Rail leaders attend Railway Children and Ashurst LLP networking breakfast
We recently hosting the first Rail Leaders Networking Breakfast with Ashurst, bringing together rail leaders from across the sector.
Date: 02/7/2025
Tackling the Three Peaks by Rail challenge
Follow the Three Peaks by Rail challenge through the eyes of one of our incredible supporters, Matthew Durbin.
Follow the Three Peaks by Rail challenge through the eyes of one of our incredible supporters, Matthew Durbin.
Date: 8th August 2024
“It was the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken. I have never been more exhausted than when I was descending Ben Nevis…”
Setting off
After meeting at Euston, Esther, Chris and I travelled up to Crewe where we met Dave. We gathered on Platform 12 for registration. We picked up our event T-Shirts, GPS trackers and armbands. There were 40 teams of four, so 160 people in total doing the challenge.
I couldn’t help noticing that most of the other people were considerably younger than me. They also looked like they did lots of running around and sporty stuff in their spare time!
Porterbrook, the rolling stock company, sponsored the event, while Locomotive Services Limited provided the train for the next two days. It consisted of old First Class carriages. Each team had a set of six seats, home for the next two days.
We settled in and, after a group photo, we set off to Bangor at 19:00. The organisers gave everyone goodie bags with sweets and energy bars. Chris, as organised as ever, wrote our names on the bags. He titled mine ‘Captain Matthew’. That nickname stuck because I insisted everyone use it.
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)
We got to Bangor at 21:30 and were then took a bus to the Pen y Pass at the foot of Snowdon. The coach was full of loud chatter as excited walkers looked forward to the first hike.
After kitting up, we started our walk at 22:25. The advice from our guide was ‘Be bold, go cold’. In other words, start with fewer clothes, and then layer up as you progress. The temperature felt cool at the start, so I didn’t go cold enough, and pretty soon I was too warm. First mistake!
The three hikes all have cut-off times. This is when you must turn back and return to the start, irrespective of whether you have reached the summit. This enables enough time for everyone to get back to the train before it sets off. For Snowdon it was 00:45, so we had two hours and twenty minutes to reach the summit. Google Maps estimates the 4.2 mile walk to the summit to be 2 hours 27 minutes, so from the off we were up against the clock.
Walking at night is strange. You sense there is an amazing scenery.
Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man are visible on a good day. But not at night. Visibility is as far as your headtorch range, which is not very far. If you don’t have a head for heights that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We walked along a very high cliff at one point, oblivious to the drop next to us.
On the way up, navigation was not a big issue. There was a stream of lights in front of us which we followed. The event team had also laid markers so we could also see which way we were going.
We ascended and descended via Pyg track. This varies from being a clearly defined path to a completely undefined scramble across rocks. At nighttime this is disconcerting. Several times we had to take stock of where we were, and inch forward across the rocks.
The top of the route of Snowdon
For most of the walk, the weather was very tame, with little wind. But when we started the final ascent, the weather hit us. From calm conditions on Pyg track, suddenly we had 50mph winds and horizontal rain, blowing in from the Irish sea.
We knew we were close to the summit, but the final stretch seemed to go on and on. All the time we were checking our watches to make sure we got there before the cut off time. Which we did, with just nine minutes to spare.
The descent was a whole new challenge.
All the teams were spread out. So, navigation by following distant headtorches was not an option. Luckily we had the event team’s markers.
As tough as old boots
As we edged our way down, finding a marker was greeted with an excited cheer – assurance that we were on the right track.
I started losing the grip on my left boot. It was starting to peel off at the start of the walk, and by the end of the descent it has completely come off. I tried using some duct tape, which didn’t work. I would have to find another solution.
We eventually got back to Pen y Pass with a few minutes to spare before the buses left. Enough time for a quick hot chocolate in the café (they kindly open overnight every year for this challenge).
We were bussed back to the train ready for the 4.5 hour trip to Ravenglass in the Lake District. As the train left, all the earlier excited chatter had died down. Everyone seemed to be trying to get some sleep before breakfast at 07.00. In contrast I was trying to use the wonders of the internet to find another set of boots. I failed. But I did manage to get about 10 minutes sleep!
Ravenglass
We arrived at Ravenglass at 09:00. We made the short walk to the narrow gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale steam railway. We were crammed into tiny carriages for the 40-minute journey. It was a special trip, travelling through beautiful Lake District woods. This took us to Dalegarth, the terminating station for the narrow gauge railway.
There were two hikes for the day. The first was a five-mile hike from Dalegarth to Wasdale National Trust Campsite. This is on the edge of Wast Water. (Fun question – how many lakes are there in the Lake District? Answer at the end!)
After a few photos of the train, and other getting-ready-for-the-day tasks, we set off just before 10.00. It was a pleasant walk, but it was still physically tough. There was still a substantial amount of climbing – nearly 300 meters. We were also keen to get a good pace, to give ourselves as much time as possible to get up and down Scafell Pike. We were continually overtaking other hikers. This requires acceleration, using even more energy.
On the boot front, things got even worse for me.
The grip on my right boot became detached and fell off. I now had poor grip on both boots. Not ideal. In fact, when later I showed them to one of the lead guides, his face went white. Clearly a poor choice to not buy new boots before starting the Three Peaks.
At the end of the walk Cat from Railway Children took this photo in front of Wast Water. In this photo we all look happy. And we probably were all happy. A little tired perhaps, but ready for the next challenge – up and down Scafell Pike.
So, after a spot of lunch we set off. The weather wasn’t too bad, but there was lowish cloud so we couldn’t see the top.
Scafell Pike
Unlike night time on Snowdon, where it is essential the team sticks together, during day time you can go at your own pace.
The path on Scafell Pike is obvious, the route is well marshalled, and there are lots of other hikers.
For me, ascent is about cardiovascular fitness. Being able to keep an elevated heart rate over an extended period is essential. Descent is about lower body strength. Your body crashes down step after step after step. Something that plays to the strengths of those young runny-aroundy people.
I made very slow progress and found painful, particularly on the hard stone and gravel floor. Luckily, one of the guides pointed out a grassy route that was much quicker. Although with my gripless boots, staying on my feet was getting tricky.
After 2 hours and 9 minutes, I finally got to the end.
Every muscle in both legs was aching. I slowly staggered to the minibus that took us to the Ratty Arms pub at Ravenglass. I barely had the strength to get in and then out of the minibus. Rarely had chips and orange juice, beer and lime & soda tasted so good. I found it hard to believe that less than 24 hours ago we were at Crewe station, ready to start our adventure.
“Working up an appetite before supper”
At about 18:30 the train arrived, and we dived on ready to set off. Yesterday’s excited chatter across the train was gone. Pure fatigue was setting in.
Food was served and people started to get to sleep. Not me. I was busy updating Strava for the hikes we had undertaking. “Another afternoon stroll. Working up an appetite before supper,” is how I described the descent from Scafell Pike.
Just as I was settling down for another night of little or no sleep, I received a text from my wife. It simply said “Don’t call me at 2 in the morning tonight”. I thought it was a strange request. When I looked in my call history, the mystery was solved.
In looking for Dave on Snowdon the previous night, I had indeed called my wife at 2 in the morning. And my parents. And my youngest child’s school. And several other numbers who I have no idea who they belong to. Oh well, locking one’s phone is not top priority in a storm at the top of a mountain.
Fantastic volunteers
Before the next leg, I should really discuss the volunteers who worked on and off the train, ensuring the whole event could happen. They were fantastic. They provided the food and refreshments and helped with issues. Without their involvement, there would be no event.
Beinn Nibheis (Ben Nevis)
I am not the greatest at getting to sleep at the best of times, never mind on a moving train. However, somehow I did fall asleep. As we were woken, we were given some bad news. The train was 45 minutes late. This meant 45 minutes less to tackle Ben Nevis. If we started later, we would get no additional time. This meant a quick start was essential.
While we had been at the back of the queue when we started the previous two hikes, getting a head start was the priority. So, we got off the train first, onto the bus first, ignored an instruction to load the bus from the back… every cheap trick.
While the Snowdon hike was staggering around in the dark, Scafell a slog, Ben Nevis is a time trial.
It is a 10-mile hike, there and back. And over 1,300 metres to climb. Again, another strict turnaround time of 08:45. This meant we were constantly checking our watches during the hike.
We had to keep walking as much as possible.
And that was that!
…well sort of.
It was a 10-hour trip through the Highlands, Lowlands and the North of England to Crewe. Lots of music. Playing card games that we only knew half the rules of. Doing a very half-hearted conga. And plenty of refreshment. It was one of those train journeys that I didn’t really want to end.
The Three Peaks by Rail 2024 was an amazing experience. So many great memories. Such a short time.
Feeling inspired and ready to take on the challenge? Register your interest below for our next Three Peaks by Rail event.
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