Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales and part of the three peak challenge! The three peak challenge consists of hiking the three highest peaks in Scotland, Wales & England in 24 hours. While thats a bit crazy it is fun to do on a long weekend! The most common place to start the hike is from Pyg Track .
You have two options to get to the Pyg Track of Snowdon. Driving will put you at the start of the track but will set you back £10! The other option is to grab the Sherpa bus from Llanberis High Street for £1. For either choice you want to go to the Pen Y Pass car park where the Pyg Track starts its ascent to the top of Snowdon.
You should start your hike as early as possible as the weather can quickly change and often it can get dark very fast. The visibility is low at the top of the mountain so the more light you have the better. Summer months are the best due to the snow that accumulates at the top of the mountain during the Fall and Winter.
Head to the top right of the Pen Y Pass to start on the Pyg Track up Snowdon. The path is mostly a rock path leading to the top of the peak. Follow the stone path from the start of Pen Y Pass going over various stone steps and to beautiful views of the lake. As you progress upwards the stone layout is much cleaner. 30 mins before the top is a large stone that marks the joining of the miners track. Continue following the path up the mountain
At the base of the final ascent is another large stone that marks the joining of the Llanberis and Ranger Path. Keep following the path up the mountain until you reach the top.
Scafell Pike is the highest peak in England and part of the three peak challenge! The three peak challenge consists of hiking the three highest peaks in Scotland, Wales & England in 24 hours. While thats a bit crazy it is fun to do on a long weekend! The easiest place to start the hike is from Wasdale Head. Though the mountain is remote the views are breath taking.
The only real way to get to the base of Scafell Pike is by car. There are no local buses or public transportation that drop you off at the base. The post code for Scafell Pike is CA20 1EX. This brings you to the Wasdale Head, one of the easier trails to start your hike up to the top.
You should start your hike as early as possible as the weather can quickly change and often it can get dark very fast. The visibility is low at the top of the mountain so the more light you have the better. Summer months are the best due to the snow that accumulates at the top of the mountain during the Fall and Winter.
From the Wasdale Head free car park, follow the road to the footpath. Here you will see a footbridge that you must cross. Then continue onwards along the path to Lingmell Gill. Once at the post for Lingmell Gill bear to the left and head uphill. You will then cross a river and pass on to Brown Tongue. From here continue on the trail till you are at the peak of Scafell Pike.
In the end the trail is well marked and chances are a lot of people will be hiking, especially on the weekends. So get there early before to get a parking spot and beat the crowds!
Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the Great Britain and part of the three peak challenge! The three peak challenge consists of hiking the three highest peaks in Scotland, Wales & England in 24 hours. While thats a bit crazy it is fun to do on a long weekend! The path to the top is well marked and often called the Pony Track. Ben Nevis is the highest, longest and hardest of the three peaks but the views make it so worth it.
The easiest way to get to Ben Nevis and also doing the three peaks is by hiring a car. However, if you only want to hike Ben Nevis then take a train up to Fort Williams, the closest town. Here you can take the local bus or walk to the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre. There are no direct buses, however you can get one that drops you off near by. Check the time tables at the rail station or ask there for more informations as the bus schedule changes frequently.
You should start your hike as early as possible as the weather can quickly change and often it can get dark very fast. The visibility is low at the top of the mountain so the more light you have the better. Summer months are the best due to the snow that accumulates at the top of the mountain during the Fall and Winter.
The trail to the top of Ben Nevis is commonly referred to as the ‘Tourist Route,’ the ‘Tourist Track’ or the ‘Pony Track’. The Pony track is the simplest way to toe the of the mountain as well as the most popular.
From the tourist center, walk towards the opposite end of the car park and follow the bridge to the start of the path. The path is very well marked and very visible for the first half.
Half way up, at Lochan Meall an t-Siudhe, the path is mostly rock. The rocks get wet and often the visibility is low at the top depending on the weather. Be careful as it is easy to trip and twist and ankle or even worse. Once you reach the top you will see the old abandoned observatory as well as a World War 2 memorial.
Once you are ready you take the same path down, sticking to the trail and watching out for slippery rocks on your descent.
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece standing at 2917 m high. The mountain has about 52 peaks and multiple trails leading around the mountain. However, the E4 trail leads you to Mytikas, the highest point of the mountain . While the climb isn’t difficult you will be using your hands and crawling a bit at the last part. You will need about 6-8 hours to finish the climb in one day, so start early and be prepared. We did the hike in running shoes, but we did see a few people climb the mountain in flip flops!
Its best to stay in the town of Litohoro the night before. It is one of the closest towns and provides easy, but not cheap, access to the mountain. The day before you should arrange your transportation for the next morning. If you go to the taxi rank at the top of the town talk to any of the taxi drivers and tell them what time you would like to leave and they will be there the next morning. The price is €25 one way and if you are going to do the hike in one day you should aim to leave around 6 AM. The taxi driver will drop you off in Prionia, where you will start your hike up the mountain. Make sure to get a card so you can call them to pick you up!
After arriving to Prionia walk past the bottom restaurant and enter the trail. You will be following the E4 trail up to Refuge A. From Prionia to Refuge A is about 6 km and 2.5-3.5 hours. The hike twists and turns as it climbs up the mountain with varying terrain and scenery.
Once you reach Refuge A you can stock up on water or get some food and snacks. The prices are reasonable based being in the middle of a mountain and knowing all the supplies have to be brought up via donkeys. We’ve certainly seen higher in less remote places!!
From the back of Refuge A is the path up to Skala. Its about 3 hours and the terrain can be fairly steep. The trail is very well marked though and all you need to do is stick to the path.
Once you reach Skala you have two choices on which way you would like to continue. To your left is the way to Skolio, the second highest peak on Mount Olympus at 2912 m. Its about 20 minutes to Skolio and very simple, making it easy for anyone afraid of heights or kids.
To the right is the way to Mytikas, the highest peak on Mount Olympus at 2917 m. This is classified as a YDS class 3 rock scramble and might not be the easiest for the unexperienced or ill prepared. It is doable without hiking boots but as always its at your own risk. We haven’t heard of anyone getting hurt or stuck, but things change everyday. This way will take about 45 minutes to get there and back.
Once you make your way back from either peak head back down the mountain towards Refuge A and then back down to Prionia. Here you can ask the restaurant to call your taxi driver to come and pick you up and grab a cold beer while you wait.
