight sense of dé ja vu here…

We booked ourselves into a bunkhouse nestled at the foot of ‘the Ben’ and set off from Kent at 5am. After a rather exhausting ten hour drive, we stepped out of the lashing wind and rain and into an impromptu céilidh with hot toddies thrust into our hands and hot food in our mouths. To this day I haven’t found anything that beats Scottish hospitality. After some more whiskey and some incredibly awful attempts at taking part in ‘The Dance Of The Gay Gordons’ my stepdad and I found our bunks and attempted to get a good nights rest before tackling the peak the next day.
As I mentioned before, I’d never attempted something like this. I consider myself a fairly fit and sporty person, enjoying the likes of football, squash and cycling on a regular basis. I knew it would be an uphill struggle (apologies for the poor pun) but I still naively didn’t factor in that it was actually a mountain – a real, grown up mountain. In my head it would be just a continuous, fairly steep slope for several hours. This proved to be…inaccurate as we started our ascent just after first light.

We had heard weather reports the previous day of severe gales and showers due in the afternoon, and after a [drunken] conversation with another rambler during the night we’d decided it best to get up and down as soon as we could before the weather closed in. Not knowing what to expect, the first hour of ascent was gruelling. The track initially starts with an incline over fields but this is soon overtaken by large, uneven rocky ‘steps’ which hug the hillside and curve up towards a loch. Finding my rhythm was the most important thing and after an hour I seemed to find it, making me able to appreciate the amazing scenery which was in front of me.
The loch rests at the point where you can decide whether to tackle the arête or take the pony track to the summit. From here you look down over a valley with a distant waterfall and river just visible flowing down from a lesser, but no less impressive, peak. We hoped that with the good weather we could attempt the arête but this was soon put on the back burner as we found the bad weather had found us sooner than planned. In what we later found out were steady 40mph winds gusting up to 90mph, we made our way up to the top.
 

I would go into in-depth analysis and detail of the remaining hour and half but walking up a steep slope offers surprisingly little entertainment save the amazing views and the occasional chuckle at someone slipping over (mainly myself). Three and half hours after we set off, we finished traversing all 1,344m of the rocky beast in a foot of snow and howling winds. We celebrated with a pork pie and half a malt loaf.

It may seem from what I’ve written that my walk up Ben Nevis was at times gruelling and miserable and far harder than anything I’ve done before. All this is true. It is also the most incredible thing I think I’ve done in my life, truly. The sense of achievement upon reaching the peak is incomparable, it defies words. I can only imagine and can’t wait to find out how it feels to do that three times in twenty four hours. (Chris - Rambler)

Singi... Walking in the rain

As I start to write this it appeared that the rain was about to cease, making what i was going to write seem a bit out of tune, but alas it is not so, the heavens have once again opened and from the window I can see huge lumps of water splashing off my car, what is more worrying is that I can also see that I left a window open, back in a moment...

Only minimal dampness so all is ok. Maybe there is a meerkat sorry market for waterproof car seats or interiors? well convertables perhaps, although that would just leave huge puddles of water in the car, so a draining system would be required, just a random thought.

But on to the point at hand, is it popular to go hiking in the rain, and i mean heavy rain like it is now in south Oxforshire? I am not talking about going off hiking when there is still sun in the sky, i mean heading off when it is bucketing it down, i have seen people do it! Would be interesting to know and to find out what gear they take with them, but most importantly why they do it? There is information out there on how to prepare for rain when hiking, The Sideroad and Two-heel Drive offer solutions and SF Hiker examiner tell us how to enjoy it but that was all I could find in my two minute search. Maybe a niche to tap into.

Anyhow, with all the technology and clothing that is now available claiming to be breathable, water and wind proof it would not surprise me to see people going out in all conditions to test out the claims of their new gear. We will be doing the same with our V-Lite boots, putting the ion-mask technology into action but to purely go hiking when it is pouring down still seems a bit out there.

Or maybe it is not, as the weather in the UK now seems to be turning into a pepetual shower perhaps these rain hikers are ahead of the game and are planning for what is about to come. They go hiking in the rain so that on those occasions when sun becomes cloud and cloud turns to drizzle before finally setting into a downpour they can whip out their waterproof gear that they took with them while the rest of us try to shelter under a tree.

So the note to self here is always, no matter what the weather, plan for rain.