Training and Preparation

Its never too late to start training, though with the time remaining, I’d avoid starting weight training as a means of developing fitness for the challenge; the risk of injury outweighs the benefits with less than a month to go. The best prep at this point will be getting out, in the footwear you plan to wear on the day and getting some miles in.
This serves to break in your chosen footwear and condition your body to the arduous nature of the challenge.

You will be carrying your own food, water and waterproofs on the hill, so consider carrying these on your training walks.

Kit and Equipment

Footwear- The ground is, in parts steep, undulating, uneven and quite possibly wet underfoot. You will eventually be operating on “auto pilot” and be less considerate of foot placement. Anything less than a walking boot will increase the risk of an ankle injury in the event you lose your footing. Trainers, trail shoes, high heels and flippers will not help you on the hill!

Gore-Tex boots are more expensive and will keep your feet dry from water ingress. However, they often won’t allow your feet to breath, so on a hot day your feet will still be wet from sweat! Selection is a personal preference but if you aren’t planning on doing much trekking after the challenge, I’d suggest an inexpensive pair of properly broken in, canvas walking boots would suffice. Example: Waterproof boots

Footcare

Although injury is highly unlikely, the risk of blisters and hot spots is not. These can be mitigated by ensuring the boots you choose have been worn and trained in before you arrive. Your feet and new boots need more than a casual introduction before they start a 24 hour relationship!
Carry a small pack of Compeed Blister plasters. Compeed plasters These are extremely effective when a blister starts to develop and depending on the severity of the blister, can make the difference between completing the challenge and having a long, lonely wait in the mini bus!

Ensure toenails are neatly trimmed. If they protrude beyond the edge of the toe, its quite possible you may lose the offending nail. Descents force the toes to impact with the boot. If the nails are too long, it acts as a bumper and absorbs some of the impact. Eventually, it may just fall away. Trim your nails!

Spare Boot Laces- you may not need them, but if a lace snaps before an ascent and you have no back up, that could be a real threat to your ability to complete the challenge. They are inexpensive to buy, weigh nothing and you’ll probably find them at the bottom of your ruck sack in 6 months and roll your eyes! But you’ll be glad you have them if you need them.

Trousers/Shorts

I climbed Scafell this month and it was very hot. I wore shorts and was perfectly comfortable. Many walking trousers have zips at knee level which give both options. For the night climb, I would suggest full length trousers would be advisable rather than shorts. Which ever you opt for, they should be light weight and give you sufficient range of motion to be able to scramble up hill. Example: mens-walking-trousers

Base Layer

Avoid wearing cotton next to the skin for the challenge. The adage “cotton kills” exists because cotton retains sweat, will stay wet and in the (unlikely) event that temperatures drop to zero on Scafell Pike, will suck the warmth straight out of your core!

Instead, opt for a sweat wicking base layer which will pull the sweat away from your body and allow it to evaporate. Example: Mens base layer tshirt
Warm Layer- Carried in your ruck sack, this will only come out if the temperature drops or we need to stop on the hill for a short period. A sweat shirt will suffice, but a light weight down type jacket is preferable.

Waterproof Layer- Again, carried in your rucksack and only brought out if the weather demands it. Avoid wax “Barbour” type jackets and instead opt for a light weight, packable waterproof. Gore Tex is ideal but can be expensive. We may be lucky and we have no rain at all, but nothing saps morale quite as effectively being stuck in the rain with no means of keeping dry and you’ve got 4 hours before you’re back in a warm dry mini bus!

Hat/Gloves

The temperatures may not call for a warm hat and gloves but keeping them in your jacket pockets is never a bad idea. Because of the predicted heat, a cap is advisable to keep the sun off your head.
Headtorch- As part of the challenge is conducted during the night hours, a head torch is advisable. A handheld torch will prevent you from using your hands if you need to scramble and will likely sustain damage in the event of trip or fall.

Sanitary Points

After the first hill, everyone will be sweaty and starting to smell. Baby wipes for a cheeky little car park wash and roll of deodorant will go a long way!

Ladies, click this link to avoid having to crouch behind the nearest rock on the hill!