Yorkshire 3 Peaks

[johhnyp]

Just done this for the first time ( and last for a while) today on a whim by myself. Route was quiet despite it being summer. I do walk quite a bit, the latest being an 11 days Offa's Dyke a fortnight ago; so I was fairly warmed up as it were.
However this walk hurt; quite a bit. Certainly the toughest one day hike I have done. Having dodgy knees these days doesn't help on this one.
Managed 10hours 20 minutes so not too bad. However getting out of the bath just now proved somewhat problematic as every muscle from the chest down seemed to go into spasm!

[Andy Broadley]

Just done this for the first time ( and last for a while) today on a whim by myself. Route was quiet despite it being summer. I do walk quite a bit, the latest being an 11 days Offa's Dyke a fortnight ago; so I was fairly warmed up as it were.
However this walk hurt; quite a bit. Certainly the toughest one day hike I have done. Having dodgy knees these days doesn't help on this one.
Managed 10hours 20 minutes so not too bad. However getting out of the bath just now proved somewhat problematic as every muscle from the chest down seemed to go into spasm!

Yes, it's quite a walk to do in one day


We did it just over 2 weeks ago. My second go at it, after saying last year that I'd never do it again. Problem is that the human brain is good at editing out how much something hurts after a while, and you end up going back and doing it again (ask any woman who's had more than one baby )


You'll be back

[johhnyp]

And how did the second run stack up against the first?

[yorksgal]

I vowed I would never do it again and bet money on it, albeit a tenner but fair to say I lost the bet 

[Madmax Jnr]

I vowed I would never do it again and bet money on it, albeit a tenner but fair to say I lost the bet 

I wonder what the Y3P is like..........


......IF ONLY THERE WAS A TRIP REPORT I COULD READ 

[Andy Broadley]

And how did the second run stack up against the first?

Hard to make an accurate comparison. First of all I'm slightly fitter this year then last (very slightly), but we also had vastly different conditions. last year was cold, very windy and heavy rain for much of the day. This time was glorious weather. Too hot if anything. It did hurt less this year though and the time was less (13 hrs 25 last year, 11 hrs 38 this year).


Would  do it again? Probably not, but I said that year as well, so.....

[Andy Broadley]

I wonder what the Y3P is like..........


......IF ONLY THERE WAS A TRIP REPORT I COULD READ 

Ah well. Shaun is now sat at home with his foot in pot (suspected busted ankle sustained on Stanage Edge yesterday) so he has no excuse not to do the TR now

[johhnyp]

Surprisingly I am moving ok this morning! I still wont do it again though!
Yea the weather does have an impact. At 7.30 am it was Lord of the Rings time climbing up the nose of Penyghent in zero visibility with absolutely no-one else about. It was boiling on Whernside and blowing a gale on Ingleborough but on balance I had a decent roll of the dice. There is just nowhere barring odd sections early on where you can get a decent head of steam up; other than where you race all those train spotters with cameras along by Blea Moor!

[domtheone]

Would be good to read a TR on this (i'll have a search on these forums later as there's bound to be some older ones).
 
I might do this at some stage (possibly in a month or two, otherwise next year).
 
I've done a couple of tough 8 milers back to back in Edale in quick time (traning for The 3 Peaks Challenge) and The 3 Peaks Challenge a couple of years back.
 
The mileage for the Yorkshire one seems to be a tad more than The 3 Peaks but the total ascent for the Yorkshire one is only half of The 3 Peaks one so i think i'd be able to manage it, just.
 
Having said that, you get a 4 hour rest after each of the Peaks on the national one whereas i'm guessing it's a pretty constant walk (save for pit stops/lunch) on the Yorkshire one...

[johhnyp]

Am still due to do an Offas Dyke report and I guess there will be TRs about as quite a few folk on here have done the 3 peaks.
I guess if you are 30; have working knees and do a lot of walking it is simply a long days hike - when the weather is good.
If any of the above do not apply then it gets progressively harder. The weather was good but my knees aren't and I am nearly twice this age so it was a hardish work on the walk down into Horton.
As people say, the first climb up Penyghent is ok as you are fresh and it is quite picturesque. The walk down is ok too until you get to the track back to Horton ( I would use the new route as the boggy bit seems a waste of time and effort for no real reward early in the walk). The trek over to the base of Whernside is frankly a bit tedious; not being particularly pretty and with a lot of hard tracks/roads. It wears you down slightly.
Whernside is just a steady slog up but coming down is hard on the knees and if it is hot the Hill Inn is a temptation. I stopped for a cooler but forced myself out again after 15 minutes. I started stiffening up at the bottom of Whernside so the walk up to the stairway across Humphrey Bottom was an uncomfortable plod. Not terribly bad just a bit sore. The scramble up to Ingleborough Trig was fairly unpleasant but it is just a bit of pain.
I did not like the walk down into Horton. I was trying to rush to get to the café before it closed but the accelerator pedal wasn't working to well at this stage and the ground is broken and rocky so you cannot really put a sprint on safely. This is where the feet get sore.
It is a long day but goes quickly as you are against the clock to a degree. As always; if the resolve is there it is straightforward; as long as your limbs continue to function properly.
I carried too much stuff. Unless the forecast is horrendous I would just take a light waterproof jacket and accept the rest of you getting wet. No fleeces; first aid etc as you have no time to treat yourself for minor stuff and if it is serious you need help. I took 3 litres of fluid; used 2. There is a tea stop at Ribblehead and the Hill Inn so again a few pounds can be saved. I ate all these energy bars and chocolate and  got stomach pains. Some sort of proper food does help.
I started at 7 am on a Wednesday and I did not see anyone until Ribblehead, from whence it was fairly well populated; so you can decide whether it is a safe enough walk to not take all the normal safety stuff that I personally would take into the hills.
john

[Andy Broadley]

As day walks go, this one is the daddy, and it's worth doing just to be able to say you have. I know people who do it three or four times a year and can't wait to get back and do it again. Each to their own I guess


If you can get mid week out of school holiday periods you will have far fewer people around. Saturdays in the summer tends to be charity walk season (BT had 65 teams of 4 out the day we did it) and can be pretty crowded.


If you have 2 days to spare then it makes for a great 2 day walk.


Base yourself at the Station Inn and Ribblehead (either B&B or camping barn). On day 1 go from there, over Whernside and up Ingleborough. Then, instead of the path back to Horton, take the first path off the summit plateau which takes you over Simon Fell and Park Fell, and back down to Ribblehead again. It's roughly 15 miles, give or take, and a cracking good walk.


Then enjoy a meal (stayed there three times now and can't fault the food), couple of pints (excellent Black Sheep Ale there), good nights sleep and breakfast (which you can book if in Camping barn as well as in B&B).


On the second day, hop on the train from Ribblehead (station is opposite the pub) down to Horton. From there go over Pen Y Gent and back to Ribblehead (about 10 miles I think). The new route avoids the bogs so much easier going and the paths are clear and good underfoot.


You get to do the full Y3P route without the physical extremes of doing it all in one day

[bricam2096]

I've waited so long for a trip report on this, I might go and do the walk on Sunday or the start of next week again. Then copy/paste the TR I did about it a few years back 

[reddo10]

Hello,

I did the Y3P's on Saturday with a time of 7hrs 35mins. It was my first time of this particular challenge and I bloody loved it. Is this a decent time? The only times I can see logged are for runners?

[Peter]

Hello,

I did the Y3P's on Saturday with a time of 7hrs 35mins. It was my first time of this particular challenge and I bloody loved it. Is this a decent time? The only times I can see logged are for runners?

Your time is VERY good. There's a vast range of times for the route, running, walking etc. But they don't all compare directly, different routes are followed.
Might have seen you! What time were you on Whernside?

[johhnyp]

That is a cracking time; almost running pace. I certainly would struggle to do that Well done