Welsh 3000s Challenge: What You Need to Know (Route, Fitness & Tips)

Fifteen mountains; twenty-four hours; one iconic Welsh 3000s Challenge. This mammoth hiking adventure takes you on a single continuous trek across all 15 of Wales’ 3,000ft+ Welsh mountains, deep in Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park—serving up steep climbs, rugged ridgelines, and breathtaking panoramic views along the way. If you’re considering hiking in North Wales and taking on this epic challenge, here’s what you need to know.

The Welsh 3000s Peaks

All fifteen peaks are located in Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park in North Wales and span three classic mountain ranges: the Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) massif, the Glyderau, and the Carneddau making this one of the most iconic hiking in North Wales routes across the Welsh mountains.

The Snowdon Massif

Snowdon, 3559ft

Garnedd Ugain, 3494ft

Crib Goch, 3028ft

The Glyderau

Glyder Fach, 3261ft

Glyder Fawr, 3284ft

Y Garn, 3106ft

Elidir Fawr, 3031ft

Tryfan, 3011ft

The Carneddau

Carnedd Llewelyn, 3490ft
Carnedd Dafydd, 3425ft
Pen yr Ole Wen, 3208ft
Foel Grach, 3202ft
Yr Elen, 3156ft
Foel-Fras, 3090ft
Garnedd Uchaf, 3038ft

The Welsh 3000s Route

The challenge typically begins with your first summit on Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), then continues across the Snowdon massif before pushing on to the five peaks of the Glyderau. From there, you finish in the Carneddau, wrapping up with Foel-fras an epic point-to-point journey through the heart of the Welsh mountains in Snowdonia.

The Welsh 3000s Map

The Welsh 3000s Distance

The route covers roughly 42 km (about 26 miles) with close to 3,000 meters of total ascent making this Snowdonia hiking adventure a serious one-day test across the Welsh mountains.

The Welsh 3000s Record

The Welsh 3000s record is an astonishing 4 hours 10 minutes, set in 2019 by Scottish fell-running champion Finlay Wild a reminder of just how fast this iconic Snowdonia route can be tackled at the elite level.

The Welsh 3000s Average Time

While some hikers choose to split the route into a steadier 2–3 day trek, the classic Welsh 3000s is the iconic 24-hour push. Most people complete it in around 18–22 hours just in time for a well-earned pint after this epic Snowdonia hiking adventure.

The Welsh 3000s Training

If you have time to train, focus on getting “hill fit” by gradually increasing your weekly walking mileage and building as much elevation as possible into your sessions. Adding some running can help too especially steady efforts on hills so you’re comfortable working hard for long periods on steep terrain.

If you join our tour, you’ll also have the option of an 8-week training plan to help you prepare. It’s not mandatory, but if you’re new to hill walking or hiking in the Welsh mountains, it’s strongly recommended to make the Welsh 3000s Challenge more comfortable, successful, and enjoyable.