Unsurprisingly, the Snowdonia Seven takes competitors to seven of the peaks in the Snowdonia National Park. This journey is approximately 22 miles in length and must be done in less than 10 hours to compete the challenge successfully. For the vast majority of the route the most straight-forward, quickest and safest route follows well-defined public rights of way.
Indeed, the rules require competitors to stay on these public rights, to ensure the safety of competitors, prevent damage and respect the rights of landowners who have kindly allowed the event to take place. There is however a section toward the finish that is a controlled section that is initially marked by flags.
Whilst the event is competitive, it is not a straight-forward fell race, there are a number of rules. The teamwork aspect is clearly evident in the rules – time penalties can be applied to teams that do not stay together and allowing a team member to drop out between check points can lead to disqualification. Safety is paramount and factors such as staying on marked routes and carrying sufficient spare clothing, food and other survival equipment are included in the rules to re-enforce this.
The brilliant video below, provides a great insight into the fun (and effort!).