A Word To The Wise.............
If you intend to do the challenge then I can offer a few tips that you won't necessarily find in the UK Outdoor Pursuits literature, and some points that are in the manual but which are very important and worth emphasising.
Fitness
I came to the challenge as a reasonably fit
42 year old who hadn't done any regular fell walking since my
early 20s, a time when I was living in easy reach of the Lake
District. I run 3-6 miles three times a week and swim 1 Km once a
week, but this is just core fitness, it is no substitute for real
mountains, you use the same muscles but in different ways.
Anybody not used to the mountains will find it hard. I heard a
story about a vicar who took part and trained by running up and
down the steps of the bell tower in his church. The initial
reaction is to laugh, but thinking about it after the event it
was probably equally important as my cross country hikes of 20-25
miles in full pack that I used to test my endurance. There is
nowhere remotely as steep as Ben Nevis in Bedfordshire where I
live, but if you know of an accessible bell tower or any long
stretch of steps it could be well worth investigating. Snowdon is
not too steep overall, Scafell Pike has some very steep bits but
also stretches that are less so, Ben Nevis is a well established
rocky path that is very steep for 75% of the way, you do it last,
it takes the longest, and you won't have had much sleep.
Kit
There is a good list of items in the UK
Outdoor Pursuits guide, but the quality of certain items is more
vital than others. Your rucksack must be reliable, probably worth
spending a few extra quid. I used an old and rather battered
frame rucksack, which saw me through but in hindsight I wouldn't
risk it again, the design was cumbersome and the straps worn and
twisted. If you decide to get a new one beware the cut price
version, with most things you get what you pay for. At one point
on the way up Snowdon a strap on the rucksack of the person
walking in front of me came away, the stitching had split so only
one shoulder strap was of any use. I don't know what became of
the young woman concerned but I would not have attempted to
ascend Scafell Pike or Ben Nevis with one hand holding my
rucksack, or with half a rucksack swinging free to upset my
balance.
The only facilities at the Llanberis base camp are a First Aid tent, a snack bar and the checking in point that records your start and finish time. Unless you want to hang around for hours waiting for it to get light you will ascend Snowdon in darkness. A good robust waterproof torch with spare batteries and bulb are essential. I was fortunate in that somebody had got me such an item for Christmas, this was the first time it had been used in anger. The path up Snowdon is on the whole pretty good but there are cliffs not too far away in places, so to ensure you don't wander off the edge of something steep you must have a torch.
Unless you pay a fortune for fancy Gortex gear that 'breathes' your waterproofs will keep the water out but also keep the water in. It's all down to your budget really. Fell walking by its nature is strenuous and you will sweat, but at least it's a warm dampness which creeps up very slowly and won't be a problem unless you get cold. I didn't actually realise how wet I was on the inside until I took my raingear off in the coach after coming down from Scafell Pike. You just have to accept it is part and parcel of the experience. You may be lucky, it may not rain, but you are in the wettest part of England as well as the highest.
A selfish tip, this is easier to achieve if you travel alone. If you get very wet you need to get yourself dry as soon as possible so you're in good shape for the next climb and you might even grab a bit of sleep on the coach. One of those inflatable cushions that go round your neck are useful if you want to sleep on a coach. A lot of coaches have the heating system situated around the perimeter wall about a foot off the floor, warm air exudes from a sort of narrow grill. For drying purposes therefore make sure you get a window seat so you have direct access to the heat source. All my gear, even my boots, were perfectly dry by the time we reached the Highlands. It's amazing high much warm dry gear lifts the flagging spirits.
Mobile phones, no guarantee they will work on the mountains but if you don't mind the extra weight I did see somebody successfully making a call from the summit of Ben Nevis.
Food and Drink
I didn't realise how important a hot drink would
be until I was halfway up a mountain feeling cold and wet. You
warm up from the inside, it's a marvellous feeling. Worth
spending a bit extra on an unbreakable lightweight metal flask. I
didn't find the experience conducive to eating large quantities
of food, energy or muesli type bars to keep you topped up were
best, at a fairly solid 13 Stone I also have plenty of reserves.
You may be different. Do take a supply of your favourite sweets
to suck at less strenuous moments, I found sherbets fruits
particularly pleasant. Don't expect any cooked food, although
some of the literature suggested such a luxury might be
available, it wasn't. Any food supplied by the organisers is
likely to be of the packed lunch variety, best to pick out the
bits you like and put anything in secure packaging in your
rucksack for when you really want it. Don't try and have a hot
drink on a moving coach, it can be lethal when gear changes or
sudden braking occurs. It happened to me on a school bus when I
was a lad, I've never forgotten.
And Finally....
Don't expect to enjoy the experience at the time,
it is no picnic, a lot depends on the weather, but rain or shine
it will be a slog and any chinks in your physical or
psychological armour will be exposed. Afterwards as you enjoy
your cup of tea after coming off Ben Nevis you'll feel you've
really done something, however it's unlikely you'll want to do it
again.