When banter during a gentle weekend’s hiking with friends last October threw
up the idea of the Welsh 3000s challenge, two little words loomed large
instantly in Dave Catherall’s mind: Crib Goch.
“I live in Mold, north Wales, so Snowdonia is on my doorstep,” says Catherall,
40. “I knew Crib Goch’s reputation well. It’s one of Snowdonia’s most
treacherous mountains, basically a ridge, at 3,000ft (915m), sometimes only
a foot wide, and which has a sheer drop of 1,000ft to one side and a near
vertical slope plummeting 500ft to the other. I had already gone on record
as saying ‘Never!’ to that climb. And the Welsh 3000s challenge is to climb
all of Snowdonia’s 15 peaks over 3000ft, in three, two, or in some very
energetic cases, one day. We were going to try to do all of them in two
days.”
The beginnings of a plan came together among the weekend wanderers who had met
on corporate team-building exercises staged by the Audit Commission for
which they all worked. Although they are spread from Exeter to Cumbria,
orienteering, rafting and muddy rambling so bonded 20 participants that they
started to meet regularly for hiking weekends. “Distinctly leisurely ones,”
Catherall qualifies. “Ten or eleven-mile walks were typical, generally
pretty flat, in the Peak District, Snowdonia and, on that weekend, the
Brecon Beacons. We all know how to use a map and compass, and we know to
take the right kit. But none of us had done anything on this scale. We knew
just enough to expect no walk in the park.”
Concentrated in a relatively small area, all the peaks and stretches between
them can be tackled on foot, and the group’s most experienced mountaineer,
Martin Flint, researched and planned a two-day route. Fitness regimens were
ramped up: for Catherall, who keeps fit for his two passions, soccer and
skiing, this meant visiting the gym four times a week for six months,
raising the gradient on the treadmills and increasing cardiovascular
workouts from an hour to 80 or 90 minutes to build extra stamina. The
British Mountaineering Council advises a solid basic level of fitness
incorporating eight or more hours of cardiovascular exercise a week.
A final line-up of six women and 11 men, ranging in age from 26 to 42,
gathered on May 20 at a rented cottage in the village of Nant Peris, at the
foot of Crib Goch. A cosy pub supper and a couple of pints did little to
subdue that particular spectre for Catherall. “I barely slept that night.
Crib Goch was the first mountain on our route and right until the last
minute, at the very last fork in the path where you can change your mind, I
nearly bottled it. I wasn’t the only one who was scared but we joked with
each other through the approach.”
Catherall’s fears were entirely justified. “A brief hailstorm and then
increasing mist greeted us as we climbed higher and for the 40 or 50 minutes
that we were on that ridge, the moving clouds hiding, then revealing, then
hiding the sheer drops, I was utterly terrified. I was the only one anxious
enough to use a safety rope and harness and my heartfelt thanks go out to
Steve and Martin for taking the rope’s ends.”
Universal elation at leaving Crib Goch behind was soon tempered by the
unforeseen demands of the terrain, which ranged from straightforward hiking
slopes to “grade one scrambling”, climbing steep scree slopes and short
stretches of near-vertical rock face. The damage to their schedule was
terminal. Seven hours into Day 1 and they were running three hours late.
Aching thighs, tweaked knees, blisters and fatigue confirmed that the
two-day deadline was no longer possible and the group huddled to review the
situation.
Catherall was one of four still up for the original plan and, pushing on, they
notched up two more peaks, and a 13-hour day, before dinner. Others,
accepting that the challenge was out of reach, either opted to sit out the
afternoon so as to give a Sunday session their all, or went thrill-seeking
on more technical scrambling ascents. “Spirits stayed excellent,” Catherall
says. “And though everybody was disappointed not to have made a success of
the challenge, we all decided to get the best possible weekend out of it
that we could.”
Day two saw another amicable split and while some sought out new slopes,
Catherall and six others resumed the planned route, ticking off another six
of the big 15 peaks. “Physically, I felt OK,” Catherall remembers. “Yes, my
legs were aching and there were blisters under both of my feet but, with
Crib Goch behind me, I felt strong enough for the rest. Some were limping by
the end of the second day and some knees were sore, but there were no
injuries and the muscle pain eased after three or four days.”
Seven challengers left on Sunday night as the nine-to-five week loomed. But
for one of the ten who slept extremely soundly in Nant Peris that night, all
was still to play for. “Living so close, I was able to stay for the Monday
and try to climb the last three peaks,” Catherall says. Next morning,
however, gusts of wind topping 55mph ruled out his final bid.
So far, anyway. “Would I do it again?” asks Catherall. “I’d have to give it
serious thought, especially Crib Goch. But I said never once before. So I
guess that means, er, probably.”
FANCY IT?
Though not regulated, the Welsh 3000s is a recognised challenge in the worlds
of hiking and mountaineering. Routes are about 30 miles (48km) long, with an
overall vertical ascent of over 11,500ft (3,500m). Participants can organise
their own attempt or companies such as High Trek Snowdonia
(www.hightrek.co.uk), Snowdonia Adventures (www.snowdonia-adventures.co.uk)
and SerenVentures (www.serenventures.com) offer guiding-only or
all-inclusive three-day itineraries from £150 to about £300.
Accommodation A good starting point for researching the many
rental properties and hotels available is www.walesindex.co.uk
Route Various routes are available online:
www.walksnowdonia.co.uk/snowdonia/threes.htm
Kit Apart from a safety rope and harness (about £65 for both
from sports shops), maps and a compass, no specialist kit is required. Good
hiking boots are crucial, as are a set of waterproofs and clothing layers
for all conditions. A first-aid kit is a good idea.
Food Meals with plenty of carbs (bread, pasta, rice and
potatoes) will give you the slow-burning energy for hiking. Sandwiches and
snacks such as fruit and chocolate are useful boosters.
Training Visit the British Mountaineering Council’s website
www.thebmc.co.uk for info.
Reading The Welsh Three Thousand Foot Challenges, by
Roy Clayton and Ronald Turnbull (Grey Stone Books)
