Wetherspoon Norfolk HIKE 2023

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 
• The very best walking 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.
• Medal at the finish
• Fully supported walking challenge. Checkpoints, walking leaders and support vehicle.

Level of difficulty

The Royal Norfolk Challenge is graded as tough. This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind.

You can tell your supporters that on your Norfolk Challenge you will be:

• Covering a marathon distance of 42km
• Taking on varied terrain, from sandy and potentially muddy footpaths to quiet country lanes
• Walking between 10-12 hours

Training

This challenge is a long, sustained event of 10-12 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 30. There will be one challenge leader for approximately every 10-15 participants.

Group Management

This is a leader led challenge and the route is not marked with arrows. Your leaders are experienced navigators and it will be their responsibility to show you the way. It is therefore essential that you remain with your leaders at all times.

We employ experienced and fully qualified mountain 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 first aid kits with them at all times and will be in radio communication throughout.

This challenge is designed as a team challenge, and we would encourage everyone to support each other throughout the day. If it does become necessary to split the group into different walking speeds then your leaders will be responsible for facilitating this.

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 March and November, 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 all weather, including warm and sunny temperatures as well as wind and downpours.

Terrain

The majority of this challenge takes place using paths and quiet country lanes. The terrain is fairly flat but can be sandy or muddy and may therefore be slippery at times.

Challenge timings

You will need to arrive at the registration point for 8am for a safety briefing and a 8.30am start. We expect the challenge to take between 10-12 hours to complete, and we aim to have everyone finished by 7pm.

Please note that due to the nature of this challenge, changes may happen that delay the finish time so please make flexible travel plans.

Please note: Precise details and timings will be made available in your Final Details that are sent out one month prior to the challenge.

Getting to and from the challenge

Please note: Precise details and timings will be made available in your Final Details that are sent out 1 month prior to the challenge.

The base for your challenge is at Old Hunstanton (note that this is slightly further north than Hunstanton).

Accommodation

No accommodation is provided for this challenge.

Hunstanton and the surrounding area has several accommodation options available. You can explore some of these on the Visit West Norfolk website.

Food and drink

We will provide you with a packed lunch and at each checkpoint there will be water and checkpoint snacks available.

We would advise that you also bring some of your own preferred snacks to keep you going during the day.

Please ensure you have had a substantial breakfast before arriving and that you arrive with your water bottles already filled. We recommend you carry 2 litres of water with you so you can stay hydrated throughout the day.

Clothing and equipment

This challenge takes place on footpaths and can be away from roads and immediate access to vehicle evacuation. It is therefore extremely important that you come prepared with the correct kit for this challenge.

Please ensure that your waterproof jacket is able to keep you dry when subjected to rain for several hours at a time, and that you also have waterproof trousers as legs get just as wet as tops. Footwear should also be waterproof and most importantly should have good grip. Sports trainers are not appropriate for the terrain of this challenge. We also ask you to ensure that you bring with you a warm layer, along with a hat and gloves.

Once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners Cotswold Outdoor.

Please be aware that because of the environment that this challenge takes place in our leaders may ask to see the vital parts of your kit. Participants found without kit marked on the kit list will not be allowed to take part in the challenge.

Toilets

There will be bathroom facilities both at the start and end of the trek, and halfway through. However, during the challenge such facilities will otherwise be limited to the great outdoors!

Money

During the challenge, there are limited opportunities to spend any money. There is a cafe at Sandringham where it may be possible to get a drink or icecream if we have time. 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:

• The terrain on the challenge is often muddy 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 further inland. Please make sure you carry an additional warm layer, waterproof jacket and trousers and a hat and gloves.
• The route can be remote at times with no access to top up water bottles or snacks. Ensure that you bring enough to last the day with you, so you can keep your energy levels up and keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.

Emergencies

Your leaders 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 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 and set a sensible pace for all to achieve this challenge within 12hrs. If we find that you are unable to trek at all, then we will arrange for you to be collected and taken back to the car park in Old Hunstanton.

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 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.

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 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-existing 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 these with your family doctor or specialist in advance and then discuss any advice given by them with the challenge leader.

Responsible Tourism

Charity Challenge believes that all of it’s 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.