Freelance journalist Flemmish Webb and Trail photographer, Tom, came up as part of research for an article for Trail magazine. The article will highlight some of the impacts caused to the UK's three highest peaks when people do the Three Peaks Challenge (usually these are charity events where teams are sponsored to walk up the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales). With Ben Nevis being both the UK's highest peak and Scotlannd's highest peak it gets a huge amount of traffic from these events. There is much debate about whether these events are a 'good thing'; on the one hand they introduce a lot of people to hill walking, but on the other for the communities that live by the Scafell Pike, Snowdown and Ben Nevis badly run events can create a lot of disruption with coach loads of people arriving at all hours, leaving litter etc. So the Trail article - possibly to come out in the June issue - should be informative.

I'd recommend taking your time on hills - that way you get to see wildlife, flowers and enjoy a wilderness experience.

Flemmich and Tom took their time going up the Ben by the North Face with local guide Alan Kimber and the next day took a walk in slightly driech weather to Steall Falls, where they tried their hand on the wire bridge - we had had some wet weather so the water below was flowing un-nervingly fast!