Yorkshire 3 Peaks | Three Peaks Yorkshire Dales National Park

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge

  • Overview
  • Map & Itinerary
  • Essential Info
  • Pics & Vids
  • Dates & Prices

Highlights

  • 2 boots. 3 mountains. 24 miles. 1585m of ascent. 12 hours! Tick!
  • Conquer the Yorkshire 3 peaks – Pen-y-Ghent (694m/2,276 ft), Whernside (736m/2,415 ft) and Ingleborough (723m/2,372 ft) in 1 day
  • Circular route through the distinctive landscape of high heather moorland, stepped skylines and flat-topped hills, punctuated by scenic stone walled farms and windswept trails
  • Trek with pride knowing you are helping support the work of Cool Earth
  • Accompanied by friendly Adventurous Ewe Mountain Leaders
  • Private trips available for groups over 10 people
  • We look forward to welcoming you to the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.

Overview

The Yorkshire Dales – protected as a national park since the 1954 – sets an incredible geographic scene for this iconic and tough challenge. The park’s glacial valleys are characterised by a distinctive landscape of high heather moorland, stepped skylines and flat-topped hills, punctuated by scenic stone walled farms and windswept trails where the skyline is dominated by a trio of distinctive hills known as the Yorkshire 3 Peaks: Pen-y-Ghent (694m), Whernside (736m) and Ingleborough (724m). Your challenge awaits.

Whether you’re on a personal mission or part of a group looking to make a team effort, we’re really excited to welcome you to Yorkshire and showcase the very best of this amazing environment and it’s impressive geology.

PRIVATE GROUPS

If you have a group of 10 people or more, whether it’s a corporate team, family and/or friends, and you wish to do this event as a private group, please get in touch as we’d be happy to host a trip for you between April – October. Simply email: info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.

EVENING PRIOR

We recommend arriving in Horton-on-Ribblesdale the night prior to your trek given the early start the following day. Our Yorkshire 3 Peaks Trek does not include accommodation giving you the flexibility to stay where you feel comfortable and somewhere that suits your budget. 

For a variety of accommodation places from self catering, hotels, pubs, B&B’s to camping, please visit http://www.horton-in-ribblesdale.com/accommodation.shtml 

DAY 1

Pen-y-ghent Café (BD24 0HE), Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Pen-y-ghent (694m)

  • Height: 694m / 2,227 ft
  • Time to Pen-y-ghent summit (based on 12 hours): 1 hour 15 mins / 1 hour 30 mins

Starting in the quaint village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale in North Yorkshire as the sun starts to rise illuminating the outline of your first mountain, Pen-Y-Ghent at 694m. The crisp morning air accompanies your 3-mile route winding through farmland and up the steep sided mountain to claim your first peak in the early morning glow. Pen-y-Gent = tick!

Pen-y-ghent (694m) to Whernside (736m)

  • Height: 736 m / 2415 ft
  • Time from Pen-y-ghent to Whernside (based on 12 hours): approx. 5 hours

This is the longest section between peaks however the incline is not too harsh on the legs. The majority of this leg is through green valleys, patchworked with drystone dykes and little barns, picture-postcard villages and plenty of grazing sheep. In the limestone country of the southern Dales you’ll find England’s best examples of karst scenery (created by rainwater dissolving the underlying limestone bedrock).

On reaching the impressive Ribblehead Viaduct, built in 1870 – 1874, striding across the upper Ribblesdale moorland it’s time for a quick pit stop at your first checkpoint to refill water bottles and flasks and have a re-energising snack. The trail then travels below the viaduct’s 24 towering arches, before the rail line disappearing into the Blea Moor Tunnel. You’ll then conquer your second and the highest peak of your challenge, Whernside at 736m, and be rewarded with vast panoramic views over the Yorkshire Dales. Whernside = tick!

Whernside (736m) to Ingleborough (723m)

  • Height: 723 m / 2,372 ft
  • Time from Whernside to Ingleborough (based on 12 hours): 3 hours – 3 hours 13 mins

Following the route through traditional Yorkshire farmlands and charming villages, the trail leads onto a boardwalk rising above the often boggy moorlands to start your final steep climb to claim your third and final summit, Ingleborough at 723m. Immerse yourself in more rewarding views as the late afternoon sun changes the colours of the landscape and the huge achievement of standing on the summit of your third and final peak. Ingleborough = tick! 

Ingleborough to Horton-in-Ribblesdale

  • Time from Ingleborough to Horton-in-Ribblesdale (based on 12 hours): 2 hours 15 mins – 2 hours 30 mins

With the 3 peaks in the bag it’s time for your weary legs to travel down through green slopes fragmented with limestone rocks. Arriving back in Horton-in-Ribblesdale your Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge in 12 hours is done & dusted and you’ll be enthralled with a huge sense of achievement with completing this tough and iconic challenge.

Included:

  • Your own dedicated and qualified Mountain leader/s
  • Support vehicle and crew member
  • Check points with drink refills and snacks
  • Emergency first aid provisions
  • Safety management
  • All challenge management and hygienic cleaning procedures of equipment before, during and post trek.
Carbon footprint

We’ve crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge, and plant or protect enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.

What’s the number?
It works out on average at 15kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, leaders, crew and office operations.

The only thing not included is travel to the Lake District. Given that our beloved guests travel from all parts of the UK for this adventure we have no way of reliably knowing their travel plans therefore we’re unable to include an individual number in the figure on display here.

What does the number mean?
To give you a snapshot of the numbers:

  • Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you).
  • A return economy class flight London – New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
  • 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air over a period of 5 – 10 years.

What are we doing about it?
Our adventures are relatively low-carbon by design, and we’re working to develop long term carbon reduction plan. Following much research into climate change organisations, we carefully selected to support the environmental charity, Cool Earth. They’re a sustainable operation and work with rainforest communities across the globe to halt deforestation and it’s impact on climate change. We invest 1% of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects world-wild with Cool Earth.

On a local level in the UK, we’re an ongoing business member of the Snowdonia Society, plus Jim and Sue, together with some of our local leaders, also help the Society with their local projects such as planting native trees in Snowdonia. This is to help preserve the landscape and enhance wildlife habitat here in Snowdonia.

Want to know more?
We believe that with great travel, comes even greater responsibility. Tourism is one of the most important and largest industries on the planet. It employs more people worldwide than any other, with millions of families relying on tourism for their daily needs. At Adventurous Ewe we believe that our type of small scale, positive impact tourism can bring benefits to many communities, help preserve the environments we travel to see, and provide real and positive social exchanges. Here is our plan to do our part towards helping reduce factors that we can contributing to climate change as part of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.

Pre-trek info

On booking the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge, you’ll receive all the exciting event info via our free mobile travel app. You’ll have access to your itinerary, training guide, countdowns, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24/7 via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your adventure ahead. A’ppy days.

Pre trek support

With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service. We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the trek and beyond. Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the UK in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure. They have both completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks dozens of times, so they are best placed to help you with any questions, no matter how big or small.

Safety and Well-being

Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit is at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority.

Our Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge requires individual preparation as this bike adventure is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something great. Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place together with new health and well-being procedures. 

Leaders and support crew

You will be accompanied by certified Adventurous Ewe Leaders for the trek. They’re a friendly bunch with a huge level of care and a great sense of humour. Rest assured they are fully experienced and remote first aid qualified. They will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.

Leaders will carry safety equipment and first aid kits with them at all times. Please note, these kits are for emergencies only so please come prepared with your own personal first aid items.

The Leaders will also be in constant radio communication with the support vehicle throughout your Yorkshire 3 Peaks trek.

Group size

We pride ourselves in small group adventures to minimise the impact on the environment, to maximise your safety & well-being and to make your experience more authentic.

The minimum group size for this trip to run is 10 people. The maximum group size is 40 people.

You are most welcome to join the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge as a group of family, friends, colleagues, a private bubble or as a solo adventurer.

Private groups

If you have a group of over 10 people, we would be more than happy to run a private event for your team, your charity or your company.

For any further info or to chat about running a bespoke event, we’d love to hear from you at info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.  

Group management

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge is a team trek and not designed to be an individual competitive race. You will be taking part in teams of up to 10 people with a dedicated Leader. We encourage team spirit and support of each other to ensure everyone has the best opportunity to complete the challenge and enjoy the journey along the way too.

Trek grading

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge is graded as ‘Tough’. This is namely due to the distance you are trekking in one day over undulating terrain.

There is no technical sections as most of the route is along trails and stone paths.

Preparation is key to help you get the most enjoyment and reward from this trek. A good level of fitness, endurance and some gritty determination will help you conquer the 12 hours needed to walk around 24 miles. A training programme will be provided to help you reach the start line knowing that you’re set to enjoy the journey ahead.

Training

A bespoke training programme will be provided when join the team for this trek to help you with your preparations.

We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities –  Her Spirit and Peter Lant Training & Philosophy. For more info, please visit our Training and Preparation page.

The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the challenge.

Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!

Kit

A full kit list will be provided when you join this trekking challenge. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential together with a good quality waterproof jacket AND trousers.

An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers Joe Brown, The Climbers Shop and ashmei athletic apparel on registering for this trip.

Exclusive Kit & Equipment Discount Codes

To help you get the very best from your Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge we will provide you with an exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code to use in independent UK outdoor retailers Joe Brown / The Climbers Shop and ashmei athletic apparel, both online and in store. They offer a large choice of kit that the staff themselves use while climbing, hiking, mountaineering, running, travelling or enjoying expeditions across the globe and they pride themselves on sharing their experience and knowledge of equipment so you can choose the right gear to suit you and this trekking challenge.

Weather

The weather in the Yorkshire Dales can change rapidly so it is essential that you are prepared for all conditions including rain, wind and heat. In the week leading up to your trip we recommend checking the Mountain Weather Information Service. You will also receive weather updates via our mobile travel app, Vamoos.

Please note, the Leader/s reserve the right to change the itinerary at any time should the conditions require it as your safety and well-being is our top priority at all times. In these circumstances we will make the best alternative arrangements possible that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in our Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge to allow you the flexibility to travel and book where you feel most comfortable and within your budget. 

If you are travelling from a distance to Yorkshire, we would recommend staying both the night prior and the night after your trek. For more info on a variety of places to stay, please click here

If you need any help with accommodation, please feel free to get in touch with us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk

Getting there

You will need to make your own way to Horton-in-Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire either by car or train.

Car parking

Horton-in-Ribblesdale is a small village so please respect the local residents and think before you park. We recommend using the car park areas available however, they are restricted in size and capacity so it’s best to arrive early. There isn’t a postcode for the National Park Car Park but the postcode for the Pen-y-ghent Cafe where we start out trek is BD24 0HE. The National Park Car Park is 150m away from the cafe. Please ensure you pay for your parking as proceeds from the car park help maintain the Yorkshire Three Peaks and surrounding areas. 

There is also a farmers field which often opens during the summer months for parking. Please ensure you have cash with you for payment.

Train

Horton-in-Ribblesdale train station is very close to the Pen-y-Ghent Cafe and a footpath is available to avoid walking on the main road. The train line is actually on the Yorkshire Three Peaks route; you have to cross the train track when walking from Ingleborough to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The main train line through the Yorkshire Dales, which stops at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, is the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle route. For train times and bookings, please visit Settle and Carlisle trains or the Trainline websites. 

 

 

Food & drinks

Snacks and water bottle and flask refills will be available at the two checkpoints on this challenge. Please bring your own packed lunch and favourite high calorie snacks.

During the summer months often there are food vans located on some of the route and a farmer runs a small shop selling food & drinks. We encourage support of the farmers shop given that the route treks through his land though we encourage you to please bring your own water bottles which we will refill to avoid the purchasing of plastic water bottles.

Adventurous Ewe Water-to-Go Bottles

The impact of single use plastic is having on our landscape, wildlife and oceans, it is now more important than ever that we all make changes in order to help our planet. We may not be a huge global company but we’re passionate about playing our part and trying to make a huge difference collectively. Together we can dramatically reduce our consumption of single use plastics and support our responsible travel ethos of ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but boot-prints, keep nothing but memories.’

You can make a difference too with taking part in this trek and purchasing one of these environmentally friendly reusable alternative bottles compared to single-use plastic water bottles. Grab a Water-to-Go bottle through Adventurous Ewe and receive a 15% discount. Even better, Water-to-Go will donate a further 15% to our charity partner, Cool Earth. For more info please click here or email us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk to buy your own Water-To-Go bottle.

Loos

There are some loo facilities dotted along your trek with pubs etc that are enroute, however please be considerate of these facilities which often ask for a donation to use them.

If a wild-wee calls whilst on the trek itself, facilities will be limited to the great outdoors. Please be prepared with biodegradable waste bags (dog poop bags are ideal) and biodegradable loo paper and leave no trace of your paper items.

Booking with confidence

Flexible date changes
If you need to change your booking 60 days or more before the start date you can make flexible date change to another UK challenge, subject to availability, without incurring any admin costs. If you need to cancel your booking, you will be issued with a credit note to the value of your payment that you can use for another event of your choice, subject to availability. 

Financial protection
If your adventure needs to be cancelled for any reason, like say a global pandemic, you won’t be left stuck and you’ll be offered plenty of alternative options thanks to our financial protection through our insurance. What’s more, in the very unlikely event of Adventurous Ewe going under, you’ll get your money back.

Secure online payments
All bookings can be made online with Mastercard, Visa and debit card or via BACS. We use WorldPay to handle all our online payments as it is a payment platform which is a global leader in payment processing offering superior security for both you and us as a company.

Adventure info available through our mobile app 24/7
On booking your Yorkshire 3 Peaks, you will receive all the exciting trip info via our mobile travel app. You’ll have access to your itinerary, training guide, countdowns, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24/7 via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper and the need of carrying around documents with you. The app is free to download and all info is customary to your adventure ahead.

Payment info

Deposit of £35 per person is required on booking.
Remaining balance of £40 per person is due for payment no later than 5 weeks prior to the trip start date.

Please note, if you need to change your booking 60 days or more before the start date you can make flexible date change, subject to availability, without incurring any admin costs. If you need to cancel your booking 60 days or more before the event start date, you will be issued with a credit note to the value of your payment that you can use for another event of your choice, subject to availability.

You are welcome to fundraise for a charity of your choice if you wish to do so. All sponsorship monies are to be sent directly to your chosen charity.

Stay connected

All your trip info will be sent to you through a travel mobile app via Vamoos which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app.

For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us at: 
Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: @adventurousewe
Twitter: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd

You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe

Emergencies

Your Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have a mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the trek, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle (depending on access) and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required. Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on 07747 346 588.

Our charity partner, Cool Earth

Cool Earth
We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2. Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet. Thank-ewe

Departure & Return Duration Availability Deposit Total Cost* (*Total cost includes the deposit)

What's Included?

Pre-trek:

  • Personalised trip support in the lead up from Adventurous Ewe
  • Training guide
  • Discount on personal kit from Joe Brown, The Climber’s Shop and ashmei athletic apparel both in shop and online
  • Trek info supplied via our free mobile travel app
  • Public liability insurance
  • Risk assessment and emergency management planning.

During your trek:

  • Safety briefing
  • Certified Local Mountain Leaders
  • Support vehicle and crew member
  • Full back-up support including first-aid qualified staff and first-aid supplies
  • Entrance permission to national parks
  • Checkpoints with snacks and refilling of water bottle/s 
  • All challenge management and hygienic cleaning procedures of equipment before, during and post trek.

What's Not Included?

  • Clothing and equipment listed on your Kit List
  • Water bottle/s and/or camelbaks/platypus and thermos for filling and refilling. Please provide your own bottles as this is to minimise the use of plastic bottles
  • Personal snacks and electrolytes
  • Lunch
  • Accommodation and dinner the night before and after your trek. This can be arranged at an additional cost
  • Personal spending money
  • Any costs incurred with retiring from the event early ie. hotel accommodation, change of travel tickets, any medical costs, etc.
  • If you are travelling by train, please ensure you book an open-ended ticket for your return journey.

SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Adventurous Ewe is committed to delivering events in a responsible and ethical manner with sustainability at the core. We respect and aim to operate our adventures and events to benefit local people, their economy and the environment!

Some of the sustainable features embedded in our Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge are:

  • We only operate with small groups which have less impact on local communities and the environment and give you a more authentic experience
  • Using local crew who are qualified leaders and extremely experienced, passionate and knowledgeable
  • We do not use any single use plastic and refill water bottles and flasks to avoid the need to purchase bottled water
  • We recommend  locally owned accommodation wherever possible
  • Encourage our suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices and also choose suppliers who already have greener practices in place
  • We do not use any route markers which are often made from plastic based products and non-biodegradable
  • Where possible, our Leaders collect any rubbish enroute
  • We recycle and reuse wherever possible
  • We always operate by our ‘Leave no trave ethos’ – Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but boot-prints, keep nothing but memories.
  • By taking part in this trip you are helping us support the climate change charity, Cool Earth, and local environmental charity, the Snowdonia Society.
Location
UK
Duration
1 day
Difficulty
Cost From
£
Trip Notes