This years Three Peaks Challenge had the largest number of entrants so far in the Challenges short history. With the huge variety of off-roading available it appeals to people with every level of experience. This coupled with fabulous organisation and of course the opportunity to mix with like-minded people for a weekend of dirty fun in Ireland makes the event unmissable.

An assortment of 48 vehicles was assembled to take on the challenge this year. The vehicles ranged from standard Land Rover 90’s with just a winch, to 6.2L V8 Ibex’s, bristling with off-road accessories. Wrangler Jeeps, Toyota Land cruisers, a Mercedes G Wagon, and a Suzuki Samurai all lined up to take part.

Teams with four vehicles in each are organised, these teams can include groups of people that would usually be rivals during competitive events, teams that would normally run together, or even teams made up of friends yet to be made. For sure, everyone involved will have created new friendships before the end of the event.

The routes and challenges are organised and memorised by Jimmy Deane, with the assistance of the other members of the Munster 4x4 off-road experience club. Jimmy has built up an incredible knowledge of the mountains used for the challenge over a period of more than ten years of off-roading and years previous to this of rallying. His amazing ability to memorise the forestry means the event can be organised in as little as 5 to 6 weeks, this ensures that considerations can be made to the routes regarding the weather conditions and safety. Anyone who has had the privilege of sitting in with or even following Jimmy across the mountains cannot help but be rendered speechless by his familiarity with the terrain.

The event was based at the Hibernian Hotel in Mallow, close to Ballyhoura, Nagle and Bweeng mountains. These three mountains made up the event ground of approximately 25,000 acres of useable forestry; each team started this year on virgin terrain. The challenge is set out as a one way travelling circle; this prevents teams meeting head-on on any narrow forestry lanes, and with more punches than teams on each mountain reduces the traffic at each challenge area. Under the surface leaves and fallen branches under-wheel (or foot) was different with each mountain.

Bweeng Mountain is the smallest of the three at about 5,000 acres; the leafy carpet here hides rock and bog. Long winch pulls on the very first section I saw got the co drivers ready for a weekend full of action. Trees are used as natural brakes for vehicles whilst winch ropes are rerouted. Unfortunately for some unlucky co-drivers their drivers didn’t stop long enough to pick them up before tackling the steep rocky third climb of this particular challenge. The next section proved how quickly the ground could turn boggy, after just three vehicles the ground was soft enough that any vehicle that lost momentum needed winch assistance to get them out. Somewhere within each challenge there would be the grid reference points to the next starting point and also a punch or marker to be collected for the event points.

Bweeng and Nagle mountains were tackled as half-day challenges, 5 punches available on Bweeng and 6 on Nagle kept the teams busy. Nagle Mountain is predominantly rock based and here the vehicles were frequently running in, across, and round watercourses. The winch pulls were frequent and short and often involved negotiating around twisty tree sections. Punctures and half shafts were repaired almost mid section and this kind of minor set back saw the team spirit really kick in as everyone pitched in to help other team mates catch up once repairs had been made.

With the event being non-competitive it was interesting to observe how different teams tackled the challenge. Some teams developed natural leaders quickly and ran using the front-runner as the example to follow. Others rotated the vehicle order through the challenges giving the team members with less experience an equal opportunity to tackle the challenges as they saw fit, but, always under the watchful eyes of the more experienced. There were also the teams that everyone joined in and every voice could be heard giving advice.

Ballyhoura Mountain was set up as a full day challenge; with approximately 12,000 acres and 21 punches in total it astonishes me that it was possible to pinpoint the teams. The sandy base here slowed everyone down; the most punches collected here in the two days were 10. Ballyhoura in general seems to be less densely forested and it is more possible to see vehicles slip sliding across the landscape towards the next punch, or even to watch in great detail the movements of a vehicle getting bogged down and subsequently recovered with the perseverance of the winch men, climbing trees and wading mud or climbing over vehicles to place, move, retrieve winch cables, strops, snatch blocks etc.

The weather this year did not give any opportunity to see the wonderful panoramas this area of Ireland can offer, but that was not the attraction this weekend. Camaraderie, fun, good organisation and fantastic off-roading are what will bring people back year after year, this event has all those elements in abundance and I am positive it will continue to grow in popularity. Get your name down early for next years Steve Maddison Three Peaks Challenge.

© Fiona Richardson