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3 Peaks Challenge

Due to an overwhelming demand in 2009, we will run 3 x 3 Peaks Challenges in 2010. Once you have selected the dates that best suit for you, you are unable to swap between Challenges. All three challenges are approximately half full already, so we suggest signing up ASAP to avoid disappointment.

Dates for 2010 are as follows:

• CHALLENGE 1:   2 - 4 July 2010 (in partnership with Breast Cancer Campaign)
• CHALLENGE 2:   23 - 25 July 2010
• CHALLENGE 3:   10 - 12 Sept 2010 (in partnership with Breast Cancer Campaign)

The 3 Peaks Challenge is to climb the 3 highest peaks in the UK in a 24 hour period. 

• Scotland - Ben Nevis at 1,343m
• England - Scafell Pike at 978m
• Wales - Snowdon at 1,085m

BMF have been successfully managing 3 Peaks Challenges for many years now. As with all BMF Challenge events, they have proved to be an exciting and challenging experience - even life changing for some! To complete a 3 Peaks Challenge is a huge achievement, and all those that take part go home with stories to tell and an experience to be very proud of.

What is included in the BMF Package?

The BMF 3 Peaks Challenge is an all-inclusive package. We provide everything for you to safely complete the Challenge - from transport to mountain guides, safety briefings and support teams, all meals and required accommodation needs, and an amazing experience! Please see a more detailed list below of what is included in our package:-

• Qualified BMF Mountain Leader Instructors to walk all three peaks with you and your team. All our BMF instructors are serving or former members of the armed forces with recognised fitness qualifications. All Instructors on our 3 Peaks Challenge also hold recognised Mountain Leading qualifications and are experienced in the conditions and environments that you will face on the Challenge. Your Instructor will act as a guide and safety back-up along the way and also be in radio communication with our support management team.
• Support Management Team at the base of all three mountains who are in constant communication with your designated Mountain Leader and mountain rescue contacts where necessary. They will also prepare food and drinks for you at the completion of each mountain.
• Event Management Team who will liaise with you in the months leading up to the Challenge, sending out all required information, packing lists, required kit lists, allocate you to teams of similar walking and strength abilities, organise your transport between the mountains and your accommodation for Night 1, organise catering and required safety items, complete all administration side of the event including payments and your paperwork, and complete all required logistics for the event prior to arrival on the Challenge.
• Training Days are organised prior to the Challenge, and it is highly recommended that EVERYONE attends at least 1 of the offered training days. They are at an additional cost to the Challenge, and you will find more detail on these days further down this page. 
• Transport between all Three Peaks on the Challenge on 16 seat mini buses, each with 2 qualified and designated drivers to ensure your safety throughout the Challenge
• Transfers from Glasgow International Airport on Friday to the accommodation in Fort William on minibuses, and also from the base of Snowdon on Sunday morning back to London on a coach.
• Accommodation for Friday night in Fort William where you will attend a compulsory event safety briefing, eat dinner and sleep. The Accommodation a is simple but suitable youth hostel located only a short drive from the first mountain.
• A Safety Briefing is held on Friday evening at the accommodation as is compulsory for all to attend. At this briefing you will meet the rest of your team and be introduced to your Mountain Leader that will complete the Challenge with you and your team.
• Meals for the duration of the Challenge, including snacks, from the time you arrive at the accommodation in Fort William, until the completion of Snowdon - the final mountain on the Challenge.
• Drinks at the base of each mountain, including hot tea and coffee. Sufficient water will also be supplied for each team mini bus to refill your bottles for the duration of the Challenge.

Prior to signing up for the Challenge:

If you are interested in taking part in our 3 Peaks Challenge in 2010, we ask you to please think carefully about the Challenge you are signing up for. We do not want to put you off but feel it is really important for you to know what you are taking on. This is a tough challenge. You will be climbing and descending over 10,000 feet in 24 hours, hiking approximately 24 miles, driving approximately 10 hours in a minibus between the mountains, trying to sleep sitting upright in the minibus with another 10 people, eating at strange times, walking over rough ground in the dark, experiencing all types of weather conditions etc. Of course all of this is forgotten when you reach the bottom of Snowdon and the Challenge is over. But it is very important you are aware of what you face before you take part.

There is also some specific kit that you will require to take part on the Challenge, a brief list of which we have shown below:

• Walking Boots/ walking shoes (No trainers)
• Small walking-style rucksack (25 litres is ideal)
• Fleece or other warm top
• Waterproofs (top & trousers)
• Hat and gloves
• Whistle
• Head torch
• Sense of humour!
• Water drinking system (camelback/platypus), min 1.5 litres

Please also note that once paid, your deposit for this Challenge is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Once signed up for the Challenge

Approximately 3 months prior to the Challenge you will receive all the paperwork via email that you must complete and return to us in the office. This paperwork includes a health and fitness questionnaire, next of kin details, allergies and dietary requirements, insurance forms etc. All these forms must be completed and returned by the date displayed on the form.

Included in the information you will be sent is suggested tips for your training schedule leading in to the Challenge. As all of our Mountain Leaders will tell you "a mountaineer never got fit in the gym!"... There is no substitute for getting out in to the hills with all of your kit that you will be taking on the Challenge. Spend as many days as possible out in the hills and trails getting as much mountain and hill walking experience as possible.

You will also receive payment reminders 2 weeks prior to your payments being due. Please adhere to payment deadlines to ensure your place in the Challenge.

You will also need to organise your own travel arrangements to Scotland, and further information on this can be found below.

Getting to Scotland

With Ben Nevis being the first mountain we climb, obviously the Challenge begins in Scotland. The meet point for our 3 Peaks Challenges is Glasgow International Airport. You must make your own way to Glasgow International by no later than 13:00 on the Friday prior to the Challenge. There are 2 airports in Glasgow, please ensure you are booking to fly into Glasgow International.

Many of the UK's budget airlines fly in to Glasgow, so please check early for cheaper flights. We recommend checking www.skyscanner.net or www.travelsupermarket.com for the best deals. We will get your travel details from you closer to the time and collect you from the airport.

Return Leg from Snowdon / Wales at the end of the Challenge

There are coaches that will collect participants from Snowdon to be dropped off at one of three allocated drop off points.

• Betws-y-Coed Train Station (just a short drive from Snowdon)
• Warwick Services (Located on the M40)
• London West Brompton Tube

Some of you may with to make your own way home from Snowdon, but the above options are included for your convenience. These drop off points will not be changed, and will be the ONLY stops that the coaches will make on their return leg to London.

Teams

Everyone will complete the Challenge in a group of approximately 10 participants. You do not need to sign up as a group, in fact on past events, approximately 70% of entries have signed up as individuals and we have placed them in a group. Our BMF 3 Peaks Challenges are a team event. Once allocated to a team, you will complete the entire Challenge with this team. Each team will walk / hike at the pace of their slower or less able team member so your team allocation is a very important process.

We will match you to a group based on the information you have provided us on your entry forms. To the best of our ability we will match you with others of a similar fitness level and strength to yourself. However, as you can imagine, this is a very difficult task and when completing your forms in relation to your fitness, they must be answered accurately and honestly to ensure you are placed in the correct group. Your accuracy and honesty in completing your entry forms is of huge importance. You do not want to end up in a group that is too fast for your level of fitness, or too slow and you are being held back.

If you are signing up with friends of varying fitness levels, you will be all placed together in a team that matches your slower walker.

Training Days

To help you prepare for the 3 Peaks we run a series of training days prior to the Challenge. Depending on demand, the time of year and weather conditions, where we hold these training days will vary. Generally they are held in the Welsh Mountains.

We cannot stress enough the importance of attending one of our training day. We very strongly urge you to take part in at least one of the them and more if you have little or no hill walking experience. In the past we have had participants pull out of the Challenge on 20 minutes in to the first mountain, realising they are simply not fit enough to continue. The training days will give you:

• The chance to assess your mountain fitness
• Mountain walking experience (don’t underestimate this)
• Specific training for your leg muscles
• A chance to test out your kit
• An opportunity to bed in your boots

Training Days are held at an additional cost to the Challenge itself and include a return coach transfer from London. You can reserve a place by paying the fee through our online shop.

If you are located outside of London, there is an option to make your own way to the Welsh mountains and if you select this option, further detail on the day will be sent to you much closer to the time. To make payment for this option, you need to phone our event team in the office on 020 7751 9742 (ext 2).

Training days are limited to 45 people per day, so please sign up ASAP to ensure yourself a place. Dates for 2010 are as follows:

• Sunday 23 May 2010
• Sunday 6 June 2010
• Sunday 20 June 2010
• Sunday 11 July 2010
• Sunday 1 August 2010
• Sunday 22 August 2010

If you are training on the mountains that you will be walking on the Challenge, we suggest purchasing guide maps specific for the routes that we walk on our BMF Challenge. The supplier we use is Beacon Maps, and if you contact them directly and mention British Military Fitness, they will know the exact routes we use and will give you a discounted rate on the maps. Click here to go directly to their site.

Cost

For Challenges 1 and 3, there are two payment options as BMF are working with Breast Cancer Campaign once again in 2010. You are able to fundraise for any charity that you wish, however if you are fundraising for Breast Cancer Campaign you simply pay your deposit direct to us at BMF, and the remainder of monies owed including sponsorship will go directly to Breast Cancer Campaign.

If you are fundraising for a charity other then Breast Cancer Campaign, or if you are signing up to Challenge 2, you fit in to the Option 1 category.

• Option 1 (General Entry) - £475.00 per person

You will need to pay a non-refundable and non-transferable deposit of £160 through our online shop to reserve yourself a place on the Challenge. Your final payment of £315 is due approximately 2 months prior to the event and you will be sent a final payment reminder a few weeks prior to this date. Terms and conditions of payment are available on request.

• Option 2 (Fundraise for Breast Cancer Campaign). Pay a £160 deposit per person and then raise £680 minimum sponsorship. 

You pay the £160 deposit (non-refundable or transferable) through our BMF online shop to reserve your place on the challenge and then raise £680 minimum sponsorship in support of Breast Cancer Campaign. 50% of your minimum sponsorship (£340) is due approximately 2 months before your Challenge, Breast Cancer Campaign will send you reminders a few weeks before. For further information, please click here to email Jane at Campaign directly. Terms and conditions of payment are available on request.

Payment

Please click here to visit our online shop and pay your deposit to reserve your spot on one of our challenges. Please note, once signaged up, you CAN NOT swap between challenge dates. All deposit payments are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Fundraise for Charity

You are very welcome to fundraise for any charity that you wish. To fundraise for a charity other then Breast Cancer Campaign, (further detail on this charity is mentioned below), you simply need to pay the full amount of your entry through our British Military Fitness website, and then contact your chosen charity to obtain and fundraising pack and get further detail and support on raising money. As mentioned previously, you fit in to the payment Option 1 category.

If you would like to fundraise, and are unsure of which charity to chose, you may consider to fundraising for Breast Cancer Campaign, who we have worked with for many years on our 3 Peaks challenge. If choosing Breast Cancer Campaign, you would need to pay a deposit of £160 out of your own pocket, and then fundraise £680 via sponsorship for Breast Cancer Campaign. If you would like to choose this option please click here to email Jane at Breast Cancer Campaign  for further information or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org.

If you are fundraising for Breast Cancer Campaign you must pay your deposit through our online BMF shop. When selecting your payment, please select 'Breast Cancer Campaign DEPOSIT to Breast Cancer Campaign', (the 2nd option on the payment menu). You need to pay your minimum sponsorship directly to Breast Cancer Campaign, not to BMF.

Breast Cancer Campaign's mission is to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment prevention and cure. Last year Breast Cancer Campaign had over 100 supporters participate in our 3 Peaks Challenge and the teams raised over £120,000! 

If you require any further information, not included on this page, please email Lou.

Three Peaks Participant Testimonial's

"I was in group 8 with Sandy as my mountain leader. Just wanted to say a big thanks for organising the 3 peaks challenge - it was definitely one of the most organised events I have ever been on (from start to finish)... I went on both the training days in Wales with Jason who was brilliant & Sandy was a great mountain leader for the 3 peaks - very professional, outgoing & organised & I felt safe that he always knew what he was doing, (which is reassuring if you've never done something like this before). - Kirsten, 3 Peaks Sept 09

"Thanks to you and all the BMF team for all the organisation and making the Three Peaks Challenge such an enjoyable (albeit at times painful) weekend. It was a really fantastic experience made better by all of your planning and hard work over the weekend. I also feel lucky to have been with a great bunch of people in my group including the mountain instructor Jason." - Michael, 3 Peaks Sept 09

"Thanks for putting on a great event. I would also like to specifically mention that Jay did a superb job as ML for our winning team 8. There were 10 people of mixed abilities and he really did a great job of keeping the group together, getting everyone motivating each other, getting the weaker ones to perform beyond their perceived physical abilities and kept us all enthused. And most importantly made it extremely enjoyable. Everyone made a real effort with each other and everyone pushed hard without complaining. Superb teamwork from basically complete strangers. A really difficult task." - JJ, 3 Peaks July 09

"On behalf of ‘Team 2’ can I send our sincere thanks back to all of the team who made our 3 Peaks a fantastic experience. I think our Mountain Leaders and his colleagues did a fantastic job of gauging our pace and their navigation skills on Scafell Pike were bloody good. The scran was great and the sense of humour brilliant." - Piers, 3 Peaks July 09

When my Chairman had a word with me about the fact that I was proposing taking half the company up the hill, he didn’t quite know what he was agreeing to, but I can definitely say that we all found limits we didn’t think we had (mostly at around 1am on Sunday morning!).

"I'd like to thank everyone at BMF again for making the challenge so much fun. I'm truly impressed with the organisation, the event ran like clock work despite all the adversaries." James F, 3 Peaks Sept 08

"I wanted to thank the BMF team for a really memorable weekend! Mother Nature certainly did her best to try to put us off but as you’ve just said in your email we were fortunate with extremely good mountain leaders whom we could trust 100% and the support from the ground crew was fantastic.’’ – Louisa, 3 Peaks Sept 08

"It was cold, wet and knackering – we loved it. Team 5 couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to do the challenge with, we started and finished as a team. Couldn’t have asked for a better team leader either!’’ – Sam & Susie, 3 Peaks Sept 08

"I enjoyed every minute of the weekend and the bad weather only added to the experience, I will never forget being on top of Scafell in the driving rain and strong winds.’’ – Rebecca, 3 Peaks Sept 08

"I just wanted to send a quick note to say thank you SO much for an amazing 3 peaks challenge weekend! I had a brilliant time and I was really privileged to be put in a group of great people, led by a great ML, Stu, who managed to be laid back while at the same time very much in charge and who we knew we could count on should things get a bit tricky. I was really impressed at the level of organization, the good humor and grace and the fact that you all managed to feed 100 people so well without even looking as though you were trying..’’ – Sayula, 3 Peaks Sept 08 

"Thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, my teammates were a great bunch, Scott, a brilliant mountain leader and the BMF team were a great support group. It was a fun weekend and I look forward to BMF's events for next year - we have all agreed we would like to do another challenge together. Thanks again." - Sally Ann, 3 Peaks Sept 06

"Did I really do it? Haven’t quite come down to earth yet but when I do I’m sure it’ll be with a huge bump of cosmic proportions! What a team we were. It was quite amazing to put together 9 people who didn’t really know each other & after just 48 hrs, we became great friends. You guys at BMF were true professionals in all you did. The planning & organizing was outstanding allowing us to concentrate on just the easy walking bit! Thank you all for what will always be one of the proudest moments of my life. It was a huge personal achievement for me. I will be looking on the website for my next challenge." Su, 3 Peaks Sept 06

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