Warning after two die on Three Peaks in fortnight

A mountain rescuer has warned walkers of the potential dangers of taking on Yorkshire's Three Peaks following the recent deaths of two men on the route.

The men, both in their 50s, died on Pen-y-ghent and Whernside within a fortnight of each other earlier this month.

Mick Ellerton, from Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association, said while he did not want people to be "scared off", walking the Three Peaks "really is a challenge".

"People just need to be aware and it needs to be done safely," Mr Ellerton added.

One man, aged 50, died on 15 June at Pen-y-ghent, while another man, also in his 50s, died on 8 June on Whernside, another of the Three Peak mountains.

Mr Ellerton, a mountain leader, rock climbing instructor, and swiftwater rescue technician who works for an outdoor activities company in Yorkshire, said his thoughts and those of his colleagues "go out" to the families and friends of those who died.

While it was "not uncommon" for people to face problems while taking on challenges such as the Three Peaks, which on average takes between 10 to 13 hours to complete, "thankfully it doesn't happen often enough to put people off", he said.

Attempting challenges like the Three Peaks was important for people's mental and physical health, but participants needed to be aware of the risks, Mr Ellerton added.

Mountain rescuers were regularly called out to walkers who had got into difficulty, he said, and while sometimes these were due to pre-existing health conditions, minor injuries and even blisters could be enough to cause problems.

"It really does come down to preparation and how you look after yourself," Mr Ellerton said.

"My main advice is get yourself moving in the weeks and months beforehand."

Mr Ellerton said there had been a definite increase in people "pouring in" around Malham and the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales since the Covid pandemic.

"We don't want people to be scared off. It's certainly worth taking part in these challenges," he said.

"But people just need to be aware and it needs to be done safely. It really is a challenge."

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said it worked hard to maintain the paths in the area it covered.

They added that although the authority did not actively promote the Three Peaks route, maintaining the paths on about 62 square miles (160 sq km) of upland in the area was one of the organisation's "proudest achievements".

The first recorded attempt at walking all Three Peaks - Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough - in one day was in July 1877, with early achievements recorded in the Dalesman magazine in the 1940s and the route well-established by the 1960s.

Whernside rises to 2,415ft (736m) and Ingleborough reaches 2,372ft (723m), while Pen-y-ghent is 2,277 (694m) high at its peak.

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