Charity Challenges in Africa
This month we're taking you to Africa to explore three amazing adventures - our Mount Toubkal Trek, Sahara Desert Trek, and the mighty Kilimanjaro Trek!
Trek to the top of Africa on our Kilimanjaro Trek, explore the world’s largest hot desert on our Sahara Trek, or summit North Africa’s highest peak on our Mount Toubkal Trek.
Keep reading for all the details on our African adventures, or use the links below to skip ahead if you have a challenge in mind!
- Kilimanjaro Trek
- Kilimanjaro New Year Trek
- Sahara Desert Trek
- Mount Toubkal Trek
- Ask the Team – Judy Baigent
- Ask our Crew – Jamal Afkir
Kilimanjaro Trek
- Summit the world’s highest freestanding mountain
- Trek through diverse ecosystems – savannah, cloud forest, moorland and alpine desert
- Conquer an iconic trekking adventure
Join us as we climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain! We follow the beautiful Machame route, allowing us to gradually acclimatise to the altitude as we climb to the summit. We’ll trek through dense tropical rainforest on our way to the snow-capped peak to witness awe-inspiring views.
What our participants say:
“I was on the September Kilimanjaro trek... absolutely brilliant from start to finish, even managed to summit thanks to our guide and the ground crew! From pre challenge to the actual challenge GAC were brilliant! Would definitely recommend.”
Stanley, Kilimanjaro Trek
Trek Kilimanjaro and Save £75 in 2024
Kilimanjaro New Year Trek
- Reach the summit on New Year's Day
- Start your year with the challenge of a lifetime
- Conquer the ultimate trek with our unbeatable support!
Kickstart your year with the ultimate trekking adventure, and join us as we summit Kilimanjaro! One of the Seven Summits and the world's highest freestanding mountain, Kilimanjaro is top of many adventurer's bucket lists. Make the challenge even more memorable, and reach the summit on January 1st - what better way to start your year!
Save £100 on our Kilimanjaro New Year 2024 Trek
Sahara Desert Trek
- Explore the world’s most famous desert
- Sleep under a blanket of stars, free from light pollution
- Watch a desert sunrise from some of the Sahara’s largest dunes
Take on a 4 day trek across the ever-changing landscape of the awesome Sahara Desert, including an early morning climb to the top of the enormous Chigaga Dunes to watch the sunrise! The days will be long and the trekking will be tough, but you’re sure to leave with memories that will last a lifetime.
What our participants say:
“Just got back from the Sahara Trek and I loved it, tough going at times but I had a fantastic group of fellow trekkers who, as a solo traveller, gave me great support and we have had a good few laughs along the way.”
Beverley, Sahara Desert Trek
Trek the Sahara and Save £50 in 2024
Mount Toubkal Trek
- Climb North Africa’s highest mountain
- Incredible support from local Berbers
- Explore the city of Marrakech
Mount Toubkal is North Africa’s highest peak, standing tall at 4,167m. Located in the breathtaking Atlas Mountains, we’ll be treated to incredible views throughout our adventure! Our challenge comes to an end with a celebratory meal in the charming city of Marrakech. If you’re looking for an adventure that’s short on time but will leave you with an amazing sense of achievement, this could be the challenge for you!
Why Morocco is special:
“Morocco has many attractions for visitors! The hospitality of Moroccan people, the delicious food, and the history and the architecture of buildings in the Imperial Cities.”
Jamal, Guide on our Mount Toubkal and Sahara Treks
Join Us and Climb Mount Toubkal
Ask the Team – Judy Baigent
What's your name, and what's your role at GAC?
I'm Judy Baigent, Charity Accounts Officer at Global Adventure Challenges.
Which countries have you travelled to in Africa?
I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro and completed the Sahara Desert Trek.
Kilimanjaro Trek
- When you appreciate that it’s the basic things in life that will bring you so much pleasure – the small bowl of warm water in the morning, accompanied by that hot drink, getting to know strangers that become lifelong friends – it’s just the best!
- Kili is a very gradual climb, that is climbed at a slow pace to get you used to altitude. From the lush rainforest, the barren volcanic rocks, to the ash slopes on your decent, this is just the most amazing, unforgettable challenge ever.
- The Barranco wall does have a bit of a scramble, similar to that of Pen-y-Ghent (Yorkshire 3 Peaks), Pyg Track (Snowdon), again nothing technical or out of reach. When you get to the top of The Baranco Wall, this is where you will feel on top of the world… You have clouds above you, and clouds beneath you – they suddenly become the bread in your sandwich and you are the filling!
- The ground crew are amazing and are watching you all the time to make sure everyone is well and not suffering with any effects of altitude.
- Summit night is tough! You are tired, it’s cold, it’s an effort to put one foot in from of the other, but when you get to Uhuru Peak, it is so emotional. I would describe it a bit like childbirth, by the time you’ve got back to camp you are on such a high you just want to do it all over again!
- Top tip: When training, if you know you have got “miles in your legs”, you know you can do this – don’t ever doubt yourself. Also, make drinking plenty of water part of your training, this will help enormously when on Kilimanjaro
How I feel now - “Wow, I have climbed the tallest freestanding mountain in the world - I have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro”!
Sahara Desert Trek
- A short challenge that will strip you of all your home comforts!
- Right from the start this challenge has so many “Wows”. Driving to the hotel over the High Atlas Mountains is amazing, and totally understandable why the journey happens in the daytime!
- Trekking part of the Sahara, over the beautiful sand dunes to the barren rocky landscape that was once an ocean over 50 million years ago. Standing at the top of the dunes and looking around you, a tranquil emptiness for as far as the eye can see, you really will feel like Lawrence of Arabia!
- It’s cold at night, but it’s worth staying up to look up at the stars and shooting stars that form their own cinema in the sky
- Top tip: Be prepared for all weather, we had rain and we weren’t prepared for it, but it certainly didn’t dampen our spirits, in fact it just made our challenge more unique!
Ask our Crew - Jamal Afkir – Guide on our Sahara and Mount Toubkal Treks
Morocco has many attractions for visitors! The hospitality of Moroccan people, the delicious food, and the history and the architecture of buildings in the Imperial Cities. Most of the time the weather is sunny and dry although it can get a little hot in the summer months, so it’s ideal to visit the desert with GAC in February and have the summer sunshine for the Toubkal trek in August.
I like to visit all over Morocco because I have some favourite things to see:
- Walking between the alleyways, the colourful market in the souks and the medina (the old centre of the towns and cities)
- Peaceful time in the desert - the vast expanse of the sand and the amazing show of the stars at night
- My home of the High Atlas Mountains, with the mud brick villages and snowy peaks
- Shopping for spices and visiting restaurants in the medina
- The hamams - traditional Moroccan hot baths and spas
Highlights of the challenges are very different in the desert and mountains. Seeing the vast stretch of dunes and climbing the highest dune would be a highlight in the Sahara, and getting to the top of the highest peak in North Africa is literally a high point. Some people find the challenge a bit difficult because they don’t prepare for it, but others find it easy for they spend a lot of time training for it. The main highlight of the challenges being when you achieve your challenge and you feel proud of yourself.
Terms and Conditions
- Registrations must be made online between Monday 8 January and Wednesday 31 January 2024;
- Discount can only be used on selected 2024 challenge dates indicated above;
- Discounts have no alternative cash value;
- If the cost of the registration fee is less than the discount offered, no monetary difference will be paid;
- All discounted registrations fees are non-refundable and subject to our standard booking conditions.
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