Mount Snowdon, Scafell pike and Ben Nevis. The tallest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland, and are three mountains that everybody should climb at least once.
Recently, me and the wife attempted to climb all three, one after another, in three days. Its something we tried before, but the weather conditions (and a hellish walk up Scafell) meant we cut it a day short, and only climbed two out of the three.
This time, however, I succeed. Three mountains, three countries, three days, and it was bloody tough going.
We live in Scotland, and therefore it made sense to end the trip in Scotland, which meant starting at the furthest point, which was Wales (Mount Snowdon). The point where most people end their journey.
Day 1: What is Snowdon like?
Mount Snowdon is a pretty easy walk. There's a very well defined path and a gentle incline the entire way, with a cafe at the bottom, middle and top.
When we completed it, the weather was fantastic the entire way up, with only a little cloud cover at the top obscuring the final view.
Then came the drive to Scafell Pike... which was horrendous! As soon as we came off the motorway, and began driving through the lake district, the fog rolled in and we ended up on some single track road with no visibility. But we made it to our hotel, and that was it for the night.
Day 2: Scafell Pike
Emma went into scafell, already hating it. Our last attempt at the mountain was an experience to say the least. But this time, the sky was clear and the weather was warm, and most importantly, it was dry!
But that didn't stop the river from running fast down the mountain, washing over the 'stepping stones' that were in place, and this is where it fell apart for Em. The only way to get across the water is to take off your boots, and wade through the icy cold rapids. Its bloody freezing, and deep in parts. The rest of the route is pretty ok. A little rough underfoot at times, and a little steep, but all in all, easy enough to get up and down on. As with Snowdon, the weather was pretty good the entire way to the top, with it just been a little foggy and a little windy at the summit.
Day 3: Britain's tallest mountain Day three brought with it Ben Nevis. Now Id climbed the other two mountains before and knew what to expect, but never completed Nevis.
Nevis was, well it was challenging.
The first two hundred meters from the car park are deceivingly easy. That's because you haven't started climbing yet, and when you do, boy do you start to climb. Hundreds of thousands of boots, and constant repair have made the path well worn and stable under foot. Now maybe its because we were tired, or maybe the route really is that long, but the winding path seemed to go on forever! Every time we reached a turn, there was another, and every time we reached that point you cant see past, there was more trail to walk. And the closer to the top we got, the colder, windier and wetter it became.
Ben Nevis was tough, and getting to the top was an achievement (And also where I enjoyed the tastiest, and coldest Budweiser I'd ever drank.
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