Arguably one of the most popular hiking challenge hikes is the Yorkshire 3 peaks, which involves summiting the three highest peaks in Yorkshire. It takes you through beautiful countryside and stunning vistas, or so I’ve been told. The weather in February was truly appalling, definitely not the weather that you’d want for twelve hours of walking. Here’s some advice for other slightly masochistic walkers who decide to do it in winter.
Make sure your waterproof is up to scratch
We had about 7 hours of continuous heavy rain, and 12 hours of strong wind, naturally this meant wearing waterproofs all day. Without a solid waterproof jacket, the day would have been much more miserable and much more dangerous – in difficult conditions, it is scarily easy to get mild hypothermia. I’d recommend going for a full, winter weight shell over a lightweight summer waterproof. The extra weight and loss in breathability won’t be noticed but the water seeping through certainly will.
Prepare for numb hands
The wind made my hands all but useless – opening my rucksack proved to be a major challenge! Even when clad in thick gloves, the rain made it really challenging to keep the hands warm. To avoid hassle, make sure everything you’re going to need is easily accessible without needing to undo a load of straps, buckles or zips. I kept some snacks, hat and gloves, and my headtorch in my jacket pocket the whole time and it definitely made my life easier and saved some faff. Also, take some glove liners – it is shockingly difficult to get your soaking wet hands into gloves in gale force winds.
Ribblehead Train Station is my new favourite place
The wind was howling, the rain was coming down in bucket loads, it was agreed that a kayak would be more useful as a means of transport than our now achy feet. After 7 hours of near continuous walking in dreadful weather, the waiting room and Ribblehead train station was an absolute life saver. It provided shelter from the weather and some comfortable(ish) seats. If you’re in desperate need of a sheltered lunch spot, keep the waiting room here in mind, it saved our day and it may well save yours.
The darkness is a bit grim
We started walking at 7 in the morning and finished at 6.30 in the evening. This meant we spent about three hours walking in the dark. Darkness is strange, it both makes the hills seem special and it gives you a new perspective on them, but it also makes even simple tasks difficult and irritating, particularly at the end of a long day. To mitigate this, bring a good headtorch. It will make everything much easier. Also, I’d pack a spare headtorch, think about how difficult it will be to change your headtorch batteries in a gale.
It is a fantastic experience
As someone who had never been to Yorkshire before, this walk gave me a new appreciation of the area. I enjoyed all the walk and it is one of the best I’ve done outside of the classic, mountainous regions of the UK. I’d thoroughly recommend this to anyone who has done a bit of hiking, has good fitness and is looking for a challenge!
Oscar Outdoors 