A pair of experienced hiking guides are challenging members of the public to take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks with them this September.

Hikers Ben Osborne and Gareth Phillips, who together run Take A Hike, took on their own challenge in June, trekking the entire 109-mile route of the Cleveland Way in just three days and raising over £1,500 to benefit the North East Autism Society (NEAS).

Now the duo are inviting the public to lace up their walking boots and take on the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge with them on Saturday 14th September.

Ben said: “It’s kind of a doubleheader event if you like, we want to continue to fundraise for NEAS through it.”

While the Cleveland Way hike saw Ben and Gareth cover around 36-miles of rugged terrain a day, walkers taking on the Three Peaks will need to prepare for a 26-mile circular route in the tough, but achievable, challenge.

For anyone interested in rising to the challenge and taking part in the Three Peaks, Ben said getting started with training is as easy as stepping out your front door.

“That’s the absolute crux of walking and why we think it’s such an important thing to promote to people. You don’t need special kit, just start walking,” said Ben.

If you’re not a walker at all you want to consider a five-mile walk, and then just look to edge that up over a series of weeks to ten miles.

Ben advises potential walkers to stay aware of any issues they encounter that could lead to injuries, while gradually increasing the distance they walk to 15 miles.

“At 15 miles you’ll know whether you’re able to do it or not, and we have events going all the time that people can sign up to and we’ll guide them around.”

Both guides have extensive experience, Ben is a qualified Mountain Leader and Gareth is working towards a qualification, and wanted to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with others when they founded Take A Hike.

Take A Hike offers guided walks to the public, as well as to charities and organisations, with the aim of encouraging fundraising and giving back to local and regional charities such as NEAS.

“It’s also trying to promote the benefits, physical and mental of being out in the countryside,” said Ben.

Participants in the Three Peaks Challenge are encouraged to fundraise for NEAS, but there is no minimum fundraising obligation, and the Take A Hike team hope to work with the Society in future events as well.

Ben said: “We want to be in partnership with local charities, not just deliver the event and move onto the next one, it’s about building the relationships because that’s how you can best support people.”

Now that diagnosis is becoming more widely known about, autism is something that is increasingly affecting everybody and it’s an important cause because of that, but one that gets overlooked because it’s not a physical difficulty. It needs support.

If you are interested in taking on the Three Peaks Challenge, more information can be found at https://www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/yorkshirethreepeaks2024.

Registration costs £37.50, but Take A Hike are offering a £12 discount for anyone who signs up to fundraise in support of NEAS, using the promotional code NEAS12.

Places are limited, so participants are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment.