UKC

A French friend of mine (I already feel I have to apologize) coming to the UK next year tries to get me into doing the three peaks national challenge. For several reasons, I am actively refusing to take part in these cheesy shenanigans.

I'd like to find an alternative, but it would need to:
- sound sexy: Yorkshire three peaks would be a good alternative in my opinion, but unfortunately the peaks are almost unheard of for un-british people. Poor guys, I know. So something including Ben Nevis or Snowdon would be ideal
- include at least 2 peaks because "Ben Nevis is only a big hill really" (he's from the Alps)
- not involve pointless travels. Going there is fine but I don't want to spend a night sailing from Ben Nevis to Cuillin ridge or something silly like that
- the difficulty is secondary, but the maximum level should be something like the Yorkshire 3 peaks I reckon
- not include any joke about cheese, surrender monkeys or wine made with antifreeze. That will be the hard part.

Any suggestion?

In reply to drolex:
Welsh 3000ers?

In reply to drolex:
Cairngorm 4000s?
Cuillin ridge?
Round the Grey Corries?
Lakeland 3000s?
Pennine Way?
I'd have a look on the LDWA website for more challenging ideas

In reply to 999thAndy: Thanks for that, the Grey Corries look very nice, we could add the Ben Nevis and some stuff on another day to make it sound cool to the continentals

Cuillin ridge would be also an immediate choice for me, but once again it lacks fame abroad

Wels Kate: Welsh 3000ers are a bit too long I think. Maybe over 3 days...

In reply to drolex: welsh 3000 FTW - not for the unfit or those with a dislike of exposure.

In reply to drolex:

It's more than hillwalking, but what about the Big Hex challenge? You'll raise money for Mountain Rescue at the same time. http://www.bighex.org/

Mehmet

In reply to Mehmet Karatay:

Ah, I just read your post in full*. The Big Hex is probably a bit harder than you're looking for, but I'll leave the post up incase it inspires anyone else.

Mehmet

*It's a bit late and I'm tired.

In reply to drolex: I took a work colleague round Braeriach, Macdui and Cairngorm over two days when he asked me to take him round the 3 peaks.

In reply to drolex:



He's asking you to show him the best of Britain, not Britain's Got Talent. Why does it matter if he's heard of it?

In reply to BnB: I agree with you, but unfortunately, it is not that easy. People have their own predefined ideas about what is worth doing or not. To a lot of people Mont Blanc is more appealing than most of European summits for example.

I'll try some subtle propaganda to wedge the idea in his inferior brain though.

In other words if you try to have a fan of Masterchef to watch QI, he might end up watching Grand Designs.

Thanks all for the great ideas, if it is not useful for him, it is certainly for me.

In reply to drolex:

what about this one? to top it off he could try some of the local wine.

http://www.eventstolive.co.uk/events/information/three-molehills

In reply to drolex:
I guess this suggestion doesn't fit couple of your conditions, (travelling and difficulties) but I've often thought an alternative to the 24hrs/3 peaks challenge should be the three ridges challenge. Aonach Eagach, Striding Edge, (or Sharp Edge if you prefer) and Grib Goch.

Its prob been done already tho.

My vote to impress your French mate would be a trip over the Aonach Eagach Ridge

In reply to drolex:

O.K. so you need to put a twist on what he already knows. So stick with the Ben but sell him the idea of scrambling/climbing all the great ridges in a day; Castle, Tower, Observatory and North East buttress.

I am assuming that your both fit and being French were born with a natural flair for mountain enchainments.

In reply to drolex: If you want three good routes within a short distance and no driving
Ben Nevis CMD route
Glen Coe Annoach Aegach Ridge (Is that spelt right?) supposedly the best ridge walk / scramble in UK if you get the weather.

In reply to paulh.0776: as most of the problems with the 3 peaks challenge stem from the distances, night/tired/fast driving and not using local services your alternative is pretty odd. There is no real erosion or overcrowding on these peaks.