Taking on the Welsh 3000s

A Team Challenge for Cavendish Ware

When you spend your working days together, you quickly get to know one another around the office. But spending three days climbing mountains, navigating narrow ridges and sharing a hostel with very little sleep is a sure way to really get to know your colleagues!

Recently, seven members of the Cavendish Ware team, joined by family and friends, took on the Welsh 3000s – one of the UK's most iconic mountain challenges. Over three days, the team covered 35 miles, climbed almost 15,000 feet and spent more than 24 hours exposed to the elements on the mountains. There were 4.45am alarms, strong winds and aching legs… as well as plenty of laughs along the way.

What is the Welsh 3000s?

For those unfamiliar with the challenge, the Welsh 3000s involves climbing all 15 mountains in Wales that stand over 3,000 feet (914 metres). The route takes walkers through some of the most spectacular scenery in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, including the Glyders, the Carneddau and the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon).

Many experienced hikers complete the route over two or three days, making it one of the UK's best-known endurance challenges… certainly no walk in the park!

It is one of the UK’s toughest challenges and is only considered suitable for experienced hikers… certainly no walk in the park!

Three Days, Fifteen Peaks

Saturday's challenge began with Crib Goch – arguably the most intimidating part of the entire route. Its famous knife-edge ridge is enough to make even the most experienced walkers stop and think, particularly in windy conditions. Although Saturday was very blustery, thankfully, the mist meant the dramatic drops weren't always visible, and everyone crossed safely before continuing on to Garnedd Ugain and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon).

Sunday proved to be the toughest day physically. Nearly ten hours on the mountains saw the team tackle Elidir Fawr, Y Garn, Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach and the technical scramble up Tryfan. Sadly, one member of the group had to withdraw because of a knee injury, but everyone else managed to dig deep and complete another demanding day.

Monday started very early to allow time for the long drive back home later that day. Seven more peaks still stood between the team and the finish. After completing the Carneddau range, there was a final five-mile walk back to the cars left at Llanfairfechan before the challenge was finally complete.

The team had hoped to celebrate with a well-earned drink at the finish. Instead, after three days in the mountains, they discovered there wasn't a single place open. It wasn't quite the ending they'd imagined, but by then simply finishing felt like enough of a reward.

More Than Reaching the Summit

Ask anyone who took part what they'll remember most, and you'll probably get a different answer.

For some, it was crossing Crib Goch. For others, it was the challenge of Tryfan, the changing weather or simply putting one foot in front of the other after another early start. What everyone agreed on, though, was how supportive the group had been from beginning to end.

The team included experienced mountain walkers alongside people taking on by far their biggest hiking challenge to date. There was no race to the top and no expectation that everyone would move at the same pace. People waited for one another, offered encouragement when the climbs became tougher and celebrated every summit together.

One of the guests who joined the trip afterwards summed it up perfectly:

"It was such a privilege and pleasure to meet you all, get to know you a little and share such laughter, encouragement, motivation and banter. I think it is amazing that Cavendish Ware enables such a fantastic bonding event and it was great to see everyone getting on."

It's difficult to think of a better reflection of the weekend than that.

Why Experiences Like This Matter

At Cavendish Ware, we believe that building a positive company culture goes beyond the workplace. Shared experiences like the Welsh 3000s challenge help colleagues connect, support one another and create lasting memories that strengthen our team.

Whether someone was navigating a challenging mountain ridge, offering encouragement after a long climb or simply keeping spirits high with plenty of humour along the way, everyone played an important role in making the weekend a success.

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part. Tackling the Welsh 3000s is an incredible achievement, and we're proud of every member of the team who embraced the challenge.

We're already looking forward to seeing what adventure comes next.