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.

Scafell Pike: A second chance...

The wind whipped up the valley from the head of the magnificent body of Wast Water and the OS map i was holding fluttered like a terrified bird in my hands. I searched it for some clue as to the next step to take on my second attempt to reach the top of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. At less than 1000 metres above sea level it’s not a particularly imposing mound but the lack of pathways and the steep incline at the peak makes it more of a challenge than the relatively short stature suggests.

The point at which I stood was within ten square metres of the spot at which I called off my first attempt to climb the Pike. That time I couldn’t see ten metres in front of me as the cold October rain drove into my face and the low cloud obscured the land. That walk was curtailed by various factors; injured knees, aggressive weather and the fact that we’d only just finished climbing Ben Nevis and had Snowdon yet to come. This time, I was focused on the one mountain and I had no intention of being beaten again.

Setting off up the valley

The path from Wast Water isn’t clear but by following a brook up the valley we were able to keep our place on the map. Steep screes rise dramatically on either side of the valley, ushering the hiker along until the flat basin rises sharply into the sky from whence waterfalls tumble down impossible heights. After an exhausting slog up the sodden mossy incline we reached Turnaround Buttress as it shall now be known to me. This time, with dry weather and eight eager companions I suggested we do some scrambling in the direction we knew we had to go rather than concern ourselves with  finding a path.


We set off up the rocky buttress, climbing over boulders and grassy mounds, with the occasional call of “Below!” ringing out as the face came free under grabbing hands and scrambling feet. No injuries were suffered by falling debris but one member came close to a 127 Hours moment as a large boulder sailed past his arm. After another 15 minutes of climbing we saw three hikers, two adults roped to a child. We looked about wondering which of us should be roped up and possibly who we’d least like to be tied to. The fellow hikers were descending a path from the summit and informed us they didn’t feel it was safe to attempt the peak with their infant. Using the path and various levels of geography education we could once again find our place on the map, a great relief indeed.



We followed the rocky path for a further 20 minutes before stopping for lunch. It’s an unusual path which occasionally tumbled down over rock faces which required scaling and across streams with slippery stepping stones.



The path becomes less clear

Finally we reached the promised screes. Loose rocks punctuated by snow-filled holes waiting to aid an ankle sprain stretched out above us. We set off, leaving significant gaps between each scrambler to avoid any rock-fall related injury. It was hard work and I was unable to have any real confidence in the surface beneath me; the jovial conversation which had flown about up to now froze in the bone-stabbing cold as the wind picked up. My Hi-Tec Altitude Ultra boots are fully waterproof and warm, the sole provides good grip and the ankle support helped enormously, they were finally getting the treatment they had been made for and standing up to the test admirably. I felt for the members of the team boasting urban hooves and the one clown in shorts. Some temporary respite was afforded us at a short plateau before the final climb.

We climbed through the cloud bank and over giant slabs of rock until finally we reached the summit with it’s rock mound. There we were: standing on top of Scafell Pike. In jubilation the nine of us danced about on the top of the mountain like celebrating pagan peons. A bottle of Scotch was passed about to accompany some wolfishly eaten snacks. After a few moments we succumbed to the exposure on the peak and pointed our boots back the way we had come. The descent was a hairy one, slipping and sliding down rocky snow-banks on our backsides while clinging to anything and everything to control the speed. Having offered my gloves to a friend whose hands had become numb in the wind, I suffered when attempting to use my palms as brake pads. Though it hurt I was able to prevent myself cartwheeling off the side of the mountain. The adrenaline pumping noisily past my ears made the danger no more than an exciting challenge, but looking back we really should have taken some precautions. Or an ice axe.

Alex and Ryan scramble up the final, treacherous section

As snow and rock became grass and bog I felt satisfied that I’d climbed the smallest but most difficult of the Three Peaks.

At times it felt like we’d bitten off more than we were capable of chewing and it turned out that our route should only be scrambled in summer, not during the harsh back end of winter. Risks were taken but no serious injuries or ailments were suffered. Once again we’d escaped to the natural world, found it almost empty of people but full of dangerous beauty and enriching experiences.

The route back down, eding along rock faces (Images: Luke Doyle)

Hiker Hugh

Walking in Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor – The Last Hike before the Challenge Begins!

Our last practice walk before the big day and we headed out into the Oxford countryside once again in search of those hidden footpaths and bridleways that offer a glimpse of rural Oxfordshire. We decided on the network of routes in and around Sandford Pit and Parsonage Moor.

Once again the weather was pleasant, if a little on the cold side, and I got the chance to try out my new fleece for the first time (this may not sound exciting but it’s good to know I won’t be shivering by the time we get two thirds of the way up Ben Nevis). Almost immediately we came upon Sandford Pit, which opened out into an oasis of calm with a lily-covered pool at one end, surrounded on all sides by sandy slopes with thick vegetation at the top.

Sandford Pit from above

It was one of the first times on these walks that I felt entirely cut off from the surrounding world, which although fleeting, was an enjoyable experience.

As this was new territory for us we had no definite route in mind so we chose instead to let the routes guide us, which enabled us to be flexible in our approach. The most surreal moment without doubt was when we came upon an area of forest with several large ramps in it. We quickly decided that it must be used by BMX riders and thought little more of it. However, as we moved deeper into the woods things became even more curious as we discovered more and more ramps and about 30 empty bottles of antifreeze. Just to (ahem) ramp up the tension even more we rounded a bend and found ourselves face to face with a hand carved totem pole and skull-like carving.

A conservative estimate would say that in that relatively small area there were in excess of 35 ramps of varying sizes forming an intricate and complex circuit designed (I assume) for very skilled and experience BMX riders. The antifreeze would stop the track from becoming frosted with ice and so treacherous. We all came away with the feeling that we’d just seen something quite special, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be someone waiting to drop in vertically from the starting ramp and then have to take on such a demanding course.

Just one section of course

As we moved further into the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside we found ourselves out of the wind and able to take in the pastoral scenes that surrounded us. Greig even kept us informed of the potential pitfalls and possible dangers of doing the three peaks. Thanks to a quirky book written about the challenge, I have found out that one of the symptoms of hyperthermia is ‘death’. I’m not sure if there’s a cure for such a symptom but the book didn’t seem to offer any suggestions.

So there we were approaching the end of our last practice walk as ‘amateur’ hikers and we all looked particularly attractive in our new ‘Rambling Hikers 2010’ custom beanies (my personal favourite is Rach’s pink one and am slightly jealous that I didn’t choose that colour).

 

   

Greig & Iain



Rachel & Greig

And so we waved goodbye (not literally) to Parsonage Moor and took several faltering steps towards this weekend’s epic walk. 26 miles up and down the three highest mountains in the UK…..I can’t wait to get started. (Iain - hiker)

You can see all our pictures from this walk on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rambling-Hikers/135758203132272

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)

Preamble to the Ramble (Taking on Snowdon)

Earlier this year five friends and I took temporary ownership of a cottage nestled at the foot of Mount Snowdon. There was a lot more to the trip than a fairly routine ascent and descent of Wales’s tallest rock formation and the following words are part of a much larger piece. However, for the sake of pertinence I’ve edited out all the in-jokes, cross references and vulgarity which leaves only the hiking in purest form.

Lessons learnt from this trip:
• Dry feet are worth more than gold
• Scotch atop a mountain is about as good as it gets
• Being over-equipped makes one look a fool

Tackling The Tomb:
The Pyg Track is one of three main routes to the summit of the mount; the first, The Miner's Trail is a long winding route, through the valley with a steep incline at the end, considered rather boring. The other option open to us was Cryb Goch, a path along a horseshoe ridge leading to the peak, the path is about 3 feet wide with enormous drops either side. In the forecasted windy conditions, it was agreed that this might be a bit beyond us. So we opted for the Pyg; somehow a path had been hewn into the rock and a giant's staircase of well placed rocks provided a steep and exhausting path straight up the side of the south face. Randall was lagging behind, probably due to his carrying a small reservoir in his pack. Adam marched on ahead looking distinctly like his father, wearing his new boots, thick woolly socks pulled high and, remarkably, shorts. Eventually the path levelled out and we saw the first of many lakes deep in the valley below us. What appeared to be a colourful ant trail winding along beneath us was a horde of the unambitious walking along the flat path of the Miner's Trail. Our path began to grow steeper and before long we needed to use our hands to clamber over rough steps too big for human legs.

Looking down on the Miner's Trail and reservoir

Walking into the clouds

We ate our brilliantly prepared packed lunch on a rocky outcrop looking over a blue-black pond and looked back at our progress - the landscape rolled away behind us. White snow on black granite to our right and yellow-green grass to the left, there was no hint of any civilisation as far as the eye could see and this was exactly what I'd hoped for when the idea of this trip first appeared. Tucking into my lunch of Spanish ham sandwiches, tracker bars and a Capri sun I was conscious of what a great moment I was living; the company was excellent, the air clean and my feet dry.

The gradient increased and we found ourselves venturing into the clouds. The temperature dropped considerably as we approached the 3500 foot mark. Snowdon has been described as the busiest mountain in the UK and we saw this first hand when we were trapped in a bottle neck.

Left to right: Luke, Adam, Randall, Hugh, Ryan and Marcos

Heavy winter snowfall hadn't been given a chance to melt in the year's first quarter and the single file track through it yielded rare passing places to allow us to get past those already descending from the mountain top. "What's it like up there?" I asked a weather beaten bloke with two ski-poles, "Cold” he said

“You don't want to up there long but..." his words trailed off in the wind as his marching took him beyond audible distance. Ski poles, I thought, they must be the trick to speed. Standing in the queue we witnessed one climber in a bright orange coat took an ice axe from his pack and attempted to make his own path. Quite why he brought such extreme equipment to an amateur’s mountain like this, I don't know. He stumbled about in deep snow for a bit, hacking at the ice like Trotsky's assassin before half walking half falling back into line, red face and hopefully embarrassed. Eventually we got passed the blockage and we didn't have to make fools of ourselves in doing so. The end was now in sight; we marched the last few sections and arrived.

For that brief moment we were the highest band of miscreants in all of Wales. We celebrated with the usual photos, some scotch which went some way to warm us up and the remains of our lunch. Mr Ski-Poles had been right, it was bitterly cold and we were soon on our way back into the shelter of the ridge for our descent.

Plaque at the summit

The idea of achieving the highest spot in a region and getting the top is as old as history, but taking a step back from the activity it is a bizarre concept. Perhaps human evolutionary progress means that for the lucky minority in the first world, survival is no longer a challenge so we seek to compete with nature in other ways. The idea of a chimpanzee climbing the highest tree in the jungle for no other reason than self-satisfaction and to be able to tell his pals is ridiculous - but it's not far removed from what the entire weekend had been planned around. That and an enormous (hopefully) dinner at the pub followed by lashings of locally brewed ale (and J2O for Marcos).

The descent was uneventful, and was taken at less of a charge. We stopped at a lake for Luke to take some stunning photographs and Ryan to prove himself as the worst skimmer of stones in the history of opposable thumbs. While Adam, Marcos and Randall boasted records in excess of 15 bounces Ryan managed 3, on one occasion.

The descent

Our return route was the Miner's Trail; the path winding gently through the valley vindicated our decision to ascend via the more challenging Pyg Track. We stepped back into basecamp after four or five hours walking and talking; a successful trek into the clouds. (Hugh - Rambler)

Snowdonia National Park
All photos provided courtesy of Luke Doyle

Choosing the boots for the job

A lot of research can go into selecting a new item of clothing and footwear or anything else for that matter. You look online, find what you like then spend another 30 minutes or so looking at other websites to see if you can find it cheaper anywhere else. Then you maybe go to the store and try them on there before deciding to buy online and by the time all that is done they don't have your size/colour anyway... and so it goes on.

So when it comes to choosing the correct type of hiking boots for our 24hr Three Peaks challenge it could have become a long and arduous process for each of us. Deliberation was done on whether looks or comfort was more important, but in the end all our problems were solved thanks to Hi-Tec who have very kindly kitted our hiking party out with their top two selling hiking boots, the V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi, the V-Lite Rapidtrail Ultra WPi for the men and for the lady in our team the V-Lit Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi, we are all very grateful to Hi-Tec for this.

The V-Lite Altitude Ultra Luxe WPi's won the Which Best Buy for walking boots (May 2010), so we are in the best of company when taking on this challenge. All that remains is to get out there to test and review them... but is a shame to get them dirty, or is it?

All the hiking boots that we are reviewing and testing have ion-mask technology added to them, which makes them extremely hydrophobic and dirt repellent. So it is time to put them to the test. All that is left to sort out is the remainder of our kit! (Greig - Rambler)