The Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge

Why book with Charity Challenge

• We are a multi-award winning challenge events specialist with over two decades of professional experience organising and leading challenges worldwide
• High quality route design that incorporates major landmarks and undiscovered highlights
• Fully supported walking challenge. Checkpoints, walking leaders and support vehicle
• The very best leaders, who are fully qualified, highly experienced, knowledgeable and fun. They will do everything to help you complete the challenge and have a great time doing it
• Thorough safety management systems in place (Challenge Safe)
• Medal at the finish
• The very highest quality Edinburgh 7 Summits challenge on the market!

Level of difficulty

The Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge is graded as tough. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind, who have taken part in other trekking challenges and now wish to test themselves in a slightly more extreme environment.

You can tell your supporters that on your Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge you will be:

• Covering a distance of approx. 35km
• Taking on varied terrain, from footpaths to urban roads
• Completing the steep ascent to the summit of Arthur’s Seat
• Ascending over 900m across the whole route

Training

The Edinburgh 7 Summits Challenge is a long, sustained event of up to 10 hours and covering varied terrain. Therefore, it requires a good level of fitness. The ideal training for this challenge is, naturally, walking along similar terrain. However, if you do not have the luxury of living near the great outdoors, then the gym or walking in your local area are good places to start.

Most training should be part of an ongoing lifestyle, but if this is not the case then you should begin training 4-6 months prior to the challenge and gradually build up. Remember to use the clothes, equipment and especially the shoes that you will be wearing on the challenge in order to get them worn in. The more you exercise before the challenge, the more you will get out of it. Also see your Charity Challenge Fitness Training notes.

Group size

Our minimum group size is 20 and groups are typically made up of between 20-40 people. There will be one challenge leader for approximately every 10-15 participants.

On occasion, we may be able to run a challenge with less than 20 people. This may incur a small group supplement. If this happens, it will be communicated before your invoice or fundraising deadline.

Group Management

This is a leader-led challenge and you will accompanied by our challenge mountain leaders at all times. These leaders will navigate the route so you can conserve all of your energy for completing the challenge.

We employ experienced and fully qualified walking leaders to accompany and lead you. The leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience in leading expeditions throughout Britain and overseas. They will be 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.

We operate this as a team challenge. We encourage all participants to work together to complete the challenge. We believe that your experience is always enhanced by taking time to talk to your fellow challenger’s and learn about their inspiring stories. Our challenges are not designed as a race, and the route will not be marked with arrows for you to follow. 

Weather

This is a UK challenge so please come prepared for all types of weather! There is a very good chance that you may experience all 4 seasons in one day! Whilst we would encourage everyone to check the weather forecast before travelling we would remind everyone to make sure you always carry with you warm tops and waterproofs during the challenge.

Terrain

The terrain on the Edinburgh 7 Summits challenge is a mixture of footpaths and pavements. There are sections of the footpaths down by the Water of Leith that can be wet and muddy. The ascent of Arthur’s Seat is rocky, and can be slippery when wet.

Challenge timings

You will need to be at the meeting point for approximately 6:30am with the aim being to begin walking at 7am. The total time to complete this challenge should be between 8-10 hours. We will aim to have everyone finished by 5pm.

Please note: Whilst we shall do all we can to stick to this finish time, please make sure you book flexible return tickets as delays can happen and we cannot guarantee a precise finishing time or be held responsible for any missed transport.

Getting to and from the Challenge

We normally meet at the SYHA hostel in the centre of Edinburgh. This hostel is a 10 minute walk from Waverley Station.
Edinburgh is very well served by trains and flights from all around the UK. We would encourage all participants to use public transport where possible.
If you are driving, then parking near the accommodation can be very limited.

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

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in the cost of this challenge.

Edinburgh is a city with many different accommodation options. Please visit the VistitScotland website for a whole range of options.

Food and drink

A packed lunch will be available to you during the day.
At each checkpoint (approx every 2 hours) there will be water and checkpoint snacks available.
We would advise that everyone also brings some of their own snacks to keep them going during the day.
Please note: Breakfast before the challenge is not included in your challenge costs.

Clothing and equipment

Equipment of good quality and durability could make the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof and well-worn in boots or walking shoes will be indispensable. The terrain is uneven and can be very rough, so it is vital that you use boots or walking shoes with good grip. Sports trainers are not suitable. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here.
Once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners OutdoorHire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Toilets

There will be several points throughout the day when public toilets will be available. Your leaders will make you aware of when these toilet stops will take place.

Money

During the challenge, there are limited opportunities to spend any money. You will pass through Edinburgh city centre. We would advise you should need no more than £20.00, excluding your joining and returning home travel costs.

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!
Here are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• Don’t underestimate the difficulty of an urban challenge. 35km and 900m is a tough and challenging distance.
• The ascent of Arthur’s Seat is steep and rocky and good footwear is a must.
• Despite this being an urban challenge you should still make sure that you have all appropriate clothing and kit.

Emergencies

Your leadership team is trained to deal with emergency situations 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 you will never be encouraged to walk at a pace ‘beyond your ability’. There will always be a wide variety in people’s walking abilities which will be carefully managed by the leader team. This team will always keep the group together for maximum safety on each peak and set a sensible pace for all to achieve this challenge within the planned time frame. A support vehicle will be available at checkpoints for anyone struggling to complete the challenge.

Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

We do not professionally vet your medical details. Please assess for yourself whether you are fit and able to take on the challenge. Please review the detailed Trip Notes and itinerary to get a better idea of what is involved. Please speak to your doctor or specialist if you have any concerns about taking part. If you suffer from a severe allergy, you are required to contact us to discuss any requirements. If you think that there are things we can do to make the challenge more accessible/comfortable for you, it is your responsibility to let us know, and we will then let you know if we can accommodate your request. Whilst we will do our best to put in place appropriate measures we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

Medical Support

First Aid qualified staff will be provided with the medical details that you give on your booking form but please note that they are on the challenge to support with medical matters related to the challenge environment and terrain itself, i.e. heat/cold, high altitude and so on. They will deal with any incidents and accidents (cuts, sprains, breaks and so on). They are not intended to continue any ongoing specialist medical care that you receive in the UK for pre-exiting medical conditions, and should not be assumed to have any professional experience of your specific medical condition.

If you have any specific needs around pre-existing medical conditions, you should discuss with your family doctor or specialist in advance and can discuss any advice given by them with the challenge leader or doctor.

Insurance

We don’t offer insurance for our UK trips, as any medical emergencies would naturally be covered through the NHS. Therefore the main thing that you will not be covered for is cancellation. You can see our cancellation policy within our terms and conditions here. If you wish, you could look into your own policy that covers cancellation for travel within the UK.

Responsible Tourism

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 nights 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.

Booking with confidence