FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Trip Details
Full details & information about what you can expect in the lead up & during the challenge.
Costs & Fundraising
The balance for your trip cost will be due to us 10 weeks before your departure. You will be sent a reminder & an invoice 12 weeks before, giving you 2 weeks to make the payment.
80% of your fundraising target is due to be with your charity 12 weeks before the challenge, meaning that it either needs to be banked with them or sat against a Just Giving page. We will then invoice your charity for the remaining cost of your place on the challenge, it is important you make that 80% target otherwise your charity will not pay for your place, and your trip could be cancelled.
The remaining 20% of your balance will be due to be with your charity 4 weeks after your trip ends.
Our base cost is on a twin share-room basis, if you are signing up as a couple of two friends – you can tell us when you register for the challenge, so we ensure that you will be sharing a room.
If you are signing up to the challenge as an individual, we will match you with someone of the same gender and roughly the same age.
You can choose to pay an additional supplement to have your own room (and/or tent) on the challenge.
All our groups are an average size of approximately 20 participants. We welcome individuals, couples, and groups of friends on to our challenges, and many who join us literally have a mountain to climb in terms of the scale of the challenge they are taking on. We advocate camaraderie and team bonding, and believe that this enhances your experience.
Yes, as long as we know in advance of the trip, we can cater for all dietary requirements & requests.
Signing Up to the Challenge
Once you pay your deposit & have signed up to the challenge, you will receive a confirmation email welcoming you into the challenge.
You will also receive instructions on how to download our challenge app which has in it all the information you need to start preparing for your challenge – from kit lists to training guides.
We will keep you updated with regular emails & newsletters in the lead-up to the challenge, as well as information on training days & weekends.
If you need to cancel your challenge, your deposit is non-refundable – therefore we recommend you speak to our team to see what alternative options you may have.
Yes, if for whatever reason you need to push your departure back to a later one or change your trip altogether you can do so for a date change fee of £175, subject to availability.
Currently, we do not have the accounting facility to take instalments, we can only take your payment in full at least 12 weeks before your departure.
Preparation
Yes – in our challenge app, which you can download once you are fully registered for the challenge we have a host of training materials, guides & advice for you to use. We also have training weekends and days which you can sign up to meet others & test out not just your fitness, but your mental readiness for the challenge and your all-important kit!
Closer to the challenge we will set up a Facebook group so that you can meet others online who are going to be on your trip. We also have a lively & dynamic Facebook group you can join at any time to meet other fellow challengers – past & present to share and swap training tips, advice & stories.
You will need specific travel insurance, which covers the duration of your trip, along with full cover for any activities you will be doing (i.e. trekking, cycling) and to cover you up to any altitude you may be trekking to. Once you are signed up for the challenge, we will send you full details of our recommended providers of appropriate cover.
Life on the Challenge
- International flights
- Local expert guide
- Full support team
- UK medic
- All accommodation
- All meals, except in free time
- All transfers in local vehicles
- Celebration dinner
- Fitness and training guide
- Action Challenge App with all documentation
- Action Challenge UK leader
- Pre-trip briefing by Action Challenge staff.
- Bike Hire (Cannondale Trail 6 / Giant Rincon Mountain bikes)
- Insurance
- Vaccinations – up to date on boosters
- Tips for local staff
- Airline fuel surcharge
- Alcoholic drinks
- Personal kit/equipment
- E-Bike Hire
On cycling days, we will wake up between 06:30-07:00, starting with breakfast before preparing for the day ahead. There will be regular short breaks to rest and refuel on snacks and water, with a longer stop for lunch. In the evening, we enjoy a meal at the hotel or campsite, before retiring to bed to prepare for the next day of cycling. Every evening, the Action Challenge Leader will give a briefing about the following day, with information such as appropriate clothing, the topography and any ‘hot spots’ to look out for.
You will be cycling approximately 375KM of mostly tarred roads throughout Kerala. This route involves cycling into and through the hill country of Kerala along routes that we have chosen to highlight the beauty of this area. Some roads will be busier than others. Generally the road surfaces in Kerala are higher than the average in India. Some roads may have been affected by the summer monsoons so care should always be taken.
All meals are included within the trip cost, apart from during free time. Breakfast will be served at our accommodation and will typically consist of continental as well as porridge, toast, eggs etc. Lunch and dinner will be en-route at a prearranged restaurant and will be a variety of local dishes as well as some western influenced food. Dietary Requirements can be accommodated with advanced warning. We recommend that you bring some of your favourite snacks with you for that extra energy boost! Please ensure all products are dry and packaged. For example: cereal bars, sweets, nuts, or biscuits. Special dietary requirements will be catered for, provided sufficient advance notice is given.
Your main luggage is transported via a support vehicle, leaving you with only the absolute essentials during your days cycling.
Kerala weather is hot for most of the year. September to November is post monsoon season when everything is very green / rivers all full and you should expect evening showers and the temperature rising through October. Anytime between September and March is a good time to come.
Our Brochure
The Challenge brochure details the full itinerary, inclusions, and more – download for a full run down of the challenge details.