Trek up Mont Blanc
Although it can sometimes be hard to find a holiday which is exciting, exhilarating and different there are some companies on the market which can cater for people who are constantly searching for that ultimate adrenaline rush or sense of true achievement. Challenge Events are one company who might just have everything you’re looking for from an activity holiday whether it be scaling the heights of Kilimanjaro, cycle through rural Cambodia or hike through lava fields in Iceland, as if that wasn’t enough, part of the money you pay for the holiday goes to a charity of your choice.
A major highlight of the 2008 calendar is the trek to the Sahara Desert starting on February 23. This harsh environment is the perfect setting for a charity event with unending sands, desert oasis and star-encrusted skies but for those who prefer wheels to walking there are 7 cycling trips including a London to Paris challenge which covers around 300km in just 3 days. This long-weekend challenge takes you through some undulating countryside and sleepy Normandy villages finishing with a triumph under the Eiffel Tower.
If you like getting hot and sweaty, climb Kilimanjaro on March 6th in 2009. As the highest mountain in Africa this will be the ultimate challenge to say the least and is one of the mountains almost every trekker and mountaineer in the world wants to conquer.
In May you can trek the Inca Trail or cycle from London to Paris from in June. So Choose your charity, lay down the gauntlet, set your objectives and reach your ultimate goal; you could really make a difference along the way.
If you fancy a less challenging holiday but still want to so something fitness-related than Explore offer a range of walking, cycling, trekking and activity-based tours in small groups.
Their Mont Blanc Activity Weekend costs £682 pp and includes a great mix of trekking, mountain biking and rock climbing with optional paragliding, ice climbing and rafting all centered around Mont Blanc. The tour is based at a comfortable chalet in lively Chamonix with a large garden and an outdoor hot tub overlooking the mountain. Two exhilarating day-walks to a high-altitude lake and another to see dinosaur footprints take place amidst spectacular scenery and fragrant alpine flowers.
For all you keen mountain bikers, Explore also offer an 8-day holiday in Morocco from £804pp beginning in the Imperial city of Fes before travelling south to the tranquil cedar forests of the Middle Atlas, passing alpine meadows, limestone hills, shepherds' cottages and remote mountain villages.
If you aren’t too confident but would love to spend your whole holiday cycling at a leisurely pace there’s no need to worry as the gradients are gentle and cycling is primarily on surfaced roads and all tours are fully supported by 4WD Landrovers providing flexibility to do as little or as much riding each day.
Finally, if you want a really laid back holiday with just a teeny bit of activity thrown in you could find yourself four and a half hours north of Adelaide at the Wilpena Pound Resort.
Located in the dramatic Flinders Ranges National Park, close to the Old Wilpena Station, a pastoral settlement of great scenic beauty which provides travellers with a tranquil place to explore the region's history and to take an intimate look at life in the Outback.
The land around Wilpena Pound and Wilpena Station are also important Aboriginal heritage sites of great cultural significance for the Adnyamathanha people who inhabited the region before the settlers arrived and who still live there. The property offers guests a choice of activities ranging from easy to challenging bushwalks, picnics by river red gum lined creeks, drives to ancient gorges, Aboriginal rock art, horse riding or simply relaxing in the beautiful bush setting watching kangaroos graze and wedge tail eagles soar overhead.
If you want to get a closer look at the Flinders Ranges' more remote attractions then you can explore on the 4 Wheel Drive and Tag Along tour, which can either be taken as a fully guided tour or by 'tagging along' in one's own 4WD vehicle.
The Resort also has its own airstrip and offers flights from 20 minutes that give an eagle's eye view of the stunning landscape to two hour fights to the famous Outback town of Andamooka.
If you fancy a nice walk but don’t want to be out all day, three hour walking tours with a local guide can be taken to the Old Wilpena Homestead, a heritage-listed site, Wilpena Creek and an exploration of Flinders Ranges 'reds' - red gum trees, red sandstone and red sunsets. There is also the chance to explore the Australian fauna and flora during one of their bushwalks which range from easy 30 minute walks to hard nine hour hikes over 23.2km.
So dig your explorer’s hat out of the back of the wardrobe and dust off those walking boots because 2008 is the year to explore our planet. I promise you, you’ll never want to waste away precious seconds on a beach again!
FemaleFirst – Ruth Harrison