The Three Peaks Challenge is a rite of passage for many in the British hiking community, and we can understand why. It’s a true mark of endurance that will give you bragging rights over your friends when you are next in your local pub.
But what does it entail? Put simply, to complete the Three Peaks Challenge you need to summit the highest mountain in Scotland (Ben Nevis, 1,344m), England (Scafell Pike, 978m) and Wales (Snowdon, 1,085m) within a 24 hour window. This includes all of your driving, eating and hiking so it’s easy to see why not everyone manages it.
To help give you the best shot at success, we’ve worked with students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s BSc Personal Training course to develop a 12 week training plan. Every week for the next three months we will be posting up the next seven days of the plan so you can follow along with the training.
The summit of Ben Nevis (Photo: Martin_vmorris)
This template has been chosen under the belief that every person attempting the program will have access to the space needed to perform both the resistance training as well as the cardiovascular activities without any equipment or even a membership to a training facility. Therefore, the use of machines is not needed to complete this plan.
The idea behind using only your own bodyweight as well as your rucksack is that you are performing movements that will benefit the actual event. Our training plan is based on the idea that an individual’s core strength and stability will directly relate to their success in this challenge. We have included exercises that will develop the core of your body as well as accessory muscles that will make life easier when you’re on the inclines of the mountains. This guide also includes hints, advice and nutrition information to get you through the hard times and teach you to conserve your energy in the easier moments.
If need be, the plan can be modified according to your own lifestyle with regards to which sessions are performed on which days of the week. The following weekly plans are just a suggestion. To get you started, here’s week one. A video demonstrating the exercises needed for the bodyweight circuit can be found below the following infographic.
Video: How to perform the bodyweight circuit
Three Peaks Challenge training plan navigation
Tips for success
This programme offers guidelines to assist you in successfully completing the Three Peaks Challenge. When applying yourself to the programme, you may find some of the challenges too easy or too hard to begin with. Listen to your own body and understand your physical capabilities, if needed adapt the guidelines to your level and make it more specific to your personal needs.
Adventure Travel’s Three Peaks Challenge training plan has been designed by students from the BSc Personal Training course at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. You can find out more about the course by following this link.