February 2019 - Discover Adventure

Your safety is our highest priority and we pride ourselves on helping you to achieve your challenge safely and enjoyably. It is rare to have an emergency on a trip, but rest assured we are equipped with contingency plans, radios/satellite phones, an extensive medical kit and other safety apparatus where appropriate.

A Discover Adventure challenge offers the following, to ensure that you have the experience of a lifetime whilst being in the safest possible hands: 

• Knowledgeable office team offers support, advice and reassurance in the lead-up to your trip

• Trips are led by a team of Discover Adventure leader(s) and medic (depending on group size) and local crew. Our high crew:participant ratio allows us to provide the high level of support our trips are known for
• Trips are usually accompanied from the airport by at least one experienced UK-based Discover Adventure crew member. You will find that the leader is based in-country in only a very small minority of destinations

All our leaders have access to our UK-based 24-hour emergency support line

 Look the part on your challenge with our DA gear, specially designed to deal with the rigours of your challenge.

OPEN & BESPOKE CHALLENGES EXPLAINED

Open Challenges: If you register on an Open Challenge you can opt to fundraise for any UK registered charity.

Bespoke Challenges: If you register on a Bespoke Challenge you agree to fundraise for the charity identified of this challenge. 

PLEASE NOTE: Payment options on a Bespoke Challenge may be different to the below information – please refer to the charity and booking conditions.

As always, it is really important you read the small print, in our case the Open Challenge Agreement. It is a standard agreement for the travel industry and informs you about cancellation charges, as well as outlining other costs that we may have to pass on in certain instances. Once it fills your screen please click the 'download' and print off to read the document carefully.

The quickest and easiest way to register for a Challenge is to:

1. Click the 'dates and prices' tab on the webpage of your chosen challenge.

2. Click the button next to the departure date you wish to travel.  Alternatively, for some of our bespoke charity trips, you may see a button – enter your details and we will send the form directly to the charity involved.  They will respond with all the details you need to sign up to their challenge.

3. If possible, have your passport with you (where applicable) when booking.   You do not need to enter next of kin/emergency contact details at this point but these will be needed as soon as possible.  You can add these using your passenger portal once your booking is complete.  

4. A medical questionnaire is included on the booking form – please fill this out with as much detail as possible on any conditions you may have and ensure you detail the name(s) of any medication you are taking. 

5. Select your chosen pricing option and charity name (if you are fundraising). 

   See 'Pricing Explained' for an explanation of our pricing options.

6. Submit your payment for your registration fee - this is non-refundable irrespective of the pricing option chosen.

7. You will immediately be sent confirmation of your booking via email which will include your receipt and booking reference ID.  Your booking confirmation and ATOL certificate (if applicable) can be found in your passenger portal.

8. Our team will then be in touch with further information about your challenge!

Note: We recommend signing up at least 9-12 months ahead of the trip to ensure enough time for fitness training and fundraising.

If you prefer to book your challenge over the phone (during office hours) or have any questions, please call us on 01722 718444 and we’ll get you signed up there and then!

Exploring a country by bike allows us to get up close to the natural landscapes and people, yet cover enough distance each day to really get to grips with a region. It’s the best of both worlds. On a bike we can witness the changing natural habitats or ethnic cultures as we pedal, and it’s a great way to interact with local people who rely on the bicycle as their chief mode of transport.

On our cycling challenges you can discover the history and culture of countries as diverse as the USA, India and Cambodia, or emulate your heroes by pitting yourself against famous Tour de France climbs. You can tackle epic journeys, whether it’s from Land’s End to John O’ Groats in the UK, or finishing at the Lost City of the Incas in Peru. You can ride smooth tarmac between classic European cities, or rough tracks linking villages far off the tourist trail. Pedal through rainforest, along spectacular coastline, beneath volcanoes, and over sandy beaches, and keep telling yourself that for every road that goes up there’s another that comes down.

Whether you’re an enthusiast or a novice, cycling is a great way to push yourself. There are always new ways to test your progress, whether it’s getting over three mountains in a day, or to the top of the biggest hill you’ve ever conquered. Whatever your level, your triumphs are easy to measure – and your sense of achievement impossible to forget!

Trekking through a region allows you to truly discover it with all your senses. It gives you access to unspoilt natural landscapes, and communities where the culture adds an unforgettable dimension to your experiences. At walking pace we can savour the ever-changing views, spot enchanting wildlife, and appreciate the local way of life as we share trails with the people who live in these beautiful, often wild, environments.

Our treks vary from short walks in the great British outdoors to epic mountain treks all over the globe, and take in a huge amount of variety along the way. From vast golden desert and verdant rainforest to deep canyons, lush hills, dense green forests, dazzling lakes, spectacular coastline – every trek has inspiring views that motivate the weariest legs to keep going. A trekker can discover iconic mountain ranges like the Himalayas and the Rockies, and tackle lofty Kilimanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

Trekking also allows us to walk in the footsteps of others, and the history and culture adds a fascinating, and often humbling dimension. From early explorers and pioneers, blazing trails through the mountains, or refugees of World War Two escaping over the Pyrenees, to the Incan roads of the Peruvian Andes, or the phenomenal monument that is the Great Wall of China … it’s often hard to separate a trail from its history.

There is no greater achievement than standing at the summit of a hill or mountain, but it’s the trekking as a whole that makes us come back for more. And all you need is a sense of adventure and a good amount of perseverance. No technical experience, no specialist kit. It’s hard at times – relentless heat, aching muscles – but it’s as simple as putting one foot in front of another, and believing in yourself.