YOUR 3 PEAKS TOOLKIT

6 GOLDEN RULES

1 LEAVE NO TRACE

Take whatever you bring to the mountains home with you, whether organic or not. If you need to wee do it away from water sources, and if you need to do a number two pack some nappy bags and toilet paper. Do not leave it on the mountain!

2 MINIMISE YOUR IMPACT

Try to keep the size of your group under 10 to reduce pressure on the local communities, and when walking keep strictly to the paths to minimise erosion from the 30,000 pairs of boots that take this challenge every year.

3 AVOID PEAK TIMES

By scheduling sensibly, you won’t add to the huge bottleneck of people who descend on rural communities during high season. Avoid bank holidays, school breaks and the summer solstice. And try not to arrive late at night and then leave early in the morning. These communities depend on tourist revenue.

4 DRIVE RESPONSIBLY

As well as looking after yourself and your companions (there are 470 miles between the three mountains), consider the impact of vehicles on these busy mountain regions. Park courteously at your destination, sticking to official car parks or designated parking bays.

DO NOT park on grass verges.

5 TAKE A PAPER MAP

There have been huge advances in digital navigation kit in recent years, but it’s still vital to take a detailed printed map and compass into the mountains with you. And, most importantly, know how to use them!

6 BE CONSIDERATE TO MOUNTAIN RESCUE

The Mountains Rescue teams that cover Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon are the busiest in the UK, so don’t mobilise them unless you absolutely have to. In the event of a genuine emergency that requires rescue, dial 999 and ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.