Ok as mentioned on here 6-7 weeks ago, I’m doing the UK National 3 peaks challenge in under a week, any final tips from anyone who may have done it before?

Oh and for anyone who has done it before, is it do-able (on the way down) in running trainers? I suffered a little with my knees going downhill at the end of a 14 mile training walk. I was wearing the boots that I plan to do the walk in, but wondered if my running trainers may cushion the blows on the way down.

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Yup, you can use trainers for all of them. Though on scafel pike a bit of ankle protection might help to avoid ankle scuffing.
Wouldn’t have thought the cushioning will make any practical difference though. If your knees are suffering on downhills, a pair of walking poles will be far more effective at pain relief in the available time.

I’ve run it, doable in road shoes on all 3 mtns and not far off the best choice of shoe if you are planning to run it. Although I’ve since bought some inov8 trail shoes and they are the best choice.

Tips – eat as much as you can after each mountain and then sleep as much as you can on the road, if you are running you will feel like poo coming off snowdown.

We did it in around 20 hours but were held up for 2 hours in traffic which was annoying. Climbing Scafell at dawn was amazing.

I know there is a lot of anti 3 peaks spiel, and we met a lot of inexperienced walkers in big groups on the hills, but it was a great challenge for me and a mate living in Scotland and a good opportunity to get together, good luck!

After failing it a few w/e’s ago (when it was 100mph winds in Scotland!), I’d say the weather is the key 🙂 We started BN which was very windy and cold (lots of snow and sideways sleet at top). I was wearing an old cycle jacket, cycle trousers, cycle gloves and trail running shoes. We walked up and ran down, although some parts you could easily twist and ankle on. My hands were frozen at the top – thicker gloves needed, although my hands really do suffer in cold (my finger tips are still numb+tingly now). Also try and have a No2 before climbing – I think I had the highest turd in Britain that day (which was a nightmare with blocks of ice rather than hands)!
When we got to Scafell (6.5 hrs later), the weather had got worse. 2/3 of way up, the rain camedown very hard. We took what looked the short route up (Lords Rake as it turns out) and it was almost rock climbing in torrential rain. Came out near top in such high winds we had to hold onto rocks and scarper when the winds dropped. Couldnt see jack all. We made it to the top, but I’d already decided it was not worth starting Snowdon at 2am in the conditions. Our navigators took us down the wrong decent whilst being hurried down, people panicked, we got stuck on a scree slope and it was soon to get dark. Fortunately I had my Viewranger phone and managed to get us down for 22:30. We were drenched and shaken. We abandoned mission.

A team of 3 of us will be doing it again in July (1st good w/e) and start on Snowdon. Lessons learnt:
Prepare to abandon if weather isnt favourable
Better gloves
Better jacket, with pockets for quick access
Always use my Viewranger in bad conditions or unsure of were you are
Get waterproof case for phone
Go in a much smaller team (3-4)
Just because Scafell is smallest, its certainly not easiest. Easiest is the one with the best marked trail (BN, although not done Snowdon)
Have poo before ascending!

Good luck!

make sure you have prepped scafell; you’ll be doing it in the dark, you won’t have slept much, it’s not an obvious route unlike the others

I would save the trainers for snowdon – there is often snow at the top of Nevis and Scafell is smallish boulders that you could turn an ankle on

other than that, have fun!

Make sure you go up the right hills
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/862509-dozy-three-peaks-climbers-pick-wrong-mountain-get-injured-then-lost