Saturday saw the first Ultra Challenge of the season take place – the Chiltern 50 Challenge, setting out from a base camp in Henley. Though it may have felt & looked slightly different from previous challenges, we were so pleased to see that the special atmosphere, spirit, camaraderie, and determination flourished within this new ‘Covid-secure’ format.
With Coronavirus having spread to many countries and with constant changes to travel restrictions, we understand that many of our participants have questions and concerns.
We have set up a page to keep the most relevant information up to date for you to monitor all in one place and see the FAQ's that we have regarding timelines and specific regions.
For International Challenge Updates, you can monitor this page >> https://actionchallenge.com/news/covid-19-updates
For our Ultra Challenge Series Updates, you can monitor the following >> https://www.ultrachallenge.com/transfers
Keep up to date with all of the relevant news we are sharing via these channels, and the options we are making available to you as our valued customers.
We wish you all well during this time & look forward to our future challenges with you.
Not many people celebrate reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro by doing the splits, but this October, Lance Smith did exactly that after 6 days trekking the Lemosho Route with Action Challenge.
An unusal way to celebrate a summit
Lance was climbing in memory of his brother in law, Rob, who sadly passed away earlier in the year. Lance says “He was everything to me and I was extremely close to him. He died at 60 but was diagnosed with dementia at 48”.
Lance, pictured with brother in law Rob
What makes Lance’s climb even more remarkable is he is an amputee, and completed the climb with a prosthetic leg. In 2004, Lance was involved in an accident with a 10-ton digger on a building site where he was working. It was a tough time, and he nearly died.
In 2006 and 2008, Lance’s sons were born, something he says “literally saved my life as all the negative focus turned to positive”. He says he climbed Kili for his sons “to teach them not to be afraid, and they can do anything they want in life – to grab it!”
Lance with his sons
How did he find climbing Kilimanjaro? “I fell many, many times on Kili, and got battered and bruised... Even taking the skin off the bottom of my stump. I didn't think I could make certain climbs but I did it. I dug deep and did it, with help from Action Challenge’s Mountain Leader, Oliver, plus the medic and team of guides and porters.... I will never forget all of them.”
Tackling the 257m high Barranco Wall, watched by Action Challenge crew
Mountain weather can be unpredictable, and Lance gets extra bragging rights as they faced some interesting conditions: “We were hit with some of the worst weather you could have on the mountain.... Rain and freezing conditions. Wet clothes!”
A cold, snowy and happy summit!
Has this put Lance off doing more challenges? Nope! “I'm still buzzing. I am going to raise more money for more charities... And do many more challenges. I'm even considering rowing the Atlantic in 2 or 3 yrs from now with a partner.”
Before that, and much closer to home, Lance recently caught up with our mountain Leader, Oliver, for a well-deserved pint in his local! "Oliver, the team leader from action challenge, plus James our medic and Head Guide Saulyain who took us up and was in charge of all the porters.... if it wasn't for them I wouldn't have done so well. They are true inspirational themselves and have become my kili family friends."
Oli, a seasoned Mountain LEader, had this to say: "Lance was an awesome team member and the whole group coalesced around him. He never complained or got down at any point and he had perserverance in spades! I’m still not sure how he got through the snow but I think he would likely have dragged himself to the summit by his tongue if he’d had to! Every group needs a guy like Lance!"
Enjoying a pint with Action Challenge Mountain Leader, Oliver
If you feel inspired by Lance’s story, why take a look at our dates for 2020 and 2021 and start you own adventure.
If you’d like to donate to Lance’s fundraising efforts, you can do so via his Justgiving link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lance-smith
It all started with a Tweet...
“Any other cabbies out there fancy losing weight with me and then climb Mount Kilimanjaro?”
That one Tweet took a team of 3 "Fat Cabbies", all London Taxi Drivers, from behind the wheels of their cabs, on a dream journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with Action Challenge.
That dream became reality on the 4th October 2019, when they stood at Uhuru Peak, the summit of Africa's Highest mountain.
The Cabbies start their climb
This was the end result of a long journey, that saw the Cabbies commit to a training plan to get them in shape to take on the challenge. They visited the Action Challenge office to hear all about the trek and what they would need to prepare for, then the training began! From an Action Challenge training weekend climbing Mount Snowdon at night with our mountain leaders, to taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks - they pushed themselves to lose weight and get fit!
If that wasn't enough, they have also raised (at time of writing) over £15,000 for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans!
Getting closer to the top...
All those months of training and preparation culminated in the tough climb from Kosovo Camp to Uhuru Peak, in the dead of night. The summit climb starts at midight, and follows a steep slope to the rim of the crater. This is the toughest part of the challenge, with our mountain leaders and local crew taking care of the team every step of the way.
After 6 hours, the team of Cabbies reached Stella Point, in time to watch the sun rise!
Sunrise from Stella Point
From Stella Point, they needed to make one final push to reach the summit. It was cold, they were tired, but nothing was going to stop them. In the words of Daren, one of the Cabbies:
"That last 45 min climb is the hardest thing I have ever done, but my mind and determination just took over. Then we saw the famous Uhuru Sign we had been dreaming about and at 7.07am on the 4th October 2019 we touched the sign. I broke down in tears and blubbed like baby. All the emotions flooding out of me, the thought of my grandkids and the picture they had drawn me, my wife and all the good wishes, encouragement and faith that people had put in me. WE HAD DONE IT! A year ago I would have struggled up Shooters Hill and now I was standing on TOP OF WORLD. Looking down I could see the curvature of the Earth, clouds, glaciers... the sun was shining and it was a surreal moment I will never forget."
The Cabbies at Uhuru Peak, 5895m above sea level
We think this is an incredible story! You should never say never. Kilimanjaro is a tough challenge, but one that anyone can do with the right mindset. You just put one foot in front of the other until you reach the top.
Credit to the Cabbies - Brian, Daren & John, and special thanks to Tim King for his excellent photographs and videos (see more of Tim's work over on Facebook and Instagram).
Find out more about the Cabbies Do Kilimanjaro guys and their stories here: https://www.cabbiesdokilimanjaro.com
The Aspinall Foundation, a world-class conservation charity - is dedicated to protecting endangered animals around the globe. The foundation is known for returning captive bred animals to protected wilderness areas and reserves worldwide.
Their two award winning wild animal parks, Howletts near Canterbury and Port Lympne, near Ashford, work closely with The Aspinall Foundation and as such, are very different from conventional zoos. Our parks lead the way in animal care, enclosure design, enrichment and breeding success and are designed to be breeding sanctuaries for some of the world’s most rare and endangered animals.
In September 2020, a group of volunteers & fundraisers from Aspinall Foundation will set off for Tanzania and start their climb of Kilimanjaro. The group are expected to raise over £35,000 for the Aspinall Foundation. This money will be crucial to their important work!
Among other things, £35,000 would fund all the food and medical supplies for their gorilla reintroduction project in Gabon and Congo as well as supporting the rangers who look after and protect the Gorillas post reintroduction. The Aspinall Foundation help protect over one million acres of prime wildlife habitat across Gabon and Congo from many threats including poaching. It is important the rangers are well equipped to cover this area. This requires trucks and boats for patrols as well as vehicle maintenance, fuel, generators, camera traps etc. All very important for them to succeed in saving animals from extinction.
To find out more about the work of the Aspinall Foundation, or to join their climb of Africa's Highest Mountain, visit their website: https://www.aspinallfoundation.org/the-aspinall-foundation/support-us/fundraising-events/kilimanjaro-challenge/
You got your dream hiking boots on, have just had a lovely walk in the fresh air but you’ve just come home and it being Janurary, they are caked in mud. Do you leave it on and wait for it to fall off or do you go for a deep clean?
Why is it important?
Straight out of the box, your boots are in the best possible condition. Meaning you don’t have to do any sort of treatment, or cleaning of, your boots. As long as you properly break in your hiking boots, you’ll be ready for the next adventure.
But once you’ve got your first hike in with your boots, and they’re caked with mud, murky puddle water, or even bits of leaves, clean them. Even if they’re not that dirty, it doesn’t matter. Each step on a walk results in either dust, mud or general dirt creeping in. Any sort of buildup inside your hiking boot that goes uncleaned always leads to excessive wear and tear on the boot. It might be a pain but the best way to extend the life of your boots is by cleaning them after each hike.
Cleaning your boots straight after a walk may not be the most exciting way to round off a day on the trail but you’ll be grateful for it next time you head out and your boots are ready and raring to go. So, how do you go about cleaning your boots?
It's as easy at 1,2 3!
Step 1: Scrub clean
Simply rinse with warm water and use a brush to remove stubborn mud and grit. Don;t use any soaps or detergents as these tend to damage your boots, especailly if they have any special fabrics int hem like GORE-TEX. Try not to soften your leather uppers too much while washing to avoid your boots losing their shape. A hefty sole will take some scrubbing but be gentle on the more delicate upper surfaces of your boots.
Step 2: Treat them to a little pampering
A proofer or Nikwax will help to keep your feet dry against the elements. Remember to check that the type of proofer is the right one for your boots as treatments vary. Use one that’s suitable for use on footwear with waterproof breathable lining and waterproof leathers to maintain your boots’ performance as you clock up the miles.
Step 3: Give them some air
It's really tempting to leaver them on a boiller or near the radiator, but the ebst way to look after your boots is to let them dry naturally in the air. If your boots are wet inside too, then use some newspaper to coax out the moisture to keep them in tip top shape.
If you look after yoru boots they'll look after you. Clean boots also allow you to have a closer look at them, and will help you identify when it might be time for a change.
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