Woof and Walk for MDD - 10km Dog Walk

Why book with Charity Challenge?

• Unique, dog-friendly fundraising event!
• The very best event crew to support you throughout
• Fully route marked event to keep you on the right track
• Finishers medal and glass of fizz to help you celebrate!

Level of Difficulty

The Woof and Walk for MDD Challenge is graded as challenging. This is the perfect challenge for participants (and dogs!) who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind and who wish to push themselves to raise money for a fantastic charity. You can tell your supporters that on your Thames-Ridgeway challenge your dog will be:

•    Trekking for around 3-4 hours in a single day.

•    Covering 10km of undulating terrain.

Group Size

You will be joining a group of between 60 and 100 likeminded challenge participants, and their dogs. When arriving at registration and throughout the walk please ensure that both your dog, and any other dogs, socialise in a manner that is agreeable to all parties.

Leadership

We employ experienced and fully qualified walking leaders and event crew to support you. The event crew are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in working on our challenges throughout Britain and overseas. They are ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group. They will be carrying full safety equipment and first aid kits with them at all times.

There will be canine first aiders on standby should your dog develop any difficulties.

Terrain

This challenge takes place on a well maintained footpath. However, the path is rocky in places and can be slippery if wet.

Climate

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! Whilst June should be, in general, slightly warmer and drier, we all know that this isn’t always the case. As this challenge takes place at night the temperature can often reach close to zero, even in the height of summer. Please check the weather forecasts up to ensure that you bring clothing suitable for warm sunny walking weather and also sudden wind and downpours should they occur.

Toilets

There will be bathroom facilities at the start and finish of the challenge; however during the challenge such opportunities will be limited to the great outdoors!

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

Dog safety

Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the guidelines around taking your dog on this challenge. These guidelines are there to keep yours, and other peoples dogs safe.

If your dog becomes unwell during the challenge then we will have a cannine first aider available on the event. However, any vet costs must be covered by the owner of the dog.

It is extremely important that you consider your dogs welfare at all times on this challenge and that you pay attention to any changes in behaviour from your dog. You will know your dog best, so please consider their needs at all times.

Food and drink

The following meals are included in the cost of this challenge:

• Hot drinks at the registration point.
• A packed lunch to take with you on the trek.
• Water provision at each checkpoint.

We would advise that everyone also bring some of their own snacks to keep them going during the day.

Can we join as a family?

When you book, you can add an additional adult and pay the £35 registration fee for both of you. Will still only have to raise £300 between the two of you. In addition, nearer the time of departure, we will email and ask you to confirm if you have any children joining the challenge. You can bring up to three children free of charge. They will all receive a medal at the end of the challenge!

How is the group managed?

This is a route marked walking challenge which means that you will need to follow the special event arrows that will mark the route that you need to follow. There will be fully staffed checkpoints every few kms and a special event phone number to call should you have any difficulties.

What route do we use?

You will be following an event specific route that completes a 10km loop from the start/finish point. The route uses a number of local footpaths and includes a section along the famous Thames footpath. All participants will be sent precise route details one month prior to the challenge.

Getting to and from the challenge

The registration point for this challenge is near to the town of Goring-Streatley. Parking will be available at the start-finish point, or alternatively the town is located on the main train line from London.

Please note: We will send you precise instructions about how to get to the registration point, and the timings of the event, one month prior to the challenge.

Weather

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! We run UK challenges between April and October, and although the summer months should be, in general, warmer, sunnier and more stable in terms of the weather conditions, we all know that this isn’t always the case. Please check the weather forecasts in the build up to the event to ensure that you bring clothing suitable for all conditions, including warm and sunny temperatures as well as wind and sudden downpours.

Responsible Travel

Charity Challenge believes that all of its challenges, whether in the UK or overseas, should have a positive impact on the communities we visit.

In the UK we would encourage all participants to consider booking an additional night’s accommodation in the area they are visiting so that they can fully enjoy their challenge experience. Many of our challenges are set in beautiful areas of the UK so why not turn your challenge into a weekend away and go out for a celebration meal in a local pub or restaurant.

For more details about our responsible tourism policy then please click here.

Challenge Timings

Registration for this event will be between 9am and 12pm on Saturday morning. You and your dog will be met by our friendly event crew and given precise instruction on staying safe during the challenge and how to follow the route.

All participants must have completed the route by 5pm.

Precise timings and a meeting location will be sent in your Final Details document one month before the challenge.

Clothing & Equipment

For this challenge, waterproof and well-worn in boots will be indispensable. The terrain is uneven and can be rough, and certainly muddy, so trainers are not suitable. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated - so make sure that you train with this.

Other essentials are waterproof jacket and trousers. We would like to emphasize that jeans should not be worn on this challenge.

You should also consider appropriate items for your dog that take into account the weather forecast and what your dog is comfortable with on your usual dog walks.

A full kit list for this challenge can be found on the website.

Training

Sense's RidgeWalk is an endurance trekking event over 24 hours, therefore requiring a good to high level of fitness. The ideal training for this challenge is, naturally, walking in the outdoors. However, if you do not have the luxury of living near the great outdoors, then the stairs at home (or an office block or car park) are a great place to start. Try building in a walk to work if possible, or perhaps at lunch. Most training should be part of an ongoing lifestyle, but if this is not the case then you should begin training 3-4 months prior to the challenge and gradually build up as suggested. Remember to use the walking boots that you will be wearing on the challenge in order to get them worn in, and take the daysack that you will be using during the challenge.

There is no substitute for walking in the outdoors, over similar terrain that you will face on the challenge, so try if possible to get out on a weekend and train in an appropriate area. It can be a great way to discover nearby places that you never knew existed! If it is possible for you to practice walking at night with your headtorch then this is also useful. You should progress to training with your boots on from week 4 at the latest, but preferably from week 1. The more you exercise before the challenge, the more you will get out of it.

The hardest part of this challenge to train for is the fact that you will need to walk for 24 hours. Whilst it is not expected that you will have practiced this we would recommend that you be comfortable with long days of walking for at least 10 hours, plus you should be comfortable walking for consecutive days. It is a good idea to have a training weekend where you perhaps walk for 8 hours on one day and then another walk the following day. 

Also see your Participant Account Area for Fitness Training notes.

Money

During the trek there will be limited opportunities to purchase some extra snacks as we pass through villages (please do not rely on shops being open as it is not always possible to guarantee this). Therefore you may wish to take some money with you on the trek. We would advise you should need no more than £20.00, excluding your joining and returning home travel costs.

Accommodation

No accommodation is provided on this challenge.

The local area has a variety of accommodation options available should you require it.

Emergencies

The event crew are trained to deal with emergency situations in remote areas and will be carrying a mobile phone and radios in case the emergency services need to be contacted. The event is not run as a race and we would encourage everyone to ensure they walk at a pace that it is suitable to both themselves and their dog.

Important note about your dog’s welfare

Like any of our challenges it is extremely important that you ensure that all participants are of suitable fitness to complete the challenge. On this challenge this includes you and your dog! Many of our challenge participants use our events as an opportunity to get out and take part in a training program before taking part, so if you and your dog’s fitness isn’t quite at the right level then you still have time to get into shape! However, it is extremely important that you ensure that your dog is able to complete this challenge distance, and that they have completed a similar distance walk before. You will be walking along mostly flat footpaths, but these can be muddy, and there are sections through towns and across roads which you should make sure that your dog is comfortable with.

Weather is another important consideration for your dog’s welfare. You should make sure that you have considered how your dog copes with the anticipated weather for the challenge, both rain and sun!

There will be trained canine first aiders on standby and you will be given an event specific emergency number to call should your dog have any problems.

You will also be taking part with a large number of other dogs. Once you have registered you are free to complete the route at your own pace, but it will be up to all dog owners to ensure that their dog walks the route in a manner that is suitable to their dog’s comfort level around other dogs. Event guidelines for taking part with your dog

By signing up for this event all participants agree to the following:

Dogs

• Dogs must be kept on leads at all times. Any participants with dogs not on lead will be asked to either place their dog on a lead or leave the event.
• You know your dog the best – if he/she doesn’t cope well with hot/cold/wet weather – don’t take the chance.
• All dogs must be over 12 months old.
• No bitches in season or pregnant dogs.
• Harnesses are recommended.
• You must clean up and dispose of dog waste responsibly, if this means carry the poo bag to the next available bin then this must be done.
• Max 2 dogs per person.
• Any muzzles must allow the dog to breath effectively whilst walking.
• No dogs that have had an infectious disease in the last 21 days or coughing dogs.
• Preferably no flexi-leads or if they are used they must be kept relatively short (max 1.5m).
• Dogs should preferably not be on a slip lead, choke chain or anything that restricts breathing. This is a general rule included purely in the interests of safety of your dog on an active event. You may be comfortable that this rule is not relevant for your specific dog/situation. If this is the case, please email us.

Borrowed Dogs

• If you borrow a dog to take part – you must have socialised together before the event and the competitor must be aware of the dog’s behaviour in a ‘social’ environment.

Humans

• You must be able to control your dog throughout the event and be respectful of other competitors and people.
• Mistreating of dogs will not be tolerated.
• Children under 16 must be accompanied & supervised by an adult for the duration of the event.
• You must carry poo bags with you during the event.
• You are ultimately responsible for your own welfare and that of your dog.

• You must ensure both you and your dog(s) are fit enough to complete the route – consult your doctor/vet if in doubt.
• If any participant needs veterinary support we can provide contact details of local vets on the day. Any vet call out costs will be borne by the participant.

These guidelines were used after consulting the Kennel Clubs guidelines for organising dog events (https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/events-and-activities/)

Keeping safe post-Covid

This challenge is planned to start running when we hope that we will live in a ‘post-Covid’ world. Please rest assured that Charity Challenge will continue to monitor all of the latest advice from both the government and local authorities and will ensure that all of our safety systems are up to date. Our safety advice for our UK challenge’s running in the autumn of 2020 can be viewed here. This document will be amended as and when government advice changes.

Booking with confidence

We understand that there may be a little uncertainty around booking in the current climate so we have created a 'Booking With Confidence' policy to help you book your next Charity Challenge with absolute confidence.

Book with the knowledge that:

• We are putting significant measures in place to make your challenge Covid Safe
• We have flexible payment options

We will offer you a number of options if we cannot operate your challenge due to Covid-19:

• postpone your challenge to a later departure
• join any other challenge
• transfer your place to another person
• receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

Insurance

We don’t offer insurance for our UK trips, as any medical emergencies would naturally be covered through the NHS. If you wish, you could look into your own policy that covers cancellation for travel within the UK.

Data Sharing

Please note that Charity Challenge will share your name, email and contact number with Metro.co.uk and Medical Detection Dogs in order that they can share details of the challenge fundraising pages, and challenge Facebook group with you.