Sahara Desert Trek

This trekking challenge is all about endurance fitness rather than speed and it is certainly not a race. Try to train with your day-pack on your back and get used to drinking and carrying water during your training. Sticking to the training plan will really pay off. Although the desert is fairly flat, the heat will have an impact on your fitness levels and your endurance, and the deep sand on parts of the trek can be tiring to walk in. You will be up early in the mornings and trekking for approximately 6-8 hours each day so good fitness is very important. Distances are misleading in this type of terrain, and it’s more useful when training to think about the hours you need to walk for! This trek is achievable for most people provided they train well in advance.

Keep in mind that this is designed to be a personal or fundraising challenge, and many people will find elements of the trip difficult at times, whether it is the physical trekking, changing weather, the difference in culture or something else. Try to work as a team and help each other out during any difficulties. While there are challenges, the enjoyment and rewards that come from trekking in the Sahara Desert are nothing short of majestic!

You will be trekking over stony, firm desert floor (hamada) and loose, soft and, in places, steep sand dunes, through remote desert and the occasional small oasis. Try to train on a variety of terrain to get your legs used to the challenge of uneven ground. If you are unsteady on your feet you will find trekking poles useful but do make sure you use these when training. You will trek approximately 80-100km overall, depending on the exact route (distances vary over time because of the natural movement of the dunes.) It’s much more useful when training to think about the hours that you will be walking for, rather than the distance. The heat adds to the challenge!

The food on the trek will be freshly cooked and plentiful as it is important that you make sure you are eating well for the long days of trekking. Breakfast is usually porridge, bread, fig jam, honey, cheese, tea and coffee. For lunch you will have bread, salads, cheese, olives, fish, vegetables and fruit. Dinners typically start with soup, followed by couscous or tagine with chicken and vegetables, and tinned fruit or other desserts. There will also be biscuits and dried fruit (typically dates or figs), and plenty of mint tea.

You pay a registration fee of £199 and pay the full amount (£1,200) to cover the cost of your trip, plus aim to raise £1,200 for Rennie Grove Peace.

You pay a registration fee of £199, a proportion of the costs of your trip and have a lower fundraising target.

For example £500 trip cost + £1,900 fundraising target

You pay a registration fee of £199 as your registration fee and fundraise £2,400 for us (this will be due 10 weeks before departure).

You must be 18+ to join this trek. However, if accompanied by a parent or guardian, you may be able to participate if you are 16 or 17 years old. There is no upper age limit.

An ideal candidate for the trek would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.

You should have a good level of fitness to ensure fast recovery from each day of trekking.

If you attempt to complete the trek without training, it will be unnecessarily challenging and will hinder your experience, and the experience of your teammates.

If you do not already regularly exercise it is advised that you start training as soon as you book to ensure your best chance of enjoyment on the trip. This could include speed walking, hill walking, swimming, running, cycling, gym workouts, team sports, boot camps, yoga etc. You can download several free apps, which will help you train and track your progress. E.g. iMapMyRide (for cyclists), C25K (couch to 5k run), and MyFitnessPal (for a variety of sports).

We offer 3 payment options. Please get in touch with the team if you have an questions. You can email: events@renniegrovepeace.org or call us: 01442 89 02 22.

Self-Funder:

You pay a registration fee of £199 and pay the full amount (£1,200) to cover the cost of your trip, plus aim to raise £1,200 for Rennie Grove Peace.

Mix Funding:

You pay a registration fee of £199, a proportion of the costs of your trip and have a lower fundraising target.

For example £500.00 trip cost + £1,900 fundraising target

Charity Sponsorship:

You pay a registration fee of £199 as your registration fee and fundraise £2,400 for us (due 10 weeks before departure).

We recommend that you set up an online donation page using JustGiving. It is easy to do, and you can share your page link with friends, family and colleagues via email or social media, and the funds you raise come straight to Rennie Grove Peace. We will provide a downloadable link to a sponsor form for you to share too. Check out our fundraising tools and tips for ideas and inspiration.

You can register your interest here.

You can reach Rennie Grove Peace’s event fundraising team on 01422 89 02 22 or you can email events@renniegrovepeace.org.

Discover Adventure is a leading tour operator for charity fundraising challenges in the UK and abroad. They specialise in designing and running adventure challenges for charities, corporate organisations, schools, and private groups. Their expertise allows them to deliver tailored challenges, including UK treks, European cycles, and iconic overseas adventures. Discover Adventure has a history of raising over £100 million for charitable causes and has been recognised for their professionalism and customer service. They conduct extensive risk assessments and are committed to providing a personalised and caring supporter journey for their participants.

https://www.discoveradventure.com/