Wetherspoon Jurassic Coast HIKE 2023

Level of Difficulty

The Jurassic Coast 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 demanding environment. You can tell your supporters that on your Jurassic Coast Challenge you will be:

• Trekking for around 12 hours in a single day.
• Covering 30km of undulating coastal terrain.
• Ascending over 1400m in a single day. That’s more ascent than Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain!

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:

• The terrain on the challenge is often rocky and in wet conditions can be extremely slippery. Please make sure that your walking boots have good grip. Trainers are not appropriate as they lack grip.
• The weather on the coast can be very different to inland. Please make sure you carry an additional warm layer, waterproof jacket and trousers and a hat and gloves.
• 12 hours is a long time to be out on a trek. Ensure that you eat lots throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.
• The terrain across the cliff tops can be very loose and rocky and should be taken with care.
• Cliff tops are extremely dangerous and can be very exposed. please listen to your leaders and saty away from the edges of any exposed cliffs.

Toilets

There will be toilet facilities both at the start and end of the trek; however during the challenge such facilities will be limited to the great outdoors!

Food & Drink

A packed lunch on the day of the challenge is provided, and snacks at check points. We would recommend that you bring along a few of your own snacks to keep you going throughout the challenge.

Accommodation

There is no accommodation included for the challenge.

We would like to encourage all participants whenever possible to book an extra night in the local area to fully enjoy their challenge and to put money back into the local area. There are lots of excellent accommodation options to suit all budgets in and around Swanage.  A more comprehensive choice of accommodation can be found in the larger town of Poole which is approximately a 30 minute drive away. For a full list of accommodation choices Swanage please use the VisitSwanage website.

Getting There

Your challenge will start from Swanage at approximately 6.30am.

Swanage has plenty of pay-and-display parking.

After the group arrives there will be a 45 minute bus transfer to the start of the trek at Lulworth Cove.

The trek will finish back in Swanage.

Challenge Timings

Your challenge begins early in the morning with registration and a full safety briefing. Precise arrival times and instructions will be sent out one month prior to the challenge.

In order to maximise the time available to complete the challenge we will have an early start for the trek at around 6.30am.

You will be walking for approximately 10-12 hours, which makes your trek a very long day. You can expect to arrive back at the finish at around 7pm. Delays can happen, and the return time will all depend on the speed of your group, so please do try and book flexible return arrangements.

Responsible Tourism

At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism. On this challenge in particular, we always liaise with the rangers at the Lake District National Park to make sure that we minimise our impact on the local environment. Our leaders care passionately for the environment and will be keen to talk to you about how you can do your bit to conserve the local area and enhance your experience. We believe that acting responsibly should add to your enjoyment of the challenge so we won’t lecture you about not dropping litter. Instead we’d like to encourage you to support ‘Fix the Fells’ who maintain the excellent footpaths we will be walking on. Fix the Fells have an excellent website that provides information on their fantastic work and allows you to donate to them directly. Their website can be viewed here. We would also like to encourage all our participants to spend a little extra time in the local area. Why not consider booking an extra night in a local B&B, and go out for a meal in one of the excellent local pubs after the challenge? Not only will you be able to celebrate your achievements but you will also be putting more money back into the local area. For extra information, please visit our Responsible Tourism section.

Terrain

Despite its location in the UK, the difficulty of this trek should not be underestimated as it includes one long day of hiking, with tough ascents and descents. The route is predominantly on good paths, but it's the variation of loose gravel and rocks that makes this challenge a unique and fun experience. In particular real care needs to be taken when walking along any cliff tops.

Climate

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! We will run UK challenges between April and October, and although the summer months of June-August 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 up to ensure that you bring clothing suitable for warm sunny walking weather and also sudden wind and downpours should they occur.

Leadership

We employ experienced and fully qualified mountain expedition leaders to accompany and lead you. The mountain 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 mountain first aid kits with them at all times.

Group Size

Our minimum group size for this challenge is 30 and the maximum is 100. There will be one expedition mountain leader per approximately 10-15 participants and you may find you will naturally walk in smaller groups according to your own pace.

Money

During the trek there are not any opportunities to spend any money. We would advise you should need no more than £20.00, excluding your joining and returning home travel costs.

Training

The Jurassic Coast Challenge is a long, sustained event over 12 hours and covering undulating terrain with steep ascents and descents. Therefore it requires a good level of fitness. The ideal training for this challenge is, naturally, walking with particular emphasis on building up stamina on ascents and descents. However, if you do not have the luxury of living near the hills, then the stairs at home (or an office block) are a great place to start. Most training should be part of an ongoing lifestyle, but if this is not the case then you should begin training 2-4 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 so try if possible to get out on a weekend and, if possible, train in an area with steep hills to help prepare yourself for the undulating terrain you will face on this challenge. 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 expedition, the more you will get out of it. Also see your Charity Challenge Fitness Training notes.

Clothing & 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 will be indispensable. The terrain is uneven and can be very rough, so it is vital that you use a strong pair of canvas or leather boots with good ankle support for this challenge, coupled with a pair of good quality walking socks. Sports 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 high quality gore-tex waterproof and windproof jackets and trousers, as well as technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. We would like to emphasize that jeans should not be worn on this challenge. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here. Once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners The Outdoor Shop, Outdoor Hire and Cotswold Outdoor.

Why book with Charity Challenge?

• The very best Mountain 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.
• Ethical consideration. For every participant we donate money to the ‘South West Coast Path’ in order to protect the beautiful route that we use. We also do our best to use local suppliers, which helps us to put money back into the local area.
• The highest quality Jurassic Coast charity trekking experience on the market!

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.