Motorhome Hire for Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge is one of the most popular walking challenges in Britain. The circular route covers 24.5 miles and climbs the three highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales - Pen-y-ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres), and Ingleborough (723 metres) - with the traditional target of completing the circuit within twelve hours. It is a serious undertaking that demands fitness, preparation, and determination, but the sense of achievement at the finish is immense. From our depot at Heath's Motorhome Hire in Pontefract, the starting point at Horton-in-Ribblesdale is approximately one hour and fifteen minutes north-west via the A65.

The route traditionally begins and ends at the Pen-y-ghent Cafe in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, a small village in the upper Ribble Valley that has become the unofficial headquarters of the challenge. The cafe operates a clocking-in and clocking-out system, recording your start and finish times and issuing a certificate to anyone who completes the circuit within twelve hours. The route is waymarked and well-trodden, but it crosses exposed moorland and mountain terrain where weather can change rapidly, and proper navigation skills, waterproof clothing, and sturdy boots are essential.

Pen-y-ghent is usually tackled first, its distinctive lion-shaped profile rising steeply from the valley floor. The climb is direct and involves a short section of easy scrambling near the summit, where hands are needed to negotiate the rocky steps. The views from the top, stretching across the Ribble Valley to Ingleborough and beyond, give you your first sense of the scale of the challenge ahead. From Pen-y-ghent, the route drops north to Ribblehead, crossing farmland, moorland, and the flanks of the valley before arriving at the famous Ribblehead Viaduct.

The Ribblehead Viaduct, carrying the Settle-Carlisle Railway across the valley on 24 arches, is one of the finest pieces of Victorian engineering in England and a welcome landmark roughly a third of the way through the walk. Whernside, the highest of the three peaks, rises beyond the viaduct. The ascent follows a flagged path up the long southern ridge, and the summit, marked by a trig point and a stone wall, offers views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District on a clear day. The descent from Whernside is steep and can be slippery in wet conditions, dropping down to the Hill Inn at Chapel-le-Dale.

Ingleborough, the final peak, is the most distinctive in shape and arguably the most satisfying to climb. Its flat summit plateau, the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, provides a dramatic finish to the ascent. On a clear day, the views from the top encompass the full sweep of the Dales, the Bowland fells, and the distant Lakeland mountains. The descent back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale follows a well-flagged path through limestone country, and the sight of the village below as you approach the end is one of the most welcome views in British walking.

A motorhome from Heath's is the ideal base for the Three Peaks Challenge. Park at one of the campsites near Horton-in-Ribblesdale - Knight Stainforth Hall Campsite and Holme Farm Campsite are both within a short drive - and you have a comfortable base to prepare the evening before, store your kit, and recover afterwards. The luxury of returning to a hot shower, a proper meal, and a warm bed after twelve hours on the hills is difficult to overstate. Many walkers find that a motorhome eliminates the logistical stress of the challenge, letting you focus entirely on the walk.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks can be completed at any time of year, but the most popular months are between April and October, when the days are long enough to complete the circuit in daylight. The annual Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge charity event, organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, takes place each spring and attracts thousands of walkers. If you prefer a quieter experience, tackling the route on a midweek day outside school holidays gives you the paths largely to yourself.

Preparation is key. Train on shorter walks in the weeks before your attempt, building up distance and elevation gain. Carry sufficient food and water for the full day - there are no shops or reliable water sources on the route between Horton and the finish. Energy bars, sandwiches, nuts, and at least two litres of water per person are minimum requirements. A head torch is essential if you expect to be walking into the evening, and a fully charged phone with an offline OS map is a sensible backup to your physical map and compass.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks is more than a walk - it is a test of character that rewards you with some of the finest upland scenery in England. Whether you are training for charity, testing your fitness, or simply ticking off one of the great British outdoor challenges, a motorhome from Heath's Motorhome Hire gives you the perfect base camp. Collect from our Pontefract depot, drive to the Dales, and prepare for a day you will never forget.