UK & Ireland 5 Peaks Plus 1 Challenge (Private Group)

Local adventures and tourism

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on overseas travel, we’re keen to promote adventures on home ground to give you the chance to still experience a great adventure. Plus giving you the chance to explore the incredible landscapes across the UK and Ireland. We’re particularly keen to help support our local tourism industry and get more people enjoying the outdoors.

Taking part in this mountain challenge will give you a better understanding of the differing mountain environments and terrain plus help support a variety of communities.

We’re also a Gold Level Snowdonia National Park Ambassador, and delighted to do our part to improve your experience of Snowdonia in an educational, sustainable & fun manner too.

The total metres of trekking ascent:

Snowdon – 948m

Scafell Pike – 989m

Ben Nevis – 1352m

Slieve Donard – 850m

Carrantuohil – 1038m

Moel Siabod – 727m

TOTAL: 5904m (Mt Kilimanjaro height is 5895m)

Challenge Timetable

On booking on the UK & Ireland 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge, you will receive all the exciting trip 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.

With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service throughout your UK & Ireland 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge.

We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you book through to completing the challenge 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.

Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, activities undertaken, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and COVID-19 travel cover.

For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.

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

The UK & Ireland 5 Peaks plus 1 will require preparation as the event 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. 

For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page. 

You will be accompanied by certified Adventurous Ewe Leaders and Crew during your 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge. Our Leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in leading expeditions throughout the UK. They will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group. Leaders and Crew will carrying full safety equipment and mountain 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 and Crew will also be in constant radio communication with the vehicle drivers and base throughout your event.

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 trek is 9 people and the maximum group size is 12 people per private minibus. We can take up to 4 minibuses. You will be split into groups of no more than 12 people per team for this trek.

Adventurous Ewe mountain treks are team challenges and are not designed to be individual competitive races. 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. These events are a fantastic way to meet like-minded people and share an incredible adventure whilst being accompanied and supported by friendly and experienced Adventurous Ewe Leaders and Crew.

TOUGH 
The UK & Ireland 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge is graded as tough given that you are summiting the UK’s five highest peaks plus an additional mountain to trek to a height of 5904 metres within 4 days.

Training and a good level of mountain walking fitness is definitely required. This is a challenging event both physically and mentally as sleep deprivation plays a part here, affecting some people more than others.  As such the preparation and training you put in beforehand the better chance of success you have and the more you will enjoy this epic challenge.

The terrain on this challenge varies throughout and can be rough at times, so preparation is ideal!

Snowdon:   Taking the classic Pyg Track for your ascent of Snowdon, this is the shortest route up the mountain with the least amount of vertical ascent. The route follows a well maintained path with a few rocky sections. Continuing along the trail it soon becomes more rugged and steep! The final sections follows a zigzag route steeply up the mountain. The track will emerge at the top and join the main Llanberis Path running alongside the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Follow the path heading south alongside the railway for the last gradual ascent to the summit. The route will meet a set of steps which will take you to the Snowdon summit marker. On a clear day the peak offers views of Snowdonia, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire and Ireland. Your descent will be via the Llanberis Path, which offers the most gradual descent, and finishes in Llanberis.

Scafell Pike:   You will take the shortest and most direct route up the highest mountain in England. This is a steep hike which involves scrambling over some terrain. The summit is rocky and has a large circular stone cairn with steps to its flat top and nearby a stone Ordnance Survey trig point pillar. The views from Scafell Pike summit are incredible with almost every major Lakeland Fells within view. On a clear day the Isle of Man will be visible, lying in the Irish Sea to the west. You will descent via the same path.

Ben Nevis:   After the initial steepness, the path does even out to a more moderate rocky ascent.  You will reach a stunning loch and then it is on to a series of zig-zags. The upper section is rough and very stony; it is often snow covered and losing the line of the path easily leads onto dangerous terrain – hence the importance of your Mountain Leaders. On reaching the top of the Ben you will notice it is very flat, not the traditional mountain peak, and the actual highest point is the cairn. The view is extensive and covers much of the Highlands, but there is nothing more dramatic than peering down the north side, across or down the massive cliffs. You will descend via the same path.

Slieve Donard:   A well-defined trail takes you up the hill along the Glen River through a rich forest of pine, birch and oak. Crossing the river via bridges a few times, but thankfully you don’t need to get your feet wet! As you climb higher, the river bank gets steeper. Reaching a stile as you pass thick forest, then carry on up the track above the river towards the saddle between Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Donard. You’ll cross the river again and continue towards the iconic Mourne Wall as you reach the saddle. Following the wall as it guides you up a steep hill to the summit. There are a few false peaks along the way, so be patient and wait until you see the look-out point/cairn at the summit before celebrating. As seems to be a tradition in many parts of Ireland, the mountain is named after a saint. Saint Donard was known as a disciple of Saint Patrick, and he built a small prayer cell at the summit of Slieve Donard during the fifth century.

Carrauntoohil:  Starting in Hag’s Glen a wide-open valley with a lake on either side of the trail, Lough Gouragh and Callee. You’ll hike through a fairly boggy/marshy section before reaching the base of the Devil’s Ladder. The Devil’s Ladder is quite a tough part of the climb due to its steepness and the loose rocks/pebbles/erosion. It’s a steep gully with loose scree. Due to erosion, it can be a bit unstable in places so extra caution is advised. A walking stick or two can be really helpful.

Once you’ve scaled the ladder, the trail veers right to take you up the long climb to the summit. The final stretch to the summit has hazards on either side, so be really careful in poor visibility or bad weather. After all your hard work, the summit is breath-taking. You’ll be surrounded by a rich panorama of mountain peaks and dramatic ridges in nearly every direction. There are also numerous lakes to be spotted, the Wild Atlantic Way in the distance, and to the north east, you should see the rich farmland of Co Kerry.

Moel Siabod: Starting from Capel Curig, your route is a total of 10km in length and gains a height of 704 metres to take your trekking height tally to an impressive 5904 metres. It’s a steady hike through forest which opens up to the mountain and a path up to the summit of this stand alone mountain. On a clear day, the views from the peak are extensive across Snowdonia including Snowdon (your first mountain of this trek), allowing you to reflect on the huge achievement of this challenge. 

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

We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and the Bath Kettlebell Society. 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!

A full kit list will be provided when you book on this mountain trekking adventure.

Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic experience 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 challenge.

Rest assured all the equipment that we supply will be hygienically cleaned and sanitised and was not used 72 hours before you use it and will not be used for the next 72 hours. You will be allocated specific seats in the private minibus for transfers as well.

To help you get the very best from your event 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 your epic mountain adventure.

Please be prepared for all kinds of weather conditions from warm sunshine to very cold wet weather. With your UK & Ireland 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge being in Autumn, the weather is unpredictable especially in the mountains. Please refer to your kit list and ensure you have the right kit to protect you from sun, heat, wind, cold, rain and even snow (Ben Nevis is notorious for snow coverage even in the warmer months). Your kit will make your 5 Peaks Challenge either a great one or a rather miserable one.

During the week leading up to your challenge, please check the Mountain Weather Information Service. 

3 night’s hostel accommodation are included in your 5 Peaks plus 1 Challenge.

First and third nights are in a locally owned lodge in Snowdonia in a private mixed dorm room. Each bed has it’s own curtains for your privacy. A home cooked breakfast is provided.

The second night is in a hostel in Fort William Scotland in private dorm rooms. Again, breakfast is provided the following morning. 

More info will be sent to you when you book onto this mountain adventure however if you have any questions, please get in touch with us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.

You will need to make your own way to the lodge in Snowdonia either by car or train. The closest train station is Bangor and it is a 20 minute taxi journey to the lodge. A transfer can be provided from the train station to your accommodation if prebooked with us one month in advance of the event. Further info will be provided when you register for this mountain adventure.

Meals are included as per your itinerary. If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know one month prior to your trip start date.

Please note, dinner, meals on the ferry and lunch at Moel Siabod Cafe are not provided to give you the flexibility to order the meals you wish.

Please bring your own water bottles or camelbaks/platypus (or similar) and flasks (if you wish to take a hot drink during your challenge) and refill in the hostel to avoid the need of purchasing plastic water 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 the UK & Ireland 5 Peaks Challenge 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 Water-To-Go bottle.

Deposit: £95 per person payable on booking

Remaining balance: £850 per person payable 5 weeks prior to your trip start date

Monthly payment plan
A monthly payment plan can be arranged for this trip. Please contact us for more information or to set up your plan. Simply email info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.

Free date changes
You can change your departure to a later date. We’ve added extra 2021 and 2022 dates to choose from, or you can request a new date that works for you or organise your own private bubble trip.

Flexible deposit
You can transfer your deposit to another available trip or hold your deposit on file indefinitely.

Convert it to credit
Save it for later. This, along with all payments, is 100% financially protected.

Get a refund
Being a small family business, we pride ourselves on personalised customer service and offer full

Cancelled trips
If you book on a trip that we are forced to cancel due to the pandemic, you will have the option to join another trip at a later departure with no admin costs or receive a full refund or credit note (excluding flights or insurance payments as these have their own booking conditions directly with the supplier).and prompt refunds.

If you choose to cancel your trip within 30 days of departure despite no official advice against travel
We respect your decision if you no longer wish to travel regardless of the destination or official advice. If you choose to cancel your trip, we will happily make those arrangements for you though please note, if there is no F&CO advice against travel, our standard cancellation terms will apply.

Fundraising
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.

As well as carefully crafting amazing and meaningful adventures across the planet, we’ve made booking them as flexible, safe and as simple as possible. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we’ve made a number of updates to our safety guidelines, flexible booking conditions and trip departures. For more info, please our Book and Travel with Confidence page. 

All your trip info will be sent to you through our free mobile travel app. 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:

Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: adventurousewe
Twitter: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd
Youtube: Adventurous Ewe

You are most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe

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 during this time. 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.

Snowdonia Society
Locally, we help support the vital work of the Snowdonia Society who since 1967 continues to work tirelessly to ensure that Snowdonia is well-protected, well-managed and enjoyed by all.

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 (diolch).