A cycling opportunity of a lifetime in remote rural China will kick off a global series of fundraising challenges in which UK cyclists will clock up nearly 100,000km over the next year, for youth charity The Prince’s Trust.
The schedule of demanding physical Challenges starts in October 2007 with Beyond the Wall: China Bike Challenge - a unique 450km extreme cycling experience in dramatic landscapes along some of the most impressive and least-visited sections of the Great Wall of China.
With pre-dawn starts, sub-zero temperatures at night and up to ten hours a day both on and off-road, the five-day Challenge is set to push participants’ physical limits. All levels of cyclists can take part, but participants must commit to a comprehensive training schedule in order to prepare for the intense physical demands of the experience.
Regan Yarrow, who took part in the first China Bike Challenge last year, said:
"Three months of regular training prepared me for long days in the saddle and the rugged, steep climbs that we faced; but what I wasn't prepared for was the amazing scenery and the massive excitement of reaching the finish, after five days and 450km of hard slog. This was one of the most incredible cycling experiences I've ever had, and definitely the most memorable."
The exclusive itinerary gives participants a chance to gain an insight into China rarely experienced by Western visitors. The Challenge begins four hours outside of Beijing, and dramatically finishes at Lao Long Tou, where the Wall disappears into the Yellow Sea. Visiting remote villages, camping en route in historic locations, and the support of local Chinese translators all ensure that the Challenge is a two-wheeled cultural and historic experience like no other.
There are plenty of other challenges on the way too, many including cycling and mountain biking in combination with other activities - biking through the remote Sabah jungle in Borneo, a race to cross the Continental Divide at 2,330m in Costa Rica, and traversing inhospitable desert terrain in Namibia. The Challenges take place in seven countries across four continents, range from three to ten days in length and, in total, will see participants travelling the equivalent of three times around the earth in a variety of methods, including hiking, horseback riding, white water rafting, kayaking, running and abseiling. The Challenges will collectively aim to raise £500,000 for The Prince’s Trust to help disadvantaged young people across the UK.
Prince’s Trust Challenges 2007/8
Beyond the Wall: China Bike Challenge – October 2007
Cycling nearly 450km through remote, rural China, following the route of the Great Wall to where it joins the Yellow Sea, venturing further into China than most Westerners will ever go.
Borneo Summit to Sea Challenge – October & November 2007
Experience Borneo’s unparalleled biodiversity tackling the summit of Mount Kinabalu, the country’s highest mountain, on foot, biking through the Sabah Jungle and virgin rainforest, and rafting down the Padas River.
South Africa Extreme Challenge – January 2008
200km biking, running and sea-kayaking across tough terrain in the Cape Province of South Africa.
Costa Rica Coast to Coast Challenge - February 2008
Hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and white water rafting to cross Central America from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, negotiating 250 kilometres through tropical terrain including an intensive uphill cycle race to cross the Continental Divide.
Namibia Desert Challenge – March 2008
Hiking and mountain biking through the world's oldest and most spectacular desert and across the sand dunes along the Skeleton coast, and abseiling down one of the toughest rock faces in Africa.
For more information about Prince’s Trust Challenges visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/challenge.
