Inspiration

Happy 40th Birthday to Charity Challenge Director Simon Albert!

February 24, 2012

Happy Birthday to Charity Challenge Director Simon Albert, who is celebrating turning 40 today. In his honour, we have decided to take some time out to look back on some of his amazing achievements both in business and in life;

Few people have experienced the world as much as Simon has, not only has he summited Mt Kilimanjaro, Trekked in the Himalayas and scuba dived with sharks in Fiji, he has also  journeyed throughout the Far East, Australasia and Pacific Islands, motor-biked through Vietnam (before Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Boorman made it cool!), helped to build a youth hostel in Thailand,  went white water rafting on the Kali Gandaki in Nepal and helped build a road on Mana Island (which was and still is hereafter known as ‘Simon Avenue’).

In October 1998, Inspired by all his adventures, Simon decided to set up his own company that helps people have their very own adventures of a life-time, whilst raising money for charity. SmallWorld Adventures Ltd (soon to be known as Charity Challenge) started making waves and Simon quickly became known in the industry for his infectious energy and enthusiasm and his strict uniform of checked shirts, jeans and trainers.

In February 2009 Simon played an instrumental part in organising the Comic Relief Celebrity Kilimanjaro Climb, which saw several well-known faces such as Gary Barlow,  Cheryl  Cole and Chris Moyles summit Mt Kilimanjaro and raise over a whopping  £3.35million for comic relief! This was a massive game changer for Charity Challenge and since then it has gone from strength to strength! Charity Challenge has now helped thousands of people to raise over £30m for over 1200 different charities and our portfolio currently includes treks, bike rides, mountain climbs, rafting, sky diving, dog sledding, skiing and community challenges in more than 30 countries worldwide as well as two ground-breaking treks to geographic North and South Poles.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Simon’s vibrant enigmatic personality, drive to push the company forward and his passion for travel. Simon’s 40th Birthday has coincided with a very exciting and busy time for Charity Challenge, as (after a lot of hard work!) Charity Challenge has now launched a new operation out of Toronto, Canada for the North American market! Which we have very high hopes for!

So after 40 years of life and  12 years of Charity Challenge, Simon has become a recognised and respected face in the Adventure Charity Travel industry, his contribution to which was even honoured by her majesty the Queen herself last year at the Royal Celebration of British Adventure, but to all of us in the office, we’re always know him best for his infamous collection of checked shirts, bad taste in music and strange preference teas which are milky beyond belief!

Responsible Tourism

Where does your carbon offsetting money go?

February 17, 2012

We are proud to announce we have now offset a massive 7,308.79 tonnes of CO2 on behalf of our passengers and our office here in North London since 2008. This is equivalent to taking 1,200 cars off the road in the UK for a year, or grounding 16 full flights from London to New York. Something we are very proud of.

With the help of ClimateCare, the money that we have contributed to offset the CO2 from our customers’ flights and office energy has gone to help such projects as efficient cook stoves programmes, which replace open fires or other less efficient stoves.

Nearly half of the world’s population still cook their meals on open fires or basic stoves and the smoke that fills the home blackens the lungs of mothers and children.  For years development groups have been trying to promote the use of efficient cookstoves, which bring a whole treasure-chest of benefits:  by burning more efficiently they produce less smoke and use less firewood; saving money, time and fast depleting forests. One of their greatest benefits is, quite simply, saving lives.  By cutting down indoor smoke pollution, these stoves help drastically cut instances of pneumonia, saving children’s lives:  according to the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia (GAPP), the humble efficient cookstove is a major weapon in the fight against this horrible disease.

ClimateCare is an independent profit-for-purpose company, and one of the longest established and leading environment-focused organisations in the carbon market, developing carbon credits on behalf of businesses, Non Governmental Organisations and Sovereign States.  ClimateCare uses carbon finance not just to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions but to accelerate sustainable, development, through innovative Emission Reduction Projects throughout the world

We would like to say a huge thank you from everyone here at Charity Challenge for the work that ClimateCare do, and we look forward to another year of mutual support!

To learn more about the responsible tourism work we do 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. You can also read more about our responsible travel policy and practices on our website.

Challenges, Inspiration

Top 5 Romantic Challenges of 2012!

February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day everybody! In honour of St Valentine, we’ve put together a list of our top 5 most romantic challenges…

5) Etna Volcanic Adventure – coming in at number 5 is the Etna Volcanic Adventure, a challenge so hot that it’s literally bursting at the seams! (The last eruption was literally last week). With breath-taking scenery, real Italian Spaghetti, isolated shepherd huts in the wilderness and the chance to sleep under the stars, there was no way this challenge was not going to make the list! This long weekend challenge might not be as gruelling as some of our other challenges, but the fact that you need to carry sizeable rucksacks whilst trekking adds a whole new dimension to the trek (in fact, this is a perfect challenge to take your other half on, as you could do with someone to help you carry your bags!) Also this challenge is currently on special £75 promotion!

4) Great Wall Discovery – Anyone who’s seen the sun setting over the Great Wall will know why this challenge makes the list. It’s a truly unforgettable sight, especially if you have somebody to share it with. China is also the country steeped in myths and legends where beautiful Chinese lanterns light the sky. This challenge also has a £100 off offer running on it, and what makes a more romantic valentines gift than a discounted trek across one of the wonders of the world!

3) Kilimanjaro Summit Climb – On the surface this challenge may not seem as romantic as the previous two, but this is the challenge that has brought together the most couples out of our entire challenge catalogue! A few years back we even had a proposal at the summit of Kilimanjaro. And standing in footprints of past celebrities (Gary Barlow, Cheryl Cole and Chris Moyles to name but a few!), with the backdrop of a stunning African landscape and an inescapable long walk back down, you’re really not going to say no! Kilimanjaro is our most favoured challenge and we have various expedition dates throughout the year, click here to see them (note: all challenges with the red stars by them are currently on special promotion!)

2) Escambray Encounter – this is on the list for all the singletons out there, who are currently ripping petals of roses and ceremonially burning their ex’s stuff. We have it on good authority that our Escambray Encounter Trek is the ultimate challenge for people looking to have a fun trek. The city of Havana is alive at any time of day or night with music and street parties, the locals are friendly and there is even rumoured to be a free bar on offer to challengers once they’ve completed the gruelling trek! It’s not too late to sign up to our three current departure dates in November of this year and in 2013

1) Dog Sledding Challenge – This challenge had to be number one for so many reasons. As our Sweden Ground handler Jordana put it “What could be more romantic than cuddling together on reindeer pelts by open fire whilst hearing the sleddogs howl to the northern lights and full moon!” We simply couldn’t think of anything, which is why this challenge tops the list and gains the title of Valentines Challenge of 2012! So for the ultimate Valentines gesture, click here to view and book onto one of our upcoming Dog Sledding Challenges!

Challenges

Snow in britain and snow abroad!

February 7, 2012

First the Northern lights made an elusive appearance over the skies of Britain, now it’s the turn of snow to coat the ground in an icy white carpet. It seems Britain’s weather is becoming more and more Norwegian!

This weekend saw the first cold blast of 2012, with much of Britain waking up on Sunday morning to the sight of snow. The big freeze brought up to six inches of snow, causing roads to close (leaving some motorists stranded overnight) , and causing havoc at many airports, with a third of all flights at Heathrow cancelled (and before you ask, we always monitor these situations closely in case any of our outgoing/incoming challenger flights are affected). In the wake of this, much of England is under a cold weather alert of level 3, which warns of “100% probability” of severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow. According to the ‘MeteoGroup’, the weather division of the Press Association, the freeze is likely to continue into next week – meaning the snow isn’t planning on fading away anytime soon!

Britain has a love-hate relationship with snow. Black ice vs Snowmen! When the tiniest flakes of it appears, all work comes to a standstill as Britain collectively gathers round the window shouting “snow snow!”, but as soon as a couple of inches build up, it becomes a case of (to paraphrase the press) ‘Misery and turmoil as snow brings Britain to a standstill!’. It seems we like the idea of snow a lot more than the reality, but perhaps it is more apt to say that we love the vivid beauty and extremity of snow, but only when we’re prepared for it!

We can certainly vouch for that here at Charity Challenge, as our new ‘Snow and Ice’ challenge range has proved a great hit! This range includes the Dog Sledding Challenge and the Pyrenees Snow Shoe Challenge, along with the extreme North Pole and South Pole Challenges. There’s something particularly special about these challenges, with the their calm yet vivid landscapes and harsh unfamiliar environments, they really take you out of your comfort zone, and are both mentally and physically challenging! But for the same reason, these challenges are that much more exhilarating and rewarding, and making it through one of these challenges is an unrivalled and unforgettable experience!

To learn more about all these challenges 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

Snowshoeing in the Pyrenees with Charity Challenge

February 3, 2012

An exciting prospect for 2013! Charity Challenge will be working with partner and team leader Kevin Albin in creating the ‘Pyrenees Snow Shoe Challenge’. A brand new and daring snowshoeing expedition!

Kevin has put a lot of work into this challenge, and is really looking forward to seeing how people take to snow-shoeing and the panoramic Pyrenees!

‘We chose this location because the Pyrenees tends to be less commercial, with stunningly beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife, which can often be seen as there are less people here than places such as the Alps. Where we operate, the area around Bagnees de Luchon, is ideal as it has good snowshoeing terrority and easy access into Spain

The expedition will be a three-day route in the high mountains of the Aiguestortes National Park, with accomodation in mountain huts. There will be a day of preparation before we leave where we shall learn about snowshoeing, the winter environment and avalanche assessments (which include training in the use of avalanche transceivers).

The area is remote and we shall be supporting each other while walking over frozen lakes and crossing high mountain cols. The area is also exceptional. There are few words that will describe the experience of being in these mountains with your companions, your snowshoes and your life in the rucksack on your back. That is until we make the mountain hut where we can count on some fine, filling meals and a warm bunk to sleep in. Then it’s out again the next day to experience the very best that Nature has to offer.

This trip is not for the faint hearted but equally if you are a reasonable summer walker with the keenness to push yourself a little with the duration of the day and some basic living conditions, then the rewards will be exceptional! And it’s not all hard work, you’ll be staying in a luxury Chambres d’hote for the first and last night, Le Chalet Chapeau Bleu, with fine cuisine and comfy beds. This is also the location for the amazing celebration meal at the end of the challenge!

The motivation for putting yourself through such a challenge? Raising money for causes you feel passionate about!”

To learn more about the ‘Pyrenees Snow Shoe Challenge’ and maybe even book your place, click here! 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, Inspiration

Northern Lights shining over Britain

January 26, 2012

British Stargazers as far north Yorkshire and Northumberland have been delighted by the spectacular Northern Lights in the last few days and experts say that there could be even more impressive sights to come! We’ve got our fingers crossed in the Charity Challenge office that they might even be visible as far south as London!

The Northern Lights are a unique phenomenon, first discovered in 1621 by Pierre Gassendi, a French scientist, who named the lights “Aurora Boreas” – After the Roman goddess of dawn and the Greek name for the north wind. The colourful display may look heavenly and serene, but in reality they are caused by bursts of electrically charged particles which are given off by the Sun, these particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, causing explosions of magnetic energy which translate to our eyes as bright fluorescent colours.

It’s unusual to see the Aurora Boreas this far south, according to the experts the skies across the north of England were lit up because the solar storm, caused by the eruption of particles, was particularly powerful, making the Aurora Boreas that much more visible across the southern hemisphere. On Monday night, people living in Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland witnessed the spectacular display of eerie green light hovering over the northern horizon. If skies are clear the dazzling show is expected to be visible for the next few nights! Continue Reading…