Today I completed the Welsh 3000 challenge in 11hrs 36min. Thats all 15 peaks, 30 miles on foot and 3500m of ascent over the course of the day.
For those that are not familiar with the challenge, its a route that includes all 15 of the Welsh peaks over 3000ft. Its a tough day with peaks split across three separate mountain ranges, Snowdon Massif, Glyderau and Carneddau. Most (crazy) people who attempt it do so in June on the longest day of the year. The classic route involves hiking up Snowdon the night before, bivvying at the summit the starting the walk at first light.
I chose to climb the alternative Snowdon Massif route to avoid an uncomfortable night bivvying. You bag the same summits but the downside is that you have to have a Crib Goch (#1) ascent for Breakfast, immediately followed by an ascent of Garnedd Ugain (#2) and Snowdon (#3). The first section took just under three hours dropping into the valley at Nant Peris via a decent from the Llechog station. The route then rejoins the 3K classic route for the Glyderau section starting with a horrible, long slog up Elider Fawr (#4), a relatively gentle ascent up Y Garn (#5) then the full pleasure of 400m ascent up Glyder Fawr’s (#6) west facing scree slope. A couple of blasts up Glyder Fach (#7) and Tryfan (#8) and it was time to drop into the Llyn Ogwen valley around the 8 hour mark. This was the hardest hour, a combination of feeling mentally tired and knowing that the full 750m steep ascent up Pen yr Ole Wen (#9) awaited tired legs. Once at the top, the rest of the peaks on the Carneddau were not too bad (tiredness aside). The terrain is pretty broken, rocky ground but all of the remaining peaks can be clocked with +\- 200m altitude difference. Ticking off Carnedd Dafydd (#10), Carnedd Lyewelyn (#12), a detour to Yr Elen (#13), Foel Grach (#14) and finally Foel Fras (#15) marked the end of the days fun after 11hr 36min…but not the pain. A four mile walk back to my car that I abandoned in Nant-Y-Pandy at 6am had to be completed before the sun set. This brought the total time on my feet to just under 14 hours. During this time I think I stopped walking for a max of about 30 minutes. Result was a pair of very tired legs.
It was a great training challenge and I’m glad to see that my fitness level and the legs were up to it. I’m told that a sub-12 hour time is pretty good going.
Sorry that there are no pictures…it was a solo challenge and I’m not a big practitioner of ‘selfies’.
THEROADTOTHETOP 