Tips & Advice

Top fitness training tips for your challenge

October 13, 2020

Some of the questions we get asked most frequently at the Charity Challenge office are “how fit do I need to be to take on this challenge?” and “do you have any advice to help me with my fitness training?” These can be difficult questions for us to answer, as different people have different levels of fitness and varying physical conditions.

We understand that the best kind of advice you can get is from people who have been there, done that and have literally got the charity challenge T-shirt. So check out below for our top fitness tips from Charity Challenge leaders and participants on to prepare for your challenge.

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge

Before you start

Do not underestimate the importance of training before your challenge. Even if you are active and exercise regularly, it’s good to adapt your training towards your chosen challenge activity. This is vital in building strength, cardiovascular stamina and muscle endurance for the challenge ahead.

We provide plenty of additional information and guidance in your personalised login area, including warm up, stretching, cardiovascular training, exercise intensity, cross training, resistance (weight) training, cool down and the hazards of over-training.

We recommend you seek advice from a fitness professional, so as to develop a programme tailored to your needs, lifestyle and fitness level. Besides specifying the types of exercise, duration and intensity you need, a good trainer can also advise you on nutrition and diet.

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge
Image Credit – Jim Young

Training Principles

At the beginning of any training programme it’s always a good idea to establish your fitness objectives and goals. These should be realistic and achievable, but definitely challenging. Aiming too high will set you up for a failure, which could dent your enthusiasm for the challenge. It’s equally important not to overdo it and injure yourself. Review your objectives every couple of weeks to ensure you are still pushing yourself and adjust your programme where necessary.

Start your training programme as far in advance of your challenge as possible. We recommend a lead-time of at least 16 weeks prior to departure, but obviously this is not always possible so do your best to start as soon as you can. This will allow you time to build up your fitness level gradually, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge

Mix it up

Getting fit isn’t just about going to the gym, the more interesting you can make it for yourself, the more likely you are to stick with it! Join a sports team, take up a new hobby or start power-walking to work. Kilimanjaro conqueror Hanna mixed up her regime by doing a bit of running, swimming and cycling.

Previous Charity Challenger Ken made his time at the gym interesting by keeping it varied – “Before the trek I worked out 6 days/week combining spinning with overall body work out, treadmill, stair climber and yoga (for balance and centering myself).” The more varied you can make your training, the more parts of your body gets a workout and the more prepared you are to meet whatever your challenge throws at you!

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge
Image credit : Jennifer Payne

Train with your kit

One if the best ways you can prepare yourself for your charity challenge is by getting used to and training with your kit. Previous challenger Neil strongly recommends spending some time in your walking boots “I was able to walk to and from work and broke them in really well…Result for me was that I had no blisters during the trek.”

Previous challenger Becki also can’t recommend training with your kit enough, – “Training with the actual rucksack you will be using is a must! And training with the weight you will be carrying as well!” You can do lots of walking and trekking preparation, but if you don’t get yourself used to carrying the weight of your rucksack on your back it can be a real shock to you when you begin your challenge.

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge

Focus on the leg muscles

Whether you’re cycling, trekking or sledging, you are going to be really working your leg muscles on your charity challenge, so strengthening them up is a must! Hill-walking is a great way of working your leg muscles, building up your endurance and getting used to navigating uneven terrains, as Kilimanjaro trekker Phillip testifies of hill trekking, “what better way to train for climbing a mountain!”

This principle works for Cyclists as well, as Great Wall challenge cyclist Chris says, “get lots of big steep hills practice. I say if you can cycle most the cycle routes in the lakes you will be fine”. If you don’t have the time to disappear into the hillside, there are still lots of other things a little closer to home you can do to work up your leg muscles. If you work/live a couple of floors up, forgo the lift and start taking the stairs, get off a tube/bus stop early and walk the rest of the way home. Exercise Bikes, Elliptical Cross trainers and treadmills are also great gym equipment for working the leg muscles.

Charity Challenge - Top fitness training tips to prepare for your challenge

Sign up for Challenge Training

If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?

We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!

We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here

So there you have it! Take note of these tips and you should be well on your way to conquering your charity challenge and having the time of your life! For more top tips, and to learn more about all our charity challenges, please visit our website at www.charitychallenge.com, and, to keep up to date on all our challenge news, subscribe to this blog by clicking on the orange RSS button, you can also enter your email address into the adjacent box to subscribe to our mailing list.

Challenges, Latest News

Minds in the Wild challenge in association with Mad World

September 1, 2020

The team at Charity Challenge are delighted to share details of our first Minds in the Wild challenge in association with Mad World, to the outdoor adventure playground of The Scottish Highlands this September.

Now in its fifth successful year, Mad World is the global go-to solutions-focused conference and exhibition for employers who want to proactively support mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing. All funds raised will go to minds@work, a registered charity working to eradicate the stigma of mental illness and create a healthier working world.

This new Minds in the Wild challenge will see you complete three days of tough trekking over the mountains and through the glens of this spectacular part of the Scottish Highlands, whilst focussing on your mental and physical wellbeing. During each day’s trek, you will be afforded time to reflect and learn about your own wellbeing and ways to enhance it; as well as understand some of the best practices required to address the stigma of mental ill health in workplaces. This will occur through informal discussions during the challenge.

Based in the beautiful and remote Glen Lyon, near the town of Aberfeldy, there are three tough days of trekking to test your limits, before you get to celebrate your accomplishments. Over the course of the challenge, you will reach the summit of some of the highest mountains in the Highlands, trek through remote glens and around isolated lochs to experience the very best scenery in the area.

With fully qualified walking leaders, wellbeing ambassadors, and a fantastic camp crew to support you, you’ll have all the help you need to complete this incredible challenge.

For more information on the Mad World Scottish Highlands Challenge click here

Challenge Highlights

  • Three days of trekking in the mountains and glens of the Scottish Highlands
  • Trek some of the most challenging sections of the Rob Roy Way and summit Ben Lawers (1214m)
  • Learn of ways to maintain your wellbeing
  • Become ambassadors to addressing the stigma of mental ill health in your workplace
  • Raise funds for the charity minds@work

Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors

On this Mad World Scottish Highlands Challenge you will be joined by a number of respected mental wellbeing ambassadors who will support you and share thoughts and inspiration on improving your own mental wellbeing and that of your friends, family, and work colleagues.

Geoff McDonald

After 25 years with Unilever, Geoff left his role as Global VP of HR to devote his energy to ending the stigma of depression and anxiety in the workplace. As a speaker, a business transformation consultant, and co-founder of minds@work, he inspires leaders to embrace mental health and empower organisations to put purpose at their core and play their positive role in the world.

Further ambassadors to be announced…

For more information on the Mad World Scottish Highlands Challenge click here

Interested in learning more about Minds in the Wild?

Please watch the video above, or visit our website, call +44 (0)20 8346 0500 or email simon@charitychallenge.com.

For more of the challenges organised by Charity Challenge please visit www.charitychallenge.com  

Challenges

New UK & Ireland 2021 Challenges

August 12, 2020

In over 20 years of Charity Challenge, one of the most exciting things we’ve done was launching the UK challenge series. Since the series was launched, UK challenges have grown exponentially in popularity. The nation has learnt that we do not always need to hop on a plane for an amazing adventure!

We are blessed to have some of the most spectacular national parks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, coastal walks and trekking trails right on our doorstep. The UK & Ireland have so much to offer; a wide variety of gorgeous scenery, and plenty of tough hills and mountains to get your heart rate up and leg muscles burning!

The team at Charity Challenge have being working hard on numerous projects to help charities and supporters through this unsettling time. After the very successful launch of our Winter Season 2020/2021 UK Challenges we are very excited to launch to our NEW UK & Ireland 2021 challenges.

Get ready to explore more ways to push yourself to the limit, experience the challenge of a lifetime, and visit some exciting new destinations, whilst raising vital funds for a cause you are passionate about. 

Multi-day Trek Challenges

WEST HIGHLAND WAY CHALLENGE

Challenge yourself to complete one of the UK’s most popular long-distance treks, the West Highland Way. Trek 154km, and camp en-route, over seven days through the breath-taking and atmospheric scenery of the Scottish Highlands, experiencing incredible loch’s, stunning glen’s and dramatic highland mountains.

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH CHALLENGE

Join us for three days of trekking and camping along one of the toughest sections of the stunning South West Coastal Path. You will experience everything that this popular long-distance National Trail has to offer on this 65km trek, from remote beaches to rugged cliff tops and picturesque fishing villages – perfect for spotting Atlantic grey seals and dolphins!

Multi-day Cycle Challenges

COAST TO COAST CYCLE CHALLENGE

Be inspired by some of the most dramatic scenery England has to offer on this classic two-day bike ride from the west to east coast of the country. Departing from Whitehaven, this challenging itinerary stretches for 225 km, crossing through the Lake District, North Pennines, and the ancient fringes of Hadrian’s Wall, before reaching the North Sea at Whitley Bay.

TOUR DE CORNWALL

Join us and cycle over 320km’s from Penzance, via Land’s End, to Plymouth. This epic three-day cycle ride traverses the entire Cornish peninsula, from west to east and from north to south and all the while you will be surrounded by picturesque countryside, stunning villages and historic harbour towns.

Multi-Activity Challenges – Trek, Bike & Kayak

IRISH TRIPLE CHALLENGE

A breath-taking triple challenge in the Irish adventure playground of Killarney National Park – a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Cycle 55km along the famous Ring of Kerry, test yourself on a 1.5km kayak in the beautiful Killarney lakes and then trek 13km to the summit of Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil (1,038m), all in one incredible weekend of adventure.

1 Day Urban Challenges

London Royal Parks Challenge

LONDON ROYAL PARKS CHALLENGE

Challenge yourself to this marathon distance trek between the ten London Royal Park’s. This epic 42km route will take you across historic parkland and beautiful green spaces, while passing some of the finest architecture in London. From Richmond Park, along the banks of the River Thames, passing iconic Westminster and Buckingham Palace, before ending in Greenwich Park.

Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge

EDINBURGH 7 SUMMITS CHALLENGE

Take part in this tough 35km urban challenge set in the heart of Edinburgh. Experience hidden routes through this beautiful Scottish city and experience it from seven incredible viewpoints! You’ll follow historic waterways, forgotten railways, stop off at castles and palaces and climb to the summit of Arthurs Seat – an extinct volcano!

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE OUR FULL RANGE OF UK & IRELAND CHALLENGES

Visit Britain We’re Good to Go”

We are proud to have acquired the UK Industry Standard mark, “We’re good to go” in partnership with the Tourist Organisations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This means that our business has followed government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, has a risk assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

* T&C’S : Applies to first 10 bookings per challenge. UK 2021 Challenges included in the discount  – West Highland Way Challenge, South West Coast Path Challenge, Irish Triple Challenge, Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge, Tour de Cornwall, London Royal Parks Challenge and Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge. Offer expires 31 August 2020.

Tips & Advice

Five steps to fundraising for your challenge

August 7, 2020

Whether this is your very first fundraising challenge event or you’re a seasoned trekker, cyclist or mountain climber, follow the five steps below to help you raise as much as possible for your chosen charity.

1. CHOOSE A CHARITY THAT’S CLOSE TO YOUR HEART or that of a good friend or family member or a cause that you strongly believe in. You will be more motivated to crack on with your fundraising and you will find the whole fundraising process so much easier and rewarding. Break down your fundraising target and set yourself mini-financial milestones and the pathway of how you’re going to reach them. It’s far less daunting than the big figure.

2. SET UP AN ONLINE FUNDRAISING PAGE through the well renowned providers of Justgiving , Go Fund Me, or Everyday Hero. Each system is user friendly and provides step-by-step guides on how to set up your page. It’s a fast and secure way to donate, and you don’t need to handle any money as these providers send the fundraised monies straight to your charity. Remember to personalise your page with your story and photos!

Key tips when setting up your page to help boost your fundraising potential:

  • Tell your compelling story as to why you are fundraising for your chosen charity. People will be much more interested if they know your connection and motivations
  • Briefly explain why you are doing the challenge and highlight any key areas which will motivate people to sponsor you ie. lack of toilet facilities, no showers, the heat, the cold, camping etc
  • Tell people what your fundraising target is and what their contribution will help achieve for your charity
  • Treat your fundraising page like a blog by adding updates, photos and progress reports whenever you can
  • Communication is key. Send an email or pop up a Facebook post when you’ve updated your page, to let everyone know there are new things to see. People who have already sponsored you will be interested in how you’re getting on, and it’s a reminder for those who didn’t sponsor you the first time around to make a donation
  • Whilst you are building up to an incredible challenge, your fundraising forms part of your journey. Bring your family and friends on this journey with you and upload photos and footage of you training for your event. Images of you getting outside when it’s cold, dark, raining, before work or at weekends will really demonstrate your commitment to the cause and people will be inspired by that.

3. SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA and add it to your email signature plus ask your family and friends to do the same for you. Social media offers you a great way to promote your online page and the huge challenge that lies ahead for you. Not only is it quick and easy to use, it can get your message out to a large audience of potential sponsors. Remember to use all platforms too – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tick Tok, Snapchat, Youtube, Google +, Blogs. Plus make sure you send an email or pop up a post just before you depart on your challenge – take a photo of your kit bag or the plane as it’s just another reminder for people to sponsor you. Some interesting stats for you – on average, a fundraiser will share their online fundraising page on social media twice a month and 50% of donations on Justgiving come directly from Facebook referrals.

4. EVEN MORE WAYS TO HELP BOOST YOUR FUNDRAISING ‘offline’ which you can update on your online fundraising page with.

  • At work – cake sale (especially around the time of the Great British Bake Off), guess how many sweets are in the jar, Grand National sweepstake, any World Cup sweepstake, hold a coffee morning, wear jeans to work day for £2 etc. Check with your employer for permission and whether they offer a matched giving scheme i.e. if you raise £500 for your charity, they will match it.
  • Locally – Offer up your services to your neighbours currently self-isolating by dog walking, shopping, car washing, rubbish collection, gardening etc. Just print off some cards offering your services, deliver them through your neighbours letter boxes and wait for the phone to ring.
  • Socially – have dinner i.e. at a local Indian restaurant (or a restaurant of the country you are visiting on your challenge), have a car boot sale, arts & crafts, private tuition, brave the shave and shave your head, hold a pub quiz, organise a raffle, go sober for a month (ideal for your training) etc.
  • Virtually – Fundraising events do not need to stop just because we need to social distance. We live in the digital era so now is the perfect time to use your creative skills and live stream an event – Coffee mornings, Karaoke contest, dance parties, pub quizzes, fitness classes, online auctions, rock-paper-scissors tournament, online gaming tournament, head shaving etc… the options are endless!

5. THANK YOUR SPONSORS. Once you’ve returned from your amazing challenge, upload your photos and footage to social media and your online fundraising page with a brief description of how your challenge went. Send a personal email to all your sponsors thanking them for their support. Plus pop up a post on all social media platforms with your photos and your online fundraising page link as a friendly reminder that people can still sponsor you. Outline some ‘challenging’ encounters that you faced on your event to help encourage more sponsorship and add a thank you note too. If you are still short of your fundraising target, mention this on your post that you only need £X to hit your target.

Good luck with your fundraising. It’s a significant part of the challenge and if you raise most of your sponsorship before the event, it will make the challenge that much more gratifying. You should be proud of what you are undertaking and the difference you are making for your chosen charity.

Believe Achieve Inspire
Challenges

Launch of 2021 UK challenges dates

July 27, 2020

In the UK we are blessed to have some of the most spectacular national parks, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, coastal walks and trekking trails in the world. Charity Challenge is very pleased to announce the launch of our 2021 UK challenge dates.

Can you see yourself summit the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales? Or pit yourself against the spectacular landscape of Snowdonia National Park in a multi-activity challenge (trek, bike and kayak)? Do you dream of trekking along the dramatic and beautiful coastline of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site or cycling through the beautiful Kent countryside before crossing The Channel to Paris?

Make 2021 the year it all comes true, while raising money for a worthwhile cause, close to your heart. Below we have highlighted a selection of our favourite UK Challenges. Fear not, we have many more for you to choose from! For the full range of challenges click here

Trek Challenges

NATIONAL THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

Take on the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales. Considered one of Britain’s toughest outdoor challenges, the National Three Peaks Challenge takes in the dizzy heights of Ben Nevis (1,344m), Scafell Pike (978m) and Snowdon (1,085m) in just 24hrs.

Jurassic Coast Challenge

JURASSIC COAST CHALLENGE

Join us to explore a section of the most popular National Trail in the UK – The South West Coast Path. This tough one-day challenge has you trekking 30kms along the dramatic and beautiful coastline of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

YORKSHIRE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE

Complete this classic UK trekking challenge in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park. It entails a 38km trek to summit the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks – Pen-y-Ghent (694 metres), Whernside (736 metres) and Ingleborough (723 metres) within a period of just 12 hours!

LAKE DISTRICT 5 PEAKS CHALLENGE

Prepare for an epic challenge through the rugged and dramatic landscape of the Lake District, as you tackle five of England’s most demanding peaks, including its highest – Scafell Pike.

Multi-Activity Challenges – Trek, Bike & Kayak

SNOWDON TRIPLE CHALLENGE

Pit yourself against the spectacular landscape of Snowdonia National Park in this tough and exciting multi-activity challenge. You’ll summit the mighty Snowdon (1,085m) as well as tackling challenging biking and kayaking sections all the while surrounded by this stunning part of Wales.

LAKE DISTRICT TRIPLE CHALLENGE

Trek to the summit of one of the Lake District’s most iconic peaks, the Old Man of Coniston (803m), before testing yourself on the off-road mountain bike trails of Grizedale Forest, then kayak across the iconic Coniston Water.

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS TRIPLE CHALLENGE

Join us in the Cairngorms National Park for an exciting weekend of cycling, trekking and kayaking. Culminating with an ascent of Ben Nevis (1,344m) and set within the classic adventure playground of the Scottish Highlands, this is the ultimate triple challenge.

Cycle Challenges

LONDON TO PARIS BIKE RIDE

This classic London to Paris cycle ride takes you through the beautiful Kent countryside before crossing the Channel to Calais. Over the course of four days, cyclists will cover an impressive 435 kms through England and France.

Visit Britain We’re Good to Go”

We are proud to have acquired the UK Industry Standard mark, “We’re good to go” in partnership with the Tourist Organisations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This means that our business has followed government and industry Covid-19 guidelines, has a risk assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE OUR FULL RANGE OF UK CHALLENGES

Latest News

New Travel Insurance Policy With Cover For Covid-19

July 24, 2020

Your safety is one of our main concerns at Charity Challenge, which is why ensuring you take out extensive travel insurance is an essential part of every booking.

We are therefore delighted to announce that our travel insurance partners at Campbell Irvine have launched a new updated Campbell Irvine Direct travel insurance policy which includes Medical Expenses and Cancellation cover for Covid-19. This is a vital piece of cover for any intended overseas trip, so please do read this information carefully.

New Travel Insurance Policy

  • Medical emergency treatment overseas and medical repatriation due to an insured client being diagnosed with Covid-19.
  • Cancellation cover to reimburse your clients for any irrecoverable payments and charges made for travel and accommodation if they have to cancel their trip due to a doctor diagnosing either them, a close relative or their insured travelling companion with Covid-19 and as a result being advised not to travel. 
  • Cancellation due to either the client or their insured travelling companion’s direct exposure to a close relative being diagnosed with Covid-19 resulting in an order via the NHS Test and Trace programme for your client to be medically quarantined and not being able to travel.
  • Cancellation or Curtailment cover due to denied boarding of public transport if displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

Additional T&C’s Applicable To The New Cover

There is no cover in respect of any travel to a region or country against British FCO advice. Should a client wish to travel to any area contrary to FCO advice then they will not be eligible to purchase this insurance and specialist cover should be arranged with Campbell Irvine.

There is no cover provided if due a second wave there is another ‘lockdown’, either locally, countrywide or in the destination country resulting in your client being unable to travel either from their home or to the booked destination. Likewise if the FCO subsequently advise against travel to destination there would be no cancellation cover under a travel insurance policy for such an event.    

New European only Annual Multi Trip Travel Insurance

Campbell Irvine are also delighted to announce the launch of a new European only Annual Multi Trip travel insurance policy providing cover for unlimited number of trips within the UK and Europe with up to 31 days cover any one trip. Winter sports cover is available subject to payment of an additional premium.

For further information on the new updated Campbell Irvine Direct travel insurance policy please see :

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the team at Campbell Irvine.

020 7938 1734 | info@campbellirvine.com | www.campbellirvinedirect.com

Charity Challenge Keeping you safe

Do I Need Travel Insurance?

Your safety when travelling with Charity Challenge is our main concern which is why it is a booking condition that you have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover the adventurous nature of your challenge. We have chosen to partner with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine, who offer cover for an extensive number of adventurous activities. Cover is available directly from Campbell Irvine for most European residents and includes cover for emergency medical and repatriation and for your cancellation or curtailment of the challenge. Cancellation cover is very important as you need to consider protecting the charity you are raising funds for, as they may be contributing hundreds or thousands of pounds towards your challenge costs. 

You can view further details and buy the policy here.

We appreciate that whilst you may already have your own travel insurance in place, it is not administratively possible for us to vet each and every one of your policies.  It is therefore the responsibility of each client to check that the policy cover they have in place adequately meets their requirements. Please note you can have more than one policy covering the same trip as many of our clients do. If you are flying directly to join the group in-country, please ensure the period of insurance covers the full duration of your trip for the travelling time to and from your home.

What happens if I make a booking with Charity Challenge and the trip can’t run due to Covid-19?

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including:

  • the chance to postpone your challenge to a later departure (this year or next)
  • to join any Charity Challenge trip in another country (this year or next)
  • to receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

Please note there are no admin fees to either postpone or change destinations, should we be forced to cancel your existing challenge due to Covid-19.