How it works

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including:

• the chance to postpone your challenge to a later departure (this year or next)
• to join any Charity Challenge trip in another country (this year or next)
• to receive a refund of monies paid for the challenge

Please note there are no admin fees to either postpone or change destinations, should we be forced to cancel your existing challenge due to Covid-19.

Even if you move on to another challenge later in the year or next year, if we still find ourselves in a position where we cannot operate the challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, we will offer you the same options as above, to postpone, to change trips or to receive a refund.

Depending on which payment option you have booked with, we will either invoice you or refund you on the difference between the registration fees, and you will either have to raise more or less sponsorship based on the new challenge minimum sponsorship levels.

We currently have 1000s of participants booked on hundreds of challenges over the next 24 months. As you would expect, we are prioritising groups that are departing imminently and will continue to work through the next challenges in date order.  We do anticipate that within a month, or two things will be much clearer, and we expect trips for later in 2020 to proceed as planned.

There is no set time to make this decision, but we will try and let you know around 2-3 weeks before departure if the advice is against travel. Advice that is in place today, could be lifted tomorrow, and there could be no negative travel advice today and then it is added tomorrow. The situation is very changeable, and where we can still operate your challenge, we will do so. If advice has been against travel and this is still in place 2-3 weeks before departure, we will ensure we speak to you individually and communicate your options.

We are continuously monitoring the advice from the UK authorities - Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and Public Health England (PHE) - the global health authorities (World Health Organisation (WHO) - the government advice from the host countries we are travelling to, our ground agent’s perspective of things on the ground, the airlines we fly with, and a number of other national government authorities including the US State Department, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Canadian government travel advisories. If we are advised against travel by the FCO or prevented from operating your challenge in the host country due to local restrictions, we will cancel your challenge.

We respect that some people may feel more comfortable staying at home, and not travelling regardless of the destination or official advice. If you choose to cancel, we will action your request but where there is no FCO advice against travel, our standard cancellation terms will apply (see terms and conditions).

Where a challenge is ground only, you will be responsible for your international travel arrangements to and from the host country. If your trip is cancelled, you will need to liaise with your airline over any changes that need to be made. If official travel advice is given against travel to that country, or the host country refuses to accept flights from the UK, the airline is likely to be flexible over changes to dates and routes. If however, you cancel of your own accord, despite there being no advice against travel to the host country, the airline is likely to be less flexible. Each airline will have different policies, but you must discuss the situation with them to see what they can and cannot do.

Every airline differs, but most are taking hygiene to new levels:

• Enhanced cleaning processes - Surfaces can harbour the virus, so janitorial staff at airports across the country are cleaning more frequently and paying special attention to disinfecting high-touch areas like handrails, elevator buttons, door handles, counter tops and food court areas. Planes will also undergo enhanced cleaning, according to multiple airlines including disinfecting surfaces after each flight.
• Hand sanitizer everywhere - Passengers are more likely to see hand sanitizer on ticket counters, at boarding gates, customer service desks, baggage service offices and lounges. Airlines are setting up their own hand sanitizer dispensers at places like check-in counters and gates in addition to the ones the airports are installing, and on planes too.
• Air quality – Many airlines have filtration systems for a cabin free of airborne contaminates

The travel insurance that Charity Challenge has provided in the past (through Endsleigh) and currently offers (through Campbell Irvine) to date, provide support as follows:

• If a participant is taken ill with the Coronavirus prior to their trip and is unable to travel they will be able to lodge a claim under the cancellation and curtailment section.
• If a participant is in compulsory quarantine on the order of a treating medical practitioner in the UK, they will be able to lodge a claim under the cancellation and curtailment section of the policy.
• If the beneficiary needs medical assistance whilst on the trip for coronavirus, this is also covered.

We are continuing to make the plans for your challenge and if you have been invoiced, please continue to pay as normal. If as above, we cannot operate the challenge in the host country due to Covid-19, you will have the chance to postpone, change destination or get a refund.

If you have any concerns around your fundraising, and current restrictions that would mean cancelling your fundraising activities, please speak directly to your chosen charity.

We provide financial security for flight-inclusive packages and ATOL protected flights by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6546, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. When you buy an ATOL protected flight-inclusive challenge from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate in your account area. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. The price of our flight inclusive arrangements includes the amount of £2.50 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices.

Not all challenge or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. ATOL protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay for flight inclusive packages originating in the United Kingdom. We also provide full financial protection for any challenges that are packages but DO NOT include flights (and where you are joining from a European country), by way of an insurance policy held with International Passenger Protection Limited and underwritten by Insurers who are members of the Association of British Insurers & Lloyds Syndicates. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk.

Exercise is vital for our mental and physical health, and is arguably more important than ever during periods of social distancing and self-isolation. At Charity Challenge, we aspire to see the positive in every situation. So even though we are all going through an incredibly unsettling period in our lives, we have somehow been given a gift to slow down, refocus and take care of ourselves. Now is not the time to sit down and give up, it is the time to put a plan in place and kick start a new training regime, so we are all ready to take on that Charity Challenge when the time allows.

The key to a successful training regime is planning and motivation. Once you start, the endorphins that you release will take care of everything else. To help you get fighting fit for your upcoming challenge, or just to keep in shape without leaving the house, we have put together some of our favourite tips and advice for training at home.

https://www.charitychallenge.com/blog/blog/2020/04/tips-and-advice-for-training-at-home/

As we all go through this uncertain climate with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) a common question from our challengers is how can I fundraise when I am social distancing? Fear not! The team at Charity Challenge have put their creative hats on and come up with the following ideas:

https://www.charitychallenge.com/blog/blog/2020/03/how-to-fundraise-when-you-are-social-distancing/

Charity Challenge wants to reassure everyone taking part in a UK challenge in 2020 that we are closely monitoring official advice from Public Health England and the UK Government and other appropriate local authorities. We are using the official advice to inform our decisions in relation to our challenges, and your health is what is most important to us. 

Please rest assured that if Charity Challenge cannot operate a challenge in the UK due to legal restrictions around Covid-19, we will offer you a number of options including:

• the chance to postpone your challenge to a later departure this year

• The chance to join any other Charity Challenge trip either UK or overseas (please see information regarding differences in challenge costs below)

Please note there are no admin fees to either postpone or change challenges, should we be forced to cancel your existing challenge due to legal restrictions around Covid-19.

If you cannot make an alternative date set for your challenge, and there are no other challenges within our entire portfolio that you would like to move on to, you will be entitled to transfer your place to someone else and we will waive any administration costs (as mentioned in our terms and conditions). 

Even if you move on to another challenge later in the year, if we still find ourselves in a position where we cannot operate the challenge due to legal restrictions around Covid-19, we will offer you the same options as above, to postpone or, to change trips or to transfer your place to someone else.

Depending on which payment option you have booked with, we will either invoice you or refund you on the difference between the registration fees, and you will either have to raise more or less sponsorship based on the new challenge sponsorship levels.

We currently have 1000s of participants booked on over 50 UK challenges in 2020. As you would expect, we are prioritising groups that are departing imminently and will continue to work through the next challenges in chronological order. We do anticipate that within a month, or two things will be much clearer, and we expect trips for later in the season to proceed as planned.

There is no set time to make this decision, but we will try and let you know around 2-3 weeks before departure at the latest, unless legal advice suddenly changes, in which case we will let you know at the earliest convenience.

The situation is very changeable, and where we can still operate your challenge, we will do so. If advice has been against travel or the holding of small events, and this is still in place 2-3 weeks before departure, we will ensure we speak to you individually and communicate your options

We are continuously monitoring the advice from the UK authorities - Public Health England (PHE) and the UK Government. As part of our overall business we are also monitoring the advice (for our overseas challenges) coming from the (World Health Organisation (WHO) and various other international governments. If we are advised against travel, or restrictions are placed on small group events, by the UK government or local authorities that prevent us from operating your challenge we will postpone your challenge.

We respect that some people may feel more comfortable staying at home, and not travelling and taking part in a small group event, regardless of any legal advice. If you choose to cancel, we will action your request but where there is no legal advice against travel, our standard cancellation terms will apply (see terms and conditions). 

Our UK challenge events team are taking this issue extremely seriously, so you can be assured that on all of our upcoming UK challenges we will have followed, and put in place, the most appropriate hygiene facilities.

• Advance information – We will be sharing widely available information about pre challenge preparations, good hand hygiene, keeping healthy and so on, and avoiding joining a challenge should anyone have any relevant symptoms.

• Enhanced cleaning processes for all our event venues - Surfaces can harbour the virus, so staff at all our event venues will be asked to ensure that they are cleaning more frequently and paying special attention to disinfecting high-touch areas like handrails, door handles, counter tops and food areas.

• Providing hand sanitizer – Charity Challenge will ensure that when you arrive at any of our UK challenge event venues that you will have the opportunity to wash your hands according to guidelines. All of our challenge leaders will also be carrying hand sanitizer on the challenge itself. We would encourage all participants to also bring their own hand sanitiser.

• Putting in place disposal bins for tissues – We will also make sure that all of our challenge event venues have appropriate disposal points for tissues.

• Minimising the number of people kept in close proximity – We will be assessing all of our event venues and coordinating the best way to make sure that we provide suitable space for people at points when the whole group needs to be brought together (I.e.: registration and event safety briefings). This may require, on some of our larger events, to stagger registration and start times so that we don’t create unnecessary overcrowding. We would ask all participants to be understanding of this decision and to cooperate fully.

•Encourage anyone who displays coronavirus symptoms after the event to contact Charity Challenge immediately – We will ask all participants on UK challenge events to contact us immediately should they attend one of our challenges and, within the next 10 days, you display coronavirus symptoms. 

We are continuing to make the plans for your challenge and if you have been invoiced, please continue to pay as normal. If as above, we cannot operate the challenge due to legal restrictions around Covid-19, you will have the chance to postpone, change challenge or transfer your place to another participant, all without any administration costs.

If you have any concerns around your fundraising, and current restrictions that would mean cancelling your fundraising activities, please speak directly to your chosen charity.

Exercise is vital for our mental and physical health, and is arguably more important than ever during periods of social distancing and self-isolation. At Charity Challenge, we aspire to see the positive in every situation. So even though we are all going through an incredibly unsettling period in our lives, we have somehow been given a gift to slow down, refocus and take care of ourselves. Now is not the time to sit down and give up, it is the time to put a plan in place and kick start a new training regime, so we are all ready to take on that Charity Challenge when the time allows.

The key to a successful training regime is planning and motivation. Once you start, the endorphins that you release will take care of everything else. To help you get fighting fit for your upcoming challenge, or just to keep in shape without leaving the house, we have put together some of our favourite tips and advice for training at home.

https://www.charitychallenge.com/blog/blog/2020/04/tips-and-advice-for-training-at-home/

As we all go through this uncertain climate with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) a common question from our challengers is how can I fundraise when I am social distancing? Fear not! The team at Charity Challenge have put their creative hats on and come up with the following ideas:

https://www.charitychallenge.com/blog/blog/2020/03/how-to-fundraise-when-you-are-social-distancing/

This is called Charity Challenge for a reason. You have undertaken to push yourself well beyond your normal comfort zone - and all for the good of your chosen charity. In order to raise funds for the cause you are passionate about, you will need to show that you are stretching yourself to the limit - so do not expect a walk in the park. The majority of the countries in which we operate are less developed than the UK. Internal infrastructures are often limited; roads are rough and facilities basic. If you’re after a five-star holiday forget Charity Challenge. If, however, you are seeking an adrenaline-filled challenge and are relatively active, then you’ve come to the right place.

Participants' motives come in all shapes and sizes. They may have been spurred into action by an illness, divorce, bereavement or perhaps they are setting out to mark a landmark birthday or anniversary. Whatever their reasons, our participants all come united in the desire to do something completely different and all for a worthy cause. Our only stipulations are that you are over 18, relatively fit, willing to muck in and have a positive and flexible approach to adventure travel. We accept 16 to 17-year-olds, providing they are accompanied by a parent or guardian of legal age. As for the upper age limit, well, there’s no such thing! Our more mature clients have included a 75-year-old man who successfully completed the Rajasthan Tiger Bike Ride in India and a 72-year-old man who summited Kilimanjaro!

When you sign up to a Charity Challenge you are embarking on a journey and part of that involves training and getting fit for the long road ahead. Of course, a basic level of fitness and good health is required initially, but you do not need to be super fit when you first sign up. More important than your physical shape is your mental and emotional commitment to train and get fit. Our challenges are designed to be demanding in order for you to really earn your sponsorship money. 

Fitness training notes are available in your account area and we recommend you spend a few months before your trip getting fit and building up stamina.

Obviously the more extreme the challenge, the more you will need to train. You do not need to be professional in your chosen sport, but the more prepared you are the more you will enjoy the challenge.

There are four difficulty levels:

Moderate: This is the perfect challenge for someone who has perhaps never taken on a challenge event before, and is looking to test themselves on an active physical challenge. Although a moderate challenge might be culturally challenging, it will usually be in hotels/lodges rather than camping, and there will be no altitude involved. Training is necessary for all challenges. On a UK “moderate” challenge, this grading would be perfect for someone who is looking to take their first steps into walking in the UK.

Challenging: A “challenging” trip will test someone who is relatively fit and has a spirit of adventure. You may have had some previous experience, but this is not necessary as long as the correct training is undertaken. A “challenging” trip may involve some altitude, but this will be compensated by easier terrain and hiking conditions. On a UK “challenging” challenge, you will be physically tested but the terrain is often on well-established routes.

Tough: A “tough” trip should be undertaken by someone with previous experience and interest in the activity – whether biking or trekking. It will usually involve camping, and will certainly be in a remote environment, where facilities are not what you would expect at home. A tough challenge will test you both physically and mentally. Both cycle and treks will be hilly, and training is essential. On a UK “tough” challenge, you should expect 10+ hours of exertion over demanding terrain.

Extreme: Extreme challenges will involve altitude, and a great deal of endurance. These trips are not to be taken lightly, and will take place in extreme environments, without home comforts. They are usually undertaken by someone with previous experience in a mountain setting, but who wants to take their experience to the next level physically and mentally. Training is essential. On a UK “extreme” challenge you should have previous experience in the mountains of the UK, as you will be tested to the limits. 

You need to be a minimum of 18-years-old at the start of the challenge. 16 and 17-year-olds may also participate in any challenge with the agreement of, and when accompanied by a parent or guardian on the challenge who is of legal age. The parent or guardian will have to complete the booking form for anyone who is under 18 at the time of booking and sign a parental responsibility form.

The accommodation could range from tents on a mountainside, to guest house, community eco-lodge, or a comfortable hotel. Normally, accommodation is based on two people of the same sex sharing a twin room or two person tent. UK challenges are often in larger sized dormitory rooms. Details of each night’s accommodation are given in the full day by day itinerary for each challenge. Let us know on your booking form if there is someone specific you would like to share with.

Raising sponsorship requires time and effort, so it helps to be passionate about the cause you support. Aim to choose something with a personal connection, perhaps a cause that has affected you or a loved one in the past. If you have a connection to the cause and a story to tell, it will help to support your fundraising. Our challenges enable you to support any charity you want, providing it is registered in either the UK or Ireland.

If you are still unsure of who to support, visit the Charity Challenge website for an extensive list of organisations that will welcome your support. Please click here for our participating charities. If you wish to support a charity that is not listed on the website, you can provide us with their contact details and we’ll get in touch with them.

No, you may only raise money for one charity. Regardless of the payment option you choose, we will send an authorisation request to your chosen charity so they can confirm they are happy for you to fundraise on their behalf. All information displayed in your login area and in any emails will be for your one chosen charity. In addition, if you are raising funds under the Minimum Sponsorship or Flexi options we will invoice your charity for the balance of your costs and this cannot be split between two separate charities.

The journey you are about to embark on is the furthest thing from a holiday. The physical exertion will be demanding and often extreme. Facilities are basic and you may well be roughing it in a makeshift campsite. Weather conditions are variable and can often be extreme - be it hot, cold, wet or windy. Temperatures could climb from -20°C to +30°C within 24 hours. A Charity Challenge is not to be undertaken lightly as it requires training for months, raising thousands of pounds for charity and then battling through the physical challenge itself. All three of these take time, effort and commitment.

Each itinerary has a maximum group size, so places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. You can secure a space on a challenge by booking and paying your deposit. Once a challenge is full, we endeavour to introduce additional departure dates and the latest dates are listed on the website.

Of course! There can be few things more fulfilling than bringing together a group of like-minded people who all want to push themselves to the limit and support a cause close to their hearts. By putting together your own group, you will be able to inspire others with your drive, passion and commitment. Many of our challenges are made up of clubs, corporate teams or groups of friends and family members taking part in their own private challenge. Please refer to the private groups section of our website for more information, or contact us to discuss your ideas. 

In general, there are three ways in which you can fund a Charity Challenge:

Self-funder
With the self-funder option, you personally cover the full cost of the challenge and raise as much sponsorship as you can. The full cost of the challenge is made up of the non-refundable registration fee which is due at the time of booking, and the final balance which is due 10 weeks before departure. The self-funder option generally has no minimum sponsorship requirement, although you are still encouraged to raise as much money as you can for the charity. If there is a minimum requirement, you will be notified on the website.

Minimum sponsorship
With this option, you pay your non-refundable registration fee when booking the challenge and pledge to raise a minimum amount of sponsorship for your charity. You will need to send your sponsorship money to the charity as you raise it. At least 80% of the minimum sponsorship required must be sent to the charity 12 weeks before departure for overseas challenges and 7 weeks before for UK challenges, and the remaining 20% within four weeks of completing the challenge. 

If you have raised the necessary funds, the charity will then pay the balance of your expedition costs. The charity benefits by keeping the remaining sponsorship money and every pound over and above what you raise. 

Flexi
With the flexi payment option, you pay your non-refundable registration fee when booking the challenge and make a further contribution towards challenge costs (the balance) 10 weeks prior to departure. You will also have to raise a minimum sponsorship. 

Please click here to get a diagram explanation of how the finance works.

Please note: Under certain circumstances where airlines or suppliers require earlier payment, we reserve the right to request the balance of challenge costs (or a proportion of those challenge costs), prior to 10 weeks before departure. 

Please note, for each challenge there is a specific ‘what’s included’ section on the website. Typically, the following is included for an international challenge: International flights to and from the UK (usually London) booked in Economy Class; all accommodation during the expedition (usually twin basis but dormitory style on UK events), if camping we provide all necessary communal camping and cooking gear; three meals a day (unless otherwise stated); drinking water on challenge days; entrance fees to national parks or other places of interest visited on the itinerary; internal road and air transfers; all ground staff including English speaking guide, drivers, cooks, and porters; full back-up support including first-aid qualified staff and first-aid supplies; activity equipment including bikes, tents, and rafts; a donation towards Charity Challenge's local community project; a contribution towards funding the reduction of carbon emissions through Climate Care's portfolio of award-winning projects; a Charity Challenge T-shirt and medal; emergency management, public liability, and discount on personal equipment from selected stores.

Transfers to and from UK departure airport; entry visas (if applicable); vaccinations (if applicable); personal equipment; personal spending money; tips, overseas airport departure tax (if applicable) and additional activities not included in the itinerary such as excess baggage charges, all items of personal nature such as laundry, room service charges, drinks, phone calls etc.

We do not include discretionary tips for your Charity Challenge crew. Your leader will collect the recommended amount (indicated in your challenge Tour Info) towards the end of the challenge and distribute it amongst the support team. In many of the countries in which we operate our challenges, it is customary to tip local people along the way to ensure your group progresses smoothly and easily (i.e. hotel porters, boatmen, restaurant and rest stop staff etc.) To make this process easier, your leader may need to collect a small amount for the “kitty” which is then used to tip these people without you having to remember each time. Where feasible and practical, your leader will do this in front of the group and/or give the tips to one of the group to dole out. 

The costs and sponsorship levels listed on our website are based on a minimum number of participants on the challenge. We can sometimes run the trip with groups of less people, but there will be a small group supplement. This is payable by your charity if you book under the minimum sponsorship or flexi options, and by yourself if you are a self-funder. If a small group supplement is necessary, we will notify you 12 weeks before departure.

By booking with Charity Challenge, you can rest assured that we include ALL KNOWN AIR TAXES (including fuel) at the time of costing. Many companies do not include air taxes at all, and some only include certain elements of the air taxes and clients are therefore hit with a surcharge of many hundreds of pounds just before departure. To give you an idea of the applicable air taxes for our main destinations, see below (as of November 2017):

• London to Delhi - £350-£450
• London to Kilimanjaro - £320-£400
• London to Saigon - £380-£450
• London to Beijing - £340-£400
• London to Cusco - £420-£460
• London to Kathmandu - £350-£400

These taxes are included for all Charity Challenge expeditions at the time of costing. If the air taxes increase between the time of costing your challenge and your departure, we will only pass on the difference.

Our aim is to provide you with transparent pricing and clear instructions as to what is included in our prices and, if applicable, what is not. Nobody likes a nasty surprise, so when comparing prices ensure that all air taxes (known at the time of costing) are included, as well as fuel costs.

Accepting the physical challenge is just the beginning. To participate, you will also be required to raise substantial sponsorship for the charity of your choice. The level of minimum sponsorship is indicated on each of the itineraries. You will be provided with fundraising ideas and sponsorship forms. All money should be sent directly to the charity as and when you collect it. Unless you have covered the full cost of your challenge (self-funder option), at least 80% of the minimum sponsorship MUST be sent to the charity ten weeks before departure. If you do not achieve this, you risk losing your place on the challenge. This is a Booking Condition for participating on a Charity Challenge. The balance (i.e. the remaining 20%) should be sent to the charity within four weeks of returning home from your challenge. Deadlines for UK challenges are slightly closer to departure. 

Donations made by taxpaying individuals to charities in respect of sponsoring someone on a Charity Challenge will attract 25% tax relief under the Gift Aid scheme. If someone makes a donation to the charity of say £100, the charity can recover a further £25 from the Inland Revenue. Furthermore, if the person making the donation is a higher rate taxpayer then they in turn will recover £25 when they submit their tax return. 

Sponsorship payments made by persons connected to the participant fail the donor benefit rules and so are not eligible for tax relief under the Gift Aid scheme. Sponsorship payments made by persons not connected to the participant can be made under the Gift Aid scheme. A connected person is the wife or husband, a relative (brother, sister, ancestor (e.g. mother) or lineal descendant (e.g. grandson), the wife or husband of a relative, a company under the control of the donor, or under control of connected persons. For more information, please refer to the Inland Revenue website and enter Gift Aid into its search engine.

As our most popular challenges operate throughout the year, some will take place during the destination’s peak season. During this time, air fares and accommodation costs increase. We have addressed this by either increasing the registration fee , the balance or the minimum sponsorship requirement. If you have any questions about this, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

In booking your challenge under either the minimum sponsorship or flexi payment options, you are committing to raising a minimum amount of sponsorship for your chosen charity. You will need to send 80% of the sponsorship to the charity 12 weeks (for overseas challenges) or 7 weeks (for UK challenges) before departure, and the remaining 20% within four weeks of returning to the UK. This is a fundamental part of the challenge and if you do not raise the appropriate funds for the charity, the charity will not be able to pay the balance of your challenge costs, and you will therefore not be able to participate on the challenge. The overall objective of the challenge is to help raise funds for the charity, so please be realistic about that when booking. We will give you plenty of ideas and advice, hard copy and online sponsorship forms, and the charity you are supporting may also be able to provide additional support materials and advice.

You will be invoiced (for self-funders and flexi participants) approximately 14 weeks before departure for overseas challenges and 8 weeks before departure for UK challenges.

The balance is due no later than 10 weeks before departure for overseas challenges and 5 weeks before for UK challenges (as per our T&Cs). In exceptional and unavoidable circumstances we reserve the right to request the balance of challenge costs (or a proportion of those challenge costs), prior to 8 weeks before departure. This may occur in the rare case where an airline or supplier requires earlier payment than standard industry terms. 

Charity Challenge is the concept of and is administered by Challenges Un Limited, a specialist tour operator formed under the laws of England and Wales (Company No. 03786692). We have been running the Charity Challenge programme for over 16 years and have supported thousands of people on adventures in more than 30 countries worldwide. For more visit the WHY CHOOSE CHARITY CHALLENGE? section of our website.

When you complete a booking form, you will provide us with a certain amount of personal data, which we will only process for the purposes of administering your challenge. Examples of this processing include (but are not limited to) sending your name, dietary requirements, allergies or medical conditions to the airline, ground handler and challenge leader where necessary. Please refer to our privacy policy for more details.

During all the confidential stages of booking and paying online, you will see a padlock icon at the foot of the screen. Your personal information is kept secure by encrypted transmission. www.charitychallenge.com uses SSL ("Secure Socket Layer") encryption.  If you have any concerns about booking or paying online, please contact our office on +44 (0)20 8346 0500.

Cancellations for overseas challenges will incur the following charges:

• Cancellations made 70 days or more before departure (you will lose the challenge registration fee and if applicable the extension registration fee).
• 56-69 days before departure (you will lose 40% of the total challenge cost).
• 29-55 days before departure (you will lose 60% of the total challenge cost).
• 15-28 days before departure (you will lose 80% of the total challenge cost).
• 14 or fewer days before departure (you will 100% of the total challenge cost).

Cancellations for UK challenges will incur the following charges:

• Cancellations made 36 days or more before departure (you will lose the registration fee ).
• 29-35 days before departure (you will lose 40% of total challenge cost).
• 22-28 days before departure (you will lose 60% of total challenge cost).
• 15-21 days before departure (you will lose 80% of total challenge cost).
• 14 or fewer days before departure (you will lose the total challenge cost).

Please note that on London to Paris bike rides, you will lose 100% of the challenge cost if you cancel 28 days or less before departure.

Most participants complete the challenge they undertake. However, if you are obliged to cut your challenge short due to ill-health or for any other reason, there is no refund of National Park fees or flight and accommodation costs. Any additional accommodation and/or transfer fees, flight and accommodation costs are your responsibility. Please take a credit card to cover any such unexpected costs.

The total challenge cost consists of the registration fee, balance, fuel and/or currency surcharge (if applicable) and any extras (i.e. single room supplement or extensions). Please note that admin fees are non-refundable in all cases and do not form part of the total challenge cost. All registration fees are non-refundable. 

Cancellation charges will be calculated as follows:

For self-funder participants: all cancellation charges will be payable by yourself.

For minimum sponsorship participants: The above cancellation charges will be comprised of your registration fee and, following that, any monies paid by the charity up to the respective percentage of loss (i.e. 60%). In all circumstances we will deduct any monies paid by the charity last.

For flexi participants:  The above cancellation charges will be comprised of your  registration fee and, following that, your balance and any monies paid by the charity up to the respective percentage of loss (i.e. 60%). Subsequently, the same percentage of cancellation charges will apply to any extra services such as single supplements and extensions you have booked and paid for yourself.

Challenges (Un) Limited (trading as Charity Challenge) are ATOL bonded and our ATOL number is 6546. ATOL is a protection scheme for flights and air holidays, managed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). ATOL protects clients from losing money or being stranded abroad if the tour operator goes out of business. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. This protection only covers challenges that include flights organised by us that originate in the UK.

The prices quoted for each challenge include return international flights from London to the challenge destination. If for any reason, you would rather organise your own flights, we will (subject to the information below) discount the overall cost of the challenge by the budgeted cost of flights from London (including air taxes). Over 98% of our clients travel with flights organised by Charity Challenge and we assume this to be the case when you book with us. We would ask you to let us know as soon as possible if you intend to organise your own flights, to avoid heavy penalties passed onto us by the airline, which in turn will be passed onto you. 

Once you have confirmed that you wish to organise your own flights, please let us know your new flight schedule so we can inform our in country team. Any other necessary services, such as any additional night’s accommodation, will be at your own expense. Please e mail challenges@charitychallenge.com.

Please note when organising your own flights, (if you are using our recommended insurance policy), you will only be covered for a total cost of £5,000 per person.  

Additional notes from the booking conditions: If you choose to book your own flights you must confirm with Charity Challenge before paying for them, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). If you are joining the challenge locally (i.e. the country the challenge takes place in) our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. If you fail to arrive there at the appointed time, we shall not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet the group.

In all cases, you will have to pay the registration fee at the time of booking. For Self-Funders we will invoice you the balance of the challenge costs less the cost of UK group flights and air taxes.  For Minimum Sponsorship or Flexi Payment Option, participants you will need to raise the same level of sponsorship. We will invoice your charity for the balance of challenge costs less the cost of the group flights and taxes. It will be for the charity to process any refund to you in the form of a revised sponsorship package, at their discretion. Please note that due to strict fundraising guidelines we are unable to process any refunds directly to you.  Your charity is under no obligation to refund you and the final decision will rest with them in terms of your fundraising agreement. 

If you need to travel from other parts of the UK to join the group flight, or join the group from outside the UK, please note in the event of a change to a challenge departure date, time, or airport, Charity Challenge is not liable for any penalty charges associated with connecting travel arrangements you have arranged. We therefore strongly advise you not to incur any non-refundable incidental expenses before we send your final details around a month prior to departure. Similarly, you are advised only to book fully flexible connecting transport and other arrangements (such as pre or post-challenge accommodation) which can be cancelled or changed without charge.

If you are joining the group flights either from other part of UK or from elsewhere we would strongly advise you to leave enough time for delays, to pick your bags, transfer terminals and check in for all flights is 03 hours prior to departure. Any missed flights will be your responsibility.

On all our challenges, we aim to secure the most cost-effective package. The biggest single expense on these challenges is the international flights, and to keep these costs as low as possible we have exclusive arrangements with several airlines. The tickets we book however are non-transferrable, non-refundable and non-changeable. In most circumstances, the airline may permit a change to the return date, subject to the airlines availability and terms and conditions. Where we are able to change your return date, there will be a flat non-refundable fee of £60. Of course, if the change of date results in a more expensive ticket, you will also be required to pay the difference. You will not be able to amend the outward date, only the return date.

Your request to extend must be put in writing via your login area before it will be actioned. You should send your request to Charity Challenge. You must give a preferred return date but also two other dates, just in case the first date is not available. If you choose to request a change, and then do not wish to take the requested return flight, you WILL be charged the £60 admin fee. However, if we cannot confirm your requested change of return date we will NOT charge you the admin fee.

We will request airlines to seat our group together. If an individual passenger has a specific seat request, some airlines may be able to request it, and some will ask that you try and change it at the airport as changing seats may jeopardise the group seating arrangements. If you let us know of a specific meal request, we will request it from the airline. Please note that meals and seating are not guaranteed by the airlines. Therefore, if you have a special meal request we suggest that you consider bringing some additional snack items in case your request is not provided.

The Government aims to reduce the UK's total CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by the year 2050. Virtually everything that we do - including breathing - leads to CO2 emissions, which means we all must do our bit. The public perception is that aviation accounts for the lion's share of these emissions, but this is not the reality. In actual fact, the Stern report says that it accounts for 1.6% of emissions (however it is more damaging to emit CO2 at altitude, so this is equivalent to 3.2% of all emissions). Even the clothes we wear account for more emissions per person (on average) than flying. By comparison, our houses are the biggest source of emissions, contributing a staggering 25 per cent. However, Charity Challenge is still doing its bit to counter the impact of long haul flying. Each year we invest funds into Climate Care's award-winning portfolio of carbon reduction projects. See our Responsible Tourism pages to find out more.

Tourism is the single biggest service industry in the world (1). Nowadays travel and tourism account for 10.4% percent of the world GDP and 8.2% of total employment worldwide (around 231.2 million jobs) (2). For many developing countries tourism is one of the main income sources and a leading source of foreign exchange in 46 of the 49 Least Developed Countries (3). Therefore, ceasing all travel to these countries would have a disastrous impact on their economies. Any potential solution to global warming comes at a cost - renewable energy, cleaner technologies, waste reduction processes, etc. If we cut back on flying altogether, the global economy would crash and investment in these areas would suffer. We at Charity Challenge believe that the solution lies in reducing our emissions by overhauling our daily lifestyles.
1.    In 2006 international tourism receipts reached US$682.7 billion (Source: World Tourism Organization UNWTO, Tourism Market Trends, 2006).
2.    World Travel and Tourism Council (2007). Travel and Tourism Navigating the Path Ahead. The 2007 Travel & Tourism Economic Research.
3.    UNWTO (2007).

Your safety when travelling with Charity Challenge is our main concern which is why it is a booking condition that you have a suitable travel insurance policy that will cover the adventurous nature of your challenge. We have chosen to partner with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine, who offer cover for an extensive number of adventurous activities.
Cover is available directly from Campbell Irvine for most European residents and includes cover for emergency medical and repatriation and for your cancellation or curtailment of the challenge. Cancellation cover is very important as you need to consider protecting the charity you are raising funds for, as they may be contributing hundreds or thousands of pounds towards your challenge costs. 
You can view further details and buy the policy here.
We appreciate that whilst you may already have your own travel insurance in place, it is not administratively possible for us to vet each and every one of your policies.  It is therefore the responsibility of each client to check that the policy cover they have in place adequately meets their requirements. Please note you can have more than one policy covering the same trip as many of our clients do.
If you are flying directly to join the group in-country, please ensure the period of insurance covers the full duration of your trip for the travelling time to and from your home.

We appreciate that some of our participants already have a regular holiday travel insurance policy. Please review your own policy to ensure it fully covers you for the challenge event that you are taking part in, including the adventurous nature of our challenges, e.g. high-altitude trekking, cycling events, use of ropes and harnesses, and so on. Many regular holiday travel insurance policies do not provide cover for some of the activities undertaken on our challenges and will only insure you up to a relatively low altitude when trekking. Even if you already have travel insurance you may wish to consider arranging an additional specialist activity travel insurance to cover your Charity Challenge event with us. 
The way the Charity Challenge trips are funded is unique in the travel market. Your charity can be paying over £1000 towards your challenge costs. If you were to cancel within eight weeks of the departure, the charity would lose a proportion or their whole contribution towards your challenge costs. Please consider arranging an insurance policy to cover these exceptional circumstances (subject to the cancellation terms), including a refund for any challenge costs paid out by the charity after any policy excess has been deducted.  
By arranging specialist activity travel insurance cover which provides adequate medical emergency and evacuation cover, we hope to avoid being faced with a situation where a client is not quickly and effectively repatriated because of inadequate insurance cover. Charity Challenge takes thousands of participants on challenges each year. It would not be feasible to inspect each individual insurance policy to ascertain if it was adequate for all circumstances.

Yes. If you are either travelling to an EU Member Country or are a resident of the EU travelling within it, you should make sure that you have applied for and obtained the European Health Insurance Card or EHIC, which entitles you to treatment under the reciprocal agreements that exist for all EU citizens.

No, it shouldn’t so long as the policy covers the full duration of your trip from the moment you leave your front door until the moment you return back home then flights booked independently should be covered under the cancellation section of your travel insurance policy. Please check your specific policy wording.

The value of domestic flights within your home country should automatically be included within the cancellation section of the policy. Please check your specific policy wording.

No. As cancellation cover commences when you start your trip it would cease when you leave your home in your country of residence. If you then flew to the UK and in the week prior to the challenge departure suffered an injury/illness that meant you couldn't travel on the challenge, the cancellation cover would not be in effect.

The value of upgraded flights should automatically be included within the cancellation section of the policy as long as it is within the maximum level of cancellation cover. Please check your specific policy to establish the level of cancellation cover.

Campbell Irvine are able to provide travel insurance to individuals of any nationality who live within any country in Europe, (other than Russia, Switzerland, Montenegro, Belarus and the Ukraine).

Yes, the value of independently booked travel should automatically be included within the cancellation section of the policy. Please check your policy to establish the level of cancellation cover.

No, you should always arrange cover for the full duration of your trip under the one policy.

Campbell Irvine can offer a policy which covers all advertised activities on the challenge itself and on Charity Challenge organised extensions. For the most up to date information please see the itinerary for your challenge/extension on our website. If you are organising your own extension please read your travel insurance policy carefully for any exclusions. In addition, if you are in any doubt that a particular activity you are planning is covered by the recommended policy, please contact your travel insurance provider.

Bicycles are typically excluded from cover. They are normally covered under home contents insurance or specialist cycle policies which can be extended to include cover when away from the home, but you should always confirm this with your insurer.

All defined pre-existing medical conditions should be declared on your Charity Challenge booking form and directly to your travel insurance provider. Your failure to disclose a known medical condition to your travel insurance provider may result in a claim being declined.

Challenges (Un) Limited t/a CHARITY CHALLENGE (Firm Ref 491848) are an Introducer Appointed Representative of Campbell Irvine Limited (Company Number:  1117838) who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and whose status can be checked on the FCA Register by visiting www.fca.org.uk or by contacting the FCA on +44 (0) 800 111 6768.

Charity Challenge has chosen to work with specialist travel insurance providers Campbell Irvine who have over 40 years’ experience in arranging travel insurance to the far flung and often remote corners of the globe. Campbell Irvine specialise in arranging travel insurance which covers a multitude of activities from trekking at altitude and charity cycle challenges. Whilst many travel insurance providers offer holiday travel insurance which covers a number of activities whilst travelling, Campbell Irvine is aware of the nature of our trip itineraries and can provide cover for guided trekking up to 7,000metres. 

We will support you from the time of your booking, right up until you return from your challenge. Once you have booked, you will have access to your very own login area, which contains comprehensive information about fitness training, fundraising, flights and extension options, arrangements for meeting the rest of the group and much more. We also send out reminders about insurance, passports and how/when to apply for a visa. Each challenge has a bespoke kit list and all of our participants have access to kit discounts through major retailers. Our operations managers are on hand via phone or email to answer any questions, from room sharing, to dietary requirements, to which jacket to buy. 
During the challenge, each group will be fully supported by a first-aid trained, English-speaking expedition leader, guides and support team.

Yes. Getting fit ahead of your challenge is a vital part of the pre-challenge preparation and the importance of regular training should not be underestimated. We have written fitness training plans for trekking and biking which are provided in your login area, and which give our participants a structure that will steadily increase their training prior to the challenge. Everyone is different and has unique training needs, therefore we cannot offer a bespoke fitness programme for each person. However, our plans are structured in order to give you minimum guidelines, and tips on making the most out of your training treks/rides.

We offer superb tailored training weekends for all treks from Saturday morning through to Sunday afternoon. Our training weekends are held throughout the UK. Accommodation is either in a youth hostel or camping in tents (choose your specific weekend according to the experience you want). You will be sharing a room/tent with a member of the same sex. The course is fully catered with breakfast on the Sunday, two large packed lunches and an evening meal on the Saturday night. Click here for more details.

We will provide you with general fundraising advice and a full A-Z of fundraising ideas in your login area, alongside hard-copy sponsorship forms. We also suggest you set up an online giving page when you begin your fundraising journey. Your charity can help point you in the right direction. We will often redirect you to the experts at your chosen charity for any technical or charity specific support.

Yes. In terms of vaccinations, we use the advice given by the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website. Any vaccinations or anti-malarial medications that are recommended by the NHS will be indicated in your Trip Notes prior to booking, although we advise you to visit your GP or travel nurse prior to the challenge for any specific advice that might be relevant due to anything in your medical history. We give out visa application advice three months prior to departure, which includes advice on where to access the visa form, how to answer certain questions, what documentation needs to be provided, and information on costs, where to apply etc. We can also provide details of a support agency who can obtain visas on your behalf (for a service fee).

Register yourself onto the challenge via the Charity Challenge website. On the booking form you will have the option to create a team and pay the registration fees for all challengers in your team.

Simply select the number of additional challengers (remember not to include yourself in this total), complete the booking form and process the payment for all challenger's registration fees to reserve your team's places on the challenge.

Yes, all participants need to follow the registration process to be booked onto a challenge.

When a team booking is made, the master booker will receive via email a unique booking URL. The master booker needs to share this with their team members in order to link them to the team booking and for their registration fee to be allocated. Check your junk mail if you can't find the email.

A team booking is based on two or more participants booking together. There is no limit to maximum team numbers. 

If you are looking to book a team of 10 or more, please call the Charity Challenge office on 02083460500 to discuss your booking in more detail.

• Be motivated by the team spirit of tackling a challenge together
• Simplify the process of booking onto a challenge by having all registration fees paid by the master booker
• Guarantee your places on a challenge by booking together
• Ensure you are with your team members in the same room and group

On all three of our payment options (Self fund, Minimum Sponsorship or Flexi), the challenge costs are per participant. On the Flexi and Minimum Sponsorship options, the sponsorship targets are also per participant.