Inspiration, Latest News

Charity Challenge announced as the official organiser of the ‘BT Red Nose Challenge: Hell and High Water’ in aid of Comic Relief!

January 22, 2013

We are excited to once again be working with Comic Relief in putting together and project managing a jaw dropping challenge, aimed to take a team of celebrities out of their comfort zone to the extreme, and inspire millions of people to donate much needed funds to support the work of Comic Relief.

The Hell and High Water challenge will take place in Africa’s Zambezi River and see former Spice Girl and current solo artist Melanie Chisholm, Waterloo Road actress and Strictly Come Dancing runner up Chelsee Healey, Radio 1 DJ Greg James, Olympian Phillips Idowu and top comedians Dara O’Briain and Jack Dee battling the rapids and dodging the crocs and hippos as they canoe and white water raft over 100kms down Africa’s mighty Zambezi River … all in the name of raising vital funds and awareness for Comic Relief!

The team will be battling torrential downpours and negotiating white water sections of both the upper and lower Zambezi River, in parts facing up to Grade 5 rapids. By night they will be camping on remote islands in the river.

Dara O’Briain: “When I was first asked to do this challenge, I did a quick Google Search of Zambezi rafting, but after a tenth page of people being instantly flung into the water, I turned off the computer… But lives can be changed if people put their hands in their pockets in exchange for our misery so that sounds like a fair deal”.

The Hell and High Water challenge starts this on Monday when the intrepid team leave the relative comfort and luxury of the UK and begin their journey into deepest Africa. There is still quite a way to go, and we’ll be following the team every step of the way as they prepare for the experience of a lifetime!

To keep up to date on all things Hell and High water, you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our Blog, YouTube account and mailing list. You can also find out all about the challenge and see the latest news here.

You can also listen out for live Radio 1 interviews with the celebs whilst out in Zambia, and watch the BBC documentary about the challenge being aired in March. We’ll keep you posted!

If you’ve been inspired and want to take on your own experience of a lifetime, then check out our amazing and global range of treks, bike rides and mountain climbs here. You can even take part in our exclusive Zambezi challenge. Click here to receive details once the challenge is complete.

Challenges, Inspiration

Charity Challenge Operations Manager Jo experiences India for the first time on our secluded ‘Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek’ challenge!

January 14, 2013

As the Operations Manager for India and Asia at Charity Challenge, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to venture into the Himalayas on trails only trodden by Charity Challenge trekkers and the local Tibetan Community. Being the Operations Manager of the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek, I know that the Himalayas are a very sought after trekking destination, especially with the spiritual element of a visit to the home of the Dalai Lama. This popularity can sometimes make the Himalayas appear to be a crowded place, but many of our participants come back from the challenge and write to me saying how quiet and exclusive their trek was, and how much more they loved it for this reason! So I decided to head out to India and experience the tranquility for myself.

Those that don’t know much about India, apart from the overwhelming crowds of people, not to mention the usual clichés of, crazy roads  jam-packed with vehicles, tuc tucs, cows and dogs walking along the roads and pavements, and the sheer extremes of poverty and riches, may be surprised when I tell you that I felt free from the hustle and bustle of London and enveloped in the peace and tranquility of India!

I trekked our most exclusive and secluded challenge, the “Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek”, and whilst trekking in the shadows of the world’s highest peak I found myself stopping and listening to the silence and taking in the awe-inspiring scenery of alpine forests, beautiful meadows back-dropped with snow capped mountains, and small Tibetan villages hidden in the rolling hills.

If you are new to the life of Tibet and the movement into India following the Dalai Lama then you will find this challenge as fascinating as I did, as you start in Dharamsala with a ‘clockwise’ walk around the Dalai Lama’s Temple. You will learn about Tibetan Buddhism and the issues it faces today, and see how Tibet is preserved in India through the practicing of traditional Tibetan arts and crafts at the Norbulinka Institute.

I will have to apologise to you now, as after just a few days I have learnt so much and realised how little I knew about India, and I won’t feasibly be able to share with you all the amazing experiences and revelations I’ve had so far! However, I can say with certainty that if you want a challenge where you will trek the mountains with tribal Tibetan nomads and their goats, learn all about why cows are head of the household, be greeted by the friendly faces and smiles of the Tibetan/Indian people and see how you can help Charity Challenge give back to the communities of this area, then you should definitely check out our September and November 2013 departure dates for our Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek. Click here for all the info!

Don’t forget to join our mailing list and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get the latest news and blogs from us.

Jo Warren

Tips & Advice

Christmas is over; its time to get back into shape!

January 8, 2013

Christmas is over, it’s January, I’m back at work after a long break, the weather’s cold and miserable and I feel like I’m about to explode! Every Xmas I get a bit carried away and stuff my face with pretty much anything edible, do no form of exercise and basically become a couch potato, and now I’m regretting it!

If you are like me and have indulged a bit too much this Xmas, then here are my top five tips to get you (and me) back into shape and feel much better:

1.    New Year’s Resolution – Make your New Year’s Resolution to get fit and lose weight. Most people at this point would join a gym and then find that at the end of January the frequent visits to the gym are no longer happening. Instead of joining the gym you might want to consider doing a charity challenge. Booking on a charity challenge means that you have something to focus on as you have an end goal . Climbing the highest mountain in Africa; Mt Kilimanjaro or trekking to the lost city of Machu Picchu, cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia for example. It also means that you get fit while you try to achieve this goal and you end up losing weight because you’re getting fit. So it’s a triple whammy! Actually, at the same time of achieving all of this, you’ll be raising money for charity, so really it’s a quadruple whammy! Click here to start your New Year’s Resolution and a challenge of a lifetime! Continue Reading…

Responsible Tourism

2012 – a very Responsible year!

December 20, 2012

I’ve been trying to look back on some of the things that we have achieved over the last year in our efforts to always act sustainably, responsibly and ethically, and give back to the local communities that welcome us so generously on all of our challenges. It was only when I started looking through everything that has happened that I realized what a long year it has been! From our Essex2India cycle ride with Lydia Bright and Denise Van Outen, to launching the business in Canada and landing two Canadian exclusive challenges in 2013 with UNICEF and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, not to mention the team changes with the leaving and hiring of several new staff members… 2012 seems to have passed in a blur!!
Looking back has been useful; because it has given us all a chance to plan forward… we can see what we have achieved, and what there is still left to do. With that in mind, here are my top 5 Responsible Tourism highlights of 2012. Enjoy! Continue Reading…

Challenges, Inspiration

Ops Manager Jo’s Rajasthan Cycle Diary, Day 7 !

December 17, 2012

The final 100km cycle from Ranthambore to Jaipur via Bhanderej took us through two days of new scenery and continued surprise for how unique this cycle really is. Venturing into parts of Rajasthan where the kids are running from their schools to the side of the road shouting ‘white man’ and ‘crazy’! Tourists in these parts just do not exist.

After a night Glamping, ‘another’ early rise for our Tiger safari in Ranthambhore National Park. With only 33 Tigers in a 1334 sq km of wild jungle scrub we knew that the chance of sighting the Tigers would be an exclusive one. With one sighting in Five we had a good chance but unfortunately for us footprints were as close as we were going to get.  This however was fine for all of us as we witnessed the courting walk of two antelope and were surrounded by deer, wild Boar and the chance to cruise around in a safari truck for a few hours before putting ourselves back on the bikes.

I have to say one of the highlights of the Challenge is the food, and that includes the packed lunches. The  food is delicious and there’s lots of it, but then the calories burnt on the cycle justifies the amount you can eat. With lunch on the bus we are transferred a short distance to the start of the cycle today where our amazing support team, Matt, Vineet, Naveen, Raju, Baba (our mechanic) and Bhola are waiting for us. Continue Reading…

Challenges, Inspiration

Ops Manager Jo’s Rajasthan Cycle Diary, Day 6!

December 14, 2012

Another early rise to head off just as the sun rises, although today we have a slightly warmer start to the day. Leaving from the Maharajas Palace, Matt picks up the pace from yesterday so we have a chance to warm up, and then throws us in at the deep end to ease the tenderness of our bodies form the day before. With Raju supporting the back of the group, he finds that on today’s cycle more of us seem to stay back and chat with him…maybe due to his charming personality, or perhaps it’s because  of yesterday gruelling ride taking its toll on our bodies and energy levels.

A busy start again through Karauli.  Today’s eye captures the excitement of the trucks with their colours and decorations. After our first snack break we hit some road works which had dumped the whole of the Sahara desert on our Rajasthan route! 20kms of cycling through soft deep sand was an unexpected experience. As the thighs start to burn, we slip and slide and the chatting comes to a halt as our concentration grows 10 hours in, and the afternoon becomes slightly more manageable on the road, we reach our Hotel in preparation for our Ranthambore Tiger Safari tomorrow morning. Another 5.30 am start for us – ouch! But maybe we will spot some Tigers?? Check tomorrow to find out… Continue Reading…