2018 Event Information Guide Core Team participants

Transcription

1 2018 Event Information Guide Core Team participants Welcome to your comprehensive Event Info Guide! Any STRIVE Challenge is a major undertaking, both in terms of the challenge itself but also the training and preparation. This document is intended to provide you with all the logistical information you should need to know prior to the event to make sure you are as fully prepared as possible. This pack is also now supplemented by: - Stage summaries (detailed daily routine information) - Route information (detailed route information) Please refer to this document any time you have a question, if the information isn t there please get in touch with our Community Manager, Freddie (Freddie@big-change.org) or the Director of Strive Challenge, Noah (Noah@big-change.org). Looking forward to seeing you all soon! EVENT SPONSORS EVENT PARTNERS

2 CONTENTS 1. Challenge overview 4 2. Flights, bikes and ground transport 5 3. Accommodation 7 4. Medical support Nutrition Packing list Luggage Insurance Fundraising & your responsibilities 18 2

3 Your Event Checklist With a challenge of this nature, there s lots of information to take in and some very important actions you need to complete before arriving. To make this as clear as possible we ve added this checklist so you have a clear reference point of the important items. Flights Final info request Action Please confirm your flight plans. NB. If you are using the included Core Team flights, no further action is required. Once you have your flight details, please complete the Pre-Event Information request survey which captures this information plus bike transfer details and final data needed for Mont Blanc summit. Deadline Complete Beginning August Beginning August Visa requirements Please check with your embassy if you require a visa for travel to Sardinia, Corsica and France and secure any paperwork in advance of your travel dates. You must have at least 6 months validity on your passport from the date of return to the UK. ASAP Insurance Bike transport / hire You will need take your own personal insurance cover for the event. It is essential that you get the right cover. Please see section 8 for more information. If you are using the bike transport service, please ensure you drop your bike off on time at On Your Bike. Further details in section 2. NB you will need to remove your pedals and any other attachments. If you would prefer to hire a bike, please see section 2 for more details. ASAP th August Kit / clothing You ll find a detailed packing list within this guide that includes everything you will need with you for the event. 29 th August Ground transportation We will arrange all ground transportation in all counties including collection from Cagliari airport and drop-off at Geneva. N/A 3

4 Section 1: Challenge overview Stage Day Date Detail Arrival day Thurs 30-Aug Core Team arrive in Sardinia Fri 31-Aug Cycle Sat 01-Sep Cycle Stage 1: Sardinia cycle Sun 02-Sep Cycle & sea kayaking Mon 03-Sep Cycle Tue 04-Sep Sea kayak Wed 05-Sep Sea kayak Core Team Thurs 06-Sep Sail from Alghero to Castelsado (rest) Core Team Fri 07-Sep Sail from Castelsado to Corsica (rest) Core Team Sat 08-Sep Cycle Stage 2: Corsica hike Sun 09-Sep Hike Mon 10-Sep Hike Tues 11-Sep Hike Wed 12-Sep Hike Thurs 13-Sep Hike Core Team Fri 14-Sep Sail to Monaco Sat 15-Sep REST DAY Sun 16-Sep Cycle Mon 17-Sep Cycle Stage 3: France cycle Tues 18-Sep Cycle Weds 19-Sep Cycle Thurs 20-Sep Cycle Fri 21-Sep REST DAY Sat 22-Sep Hike Sun 23-Sep Hike Stage 4: France hike Mon 24-Sep Hike Tues 25-Sep Hike Weds 26-Sep Hike Thurs 27-Sep REST DAY Fri 28-Sep Mont Blanc summit Stage 5: Mont Blanc Sat 29-Sep Mont Blanc summit summit (Core Team) Sun 30-Sep Mont Blanc summit Mon 01-Oct REST DAY Departure day Tues 02-Oct Core Team depart from France 4

5 Section 2: Flights, bikes and ground transport Flights Your entry fee includes a return flight to the event from London, details below. If you require alternative flights, these will need to be booked and paid for at your own expense. You will be issued in your e-ticket by one of our participant managers. Outbound flight: Departing To from Dept. time Arrival time Thursday 30 th August London Gatwick Cagliari 08:25 12:05 Inbound flight: Departing To from Dept. time Arrival time Tuesday 2 nd October Geneva London Heathrow 13:10 13:55 Airline and luggage allowance on flights: You will be flying economy with British Airways on both your outbound and inbound flight. Luggage allowance: - Hand luggage, up to 23kg (dimensions not to exceed 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and must fit either under a seat or in the overhead locker) - Hold luggage, up to 23kg (dimensions not to exceed 90cm x 75cm x 43cm). Ground transport It will be your own responsibility to make your way to and from the London airports, however we will provide you with coach services from Cagliari airport to the event start and from the event finish to Geneva airport where you are joining the group flights. The coaches will depart at the below times: - Cagliari airport Start hotel: Thursday 30 th August, 13:00 (20 minutes transfer) - Finish hotel Geneva airport: Tuesday 2 nd October, 09:30 (1 hour 30 minutes transfer) We will provide all in-country ground transport that you require for the event, apart from for personal needs. Bike transport The Core Team have return ground bike transport from London included within their entry fee. You will have five days before/after the event to drop-off and collect your bike from our central location. Address: On Your Bike, The Vaults, Montague Close, London SE1 9DA Drop off between: Monday 20 th August Saturday 25 th August Pick up from: Tuesday 2 nd October Sunday 7 th October Opening times: Mon Fri: 7.30am 7.30pm, Sat: 10am 6pm, Sun: 11am 5pm NB The Core Team are also able to drop off one piece of luggage, up to 20kg, with their bike that can be transported to/from Sardinia/France to help you with airline baggage limitations. 5

6 How are the bikes packed? Bikes are placed fully assembled in heavy duty polybags before being loaded and further protected with blankets to prevent damage. How do I prepare my bike? Locks and bike boxes / bike bags are not required. Pedals and any other attachments (lights, sat nav s, saddle bags etc.) also need to be removed before transport. As there will be limited space in the transport vehicles, please refrain from bringing these items to the bike drop location. Is my bike insured? Bikes are fully insured against theft and damage insured all times that they are with the bike transport provider and in transit. What if I ll be transporting my own bike? Should you wish to arrange your own bike transport please just let the event team know when submitting your flight information so we know how much luggage space is required on the airport shuttles. If non-uk participants wish to use this service you will need to arrange the shipment of your bike to/from London in time for the drop off date of the ground bike transportation slot(s). Bike hire If you d prefer to hire a bike for the cycling stages this option is also available directly through our cycle stage providers, details below. You will need to liaise directly with the provider to arrange this. Sardinia Provider: Mediterras Link: Cost: From 175 to 227 for the full stage hire, depending on quality of bike selected. France Provider: Just Pedal Link: Cost: A typical seven-day hire would cost around 135 for a standard 6

7 Section 3: Accommodation Accommodation is included in your entry fee and you will be allocated based on single occupancy where it s available*. Below is a list of the hotels and the nearest town. Where there is more than one hotel, we will confirm with you at the end of the stage which one you are in (they are all really close together!). Where it is not noted otherwise, you can assume that you will have access to your luggage and hot showers. *There will be some locations during the event where accommodation is in bunk houses/mountain refuges or there is not enough accommodation available for all the Core Team to be in single occupancy rooms. We are aiming to minimise this occurrence wherever possible. Key Single occupancy hotel. Shared dorms / twin share. Camping Stage Day Date Hotel(s) Nearest Town Notes Arrival day Thurs 30-Aug T-Hotel Cagliari Stage 1: Sardinia cycle & sea kayaking Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 31-Aug 01-Sep 02-Sep 03-Sep 04-Sep 05-Sep MuMa Hostel Hotel Moderno Hotel Solki Hotel Tartesh Hotel Sa Rocca Hotel Antica Casa Sanna Grand Hotel Terme di Sardegna Hotel Calabona Hotel Villa Piras El Faro Hotel Corte Rosada El Faro Hotel Corte Rosada 7 Sant Antioco Guspini Fordongianus Alghero Porto Conte Porto Conte Sail to Castelsado Thurs 06-Sep Hotel Riviera Castelsado

8 Sail to Corsica Fri 07-Sep Hotel Roches Blanches Hotel Goeland Hotel Le Chastellares Hotel Le Blainon Hotell L'Ecureuil Campus Seolane Azteca Hotel Hotel de la Placette Grand Hotel Grand Eperviere Hotel Cheval Blanc Hotel Choucas Hotel Lacour Hotel Les Barnieres Auberge du Roy 8 Porto Vecchio Corsica cycle Sat 08-Sep Hotel Mont D'Oro Vizzavona Stage 2: Corsica hike Sun 09-Sep Campsite L Ondo Mon 10-Sep Campsite Petra Piana Tues 11-Sep Campsite Manganu Wed 12-Sep Castel del Vergio Castel Thurs 13-Sep Hotel La Mediterrane Hotel Kalliste Porto Sail to Monaco Fri 14-Sep Fairmont Hotel Monaco Stage 3: France cycle Sat 15-Sep Fairmont Hotel Monaco Sun Mon Tues 16-Sep 17-Sep 18-Sep Auron Barcelonette Guillestre Shared dorms Power Twin share tents Cold showers No access to luggage No power Twin share tents Cold showers No access to luggage No power Twin share tents Cold showers No access to luggage No power Shared dorms

9 Stage 4: France hike Stage 5: Mont Blanc summit Weds 19-Sep Montagne L'armera Valmeinier Thurs Fri 20-Sep 21-Sep Hotel Gentiana Hotel Paquis Hotel Gentiana Hotel Paquis Sat 22-Sep Refuge de Rosuel Sun Mon 23-Sep 24-Sep Hotel Tourmaline Hotel and Spa Hotel Tourmaline Hotel and Spa Tues 25-Sep Hotel Chemenaz Tignes Tignes Auvergne-Rhône- Alpes Route de la Fortune Route de la Fortune Les Contamines- Montjoie Weds 26-Sep Mercure Centre Chamonix Thurs 27-Sep Hotel Alpina Chamonix Fri 28-Sep Refuge Gouter Sat 29-Sep Refuge Gouter N/A Sun 30-Sep Hotel Alpina Chamonix Mon 01-Oct Hotel Alpina Chamonix Departure day Tues 02-Oct N/A N/A Shared dorms Twin share Twin share Twin share Shared dorms No showers / running water No access to luggage Shared dorms No showers / running water No access to luggage 9

10 Section 4: Medical Support We will have a dedicated medical team on the event who will be available on the road, at the lunch stop and at the hotel, with a morning and then an afternoon/evening clinic. There will be emergency medical care available at all times. Personal First Aid No matter how fit you are, the Virgin STRIVE Challenge will hurt at times. Please be prepared. You will be responsible for your own first aid. Use your experience from training to learn where your weaknesses are and predict what problems may arise. Address any possible niggles now before they become injuries on the event. As much as there will be emergency medical care available at all times on the event, the team is not there to provide very basic first aid. Our medical team has collated a list of recommended items you should include in your main packing list for the event in addition to your regular medical prescription(s): Paracetamol Spare set of your usual medication: keep this in a separate place Ibuprofen Fabric plasters (assorted) Vaseline (or similar, for chafing) Compeed (large) Second Skin (alternative to Compeed for saddle sores) Loperamide (Immodium)/ rehydration sachets Antihistamine Alcohol hand gel (for clean hands as well as cleaning small wounds) Important info: keeping yourself hydrated and protected with sunscreen is also going to be important to your success in September the weather will still be hot and sunny. 10

11 Section 5: Nutrition Speak to any physiologist and they will tell you that to be a great endurance athlete you will rely on three main things: fitness, mindset and nutrition. Having the right fuel on the road couldn t be more important - proper nutrition can really benefit your event experience, keeping your energy levels up and fuelling you to the finish line each day. We have partnered with TRIBE (wearetribe.co) - the UK's leading natural sports nutrition brand and athletic community. With their help, we have put together bespoke packs for the STRIVE participants - we recommend you buy some to fuel your training before the challenge, getting to know exactly which your favourite products are and when to use them on the road. Cycling Fuel Pack Hiking Fuel Pack We are providing comprehensive TRIBE nutrition for the Core Team throughout the challenge. At the beginning of each stage, you will receiving a nutrition package to cover you for the duration of that stage. This will comprise of 5 x energy bars per day, 1 x Recovery Shake per day, and 2 x Recovery bars per rest day. If you would like any extras, Tribe is offering all Strive participants 50% off any orders from the TRIBE site if you enter 'strivechallenge50' at checkout. 11

12 Section 6: Packing List This is a suggested list of kit to bring with you to ensure that you are comfortable and prepared. Please only bring the bare essentials on the challenge, you don t need to pack for a month as there will be opportunities to do laundry at the end of each stage. Stuff sacks (available at all outdoor shops) will make your life much easier. As part of your entry fee, you will be provided with the following kit, which will be given to you on the live event: Cycle Hike Mont Blanc General Jersey x 4 T-shirt x 2 Heavy Gloves x 1 Cap x 1 Gilet x 1 Mid-layer fleece x 1 All technical hardware required (crampons/ ice axe/ harness / B3 Beanie x 2 graded boots etc) Bib shorts x 3 Buff x 1 Rash vest x 1 Cycling cap x 2 Hard shell jacket x 1 Cycling gloves x 2 Hard shell trouser x 1 Socks x 4 Soft shell Jacket x 1 Rain jacket x 1 Soft shell trouser x 1 Water bottles x 2 Down jacket x1 Long Johns x 2 Light Gloves x 1 Rucksack (65L) x1 In addition to the above, we therefore recommend bringing the following. There are a few items that are listed under multiple stages but remember you don t need to double up on anything. Cycle Hike Mont Blanc General (All stages) Waterproof / wind jacket Long sleeved cycling base layer Hiking boots with good tread (well worn-in) Walking socks All hike items plus: B3 graded boots (if already owned) Underwear Casual clothing* (including warm items and leggings) Cycling socks Base layer Thick fleece layers x 2 Swimwear* Buff/ skullcap/ headband Cycle glasses/ sunglasses Cycle gloves (if you have them) Shorts Thermal hat & gloves Walking poles x 2 (essential) 12 Flip flops Trainers Non-marking / white soled shoes*

13 Helmet (essential) Bike lights (essential) Cleats (if applicable) GPS device and charger (if you have one) Sleeping bag (-5 degree tolerance) Quick Dry travel towel Rucksack rain cover 2 litre platypus / camelback (essential) Sunglasses* Lightweight jacket (kayaking) Sunscreen/ lip protector and insect repellent* Ear plugs Puncture repair kit Head torch Toiletries Mini bike pump Spare inner tubes Multi Tool (correct allen keys for your bike) 2 x bottle cages attached to your bike Chamois cream/ vaseline *Required for sailing Large capacity power packs Zip lock bags Toilet paper / tissues Personal snacks (favourite cereal bar!) Personal medication/ mini first aid kit* Mobile phone and charger European plug adapters Dry bag* (kayaking) Penknife Cash (Euros) Antibacterial hand sanitiser We appreciate that STRIVERS will have other commitments alongside the daily challenge but ask you (where possible) to keep techie provision down to phones and tablets only, and avoid bringing laptops. Bike Parts Stock Our mechanical specialists will carry a good stock of the basic consumables such as tubes, tyres, chains etc. In addition to this, they ll carry a range of parts that will allow them to fix most problems that you may encounter during the cycling stages of the event. As per the packing list, it is important that you bring a spare gear hanger, and if you have disc brakes you need bring spare pads as they will not have a stock of either of these due to being specific to your bike. If you have a serious problem with your bike, our mechanics will be carrying a number of loan bikes in a range of sizes to ensure that you are able to finish each stage (subject to availability). Corsica hike kit advice 13

14 For the Corsica hike, please note, that this walk is very testing and you will need to be confident scrambling, and placing your feet on rocky ground with all of your kit. You should be comfortable walking with a litre daysack as you will need to carry all of your day and overnight gear. You will need to have the essentials in this bag for the full duration of the hike. Try to keep this bag as light as possible as this will really make a difference to your enjoyment on the hike, be as frugal as possible with what you bring and try to stick to the kit list You will be carrying 2 litres of water, your picnic and a share of the snack food for the days walking. Carrying and sharing food with your fellow walkers is part of the group organisation. Once packed your bag should weigh between 10-12kg with water. You need to be careful with your packing and use modern lightweight clothing. The walks require good endurance, as there are constant ascents and descents with scrambling. The trail is sometimes high and airy, where necessary there are hand chains to get over steep rock slabs. This requires certain balance, agility and co-ordination. Get to know and use your gear. You should be comfortable with your shoes, your backpack and two walking poles. Make your preparation walks relevant, build in plenty of hills on rough, uneven terrain to build up your ankle strength. It is good idea to train walking downhill, to progress at a reasonable pace and in control. 14

15 Section 7: Luggage Due to the nature of Strive and moving accommodation each night, it is important to be organised with your kit. Bag rotation We recommend that you bring three bags for your luggage: Bag Type Equipment 1 Large Holdall 2 Large rucksack 3 Day sack Cycling Kayaking Hiking (Corsica, entire stage) Hiking (France, evenings) Sailing Hiking (France during the day) You will always need at least one bag with you for your kit required for the stage currently taking place. The other bag(s), with equipment in for future / past stages, will be packed on the truck and won t be accessible until the end of the stage so you can re-pack for the next one. Below is the suggested rotation for the three bags that you will have and which ones to send in advance. NB The Core Team are able to drop off one piece of luggage, up to 20kg, with their bike that can be transported to/from Sardinia/France to help you with airline baggage limitations. If you are not using this, you will be able to pay for additional luggage at the airport on check-in. Location Activity Bag for Stage Bag for truck BIKE TRANSPORT Outbound in advance of stage 2 N/A FLIGHT Outbound flight 1 & 3 N/A SARDINIA Cycling Kayaking 1 2 & 3 SARDINIA Sailing 3 1 & 2 CORSICA Cycling 1 2 & 3 CORSICA Hiking 2 1 & 3 CORSICA Sailing 3 1 & 2 FRANCE Cycling* 1* 2 & 3 BIKE TRANSPORT Inbound after stage 1 NA FRANCE Hiking 2 & 3 1 FRANCE Summit 2 1 & 3 FLIGHT Inbound flight 2 & 3 N/A 15

16 *NB After this stage, you will have the option to send this holdall back on the bike transport to London. Laundry There will be a laundry service available on the event at various stages of the event. This will be at the final hotel at the end of each stage and for Core participants only. 16

17 Section 8: Insurance It is your responsibility to have taken out insurance cover suitable for your participation in the event, which protects yourself, your personal belongings, and your bike. There are also some specific requirements around hike insurance that are a pre-requisite for participation. For the vast majority of the course, you should be covered by your usual travel insurance policy, but we would strongly recommend you call them up and alert them to what you are doing. In particular for the sailing stage. Stage Hike Requirements - Comprehensive adventure travel insurance that covers hiking on trails up to 3,500m in France - This must include: o Repatriation costs o Air ambulance and helicopter rescue services - Please ensure your insurer is aware of your travel itinerary and agrees to cover your activities Cycling - Personal (incl. travel) and equipment Sailing - Personal to cover non-competitive yacht sailing in Italy and France Mont Blanc* - Comprehensive travel insurance that covers hiking up to 5000m in France We re not allowed to recommend an insurance policy, but the Alpine and Ski cover in the following link is a comparable option that shows the level of cover that is advisable for the stages. It covers kayaking, hiking and importantly the Mont Blanc Climb. *Mont Blanc manager Adventure Base need to see a copy of your hike insurance so please bring this with you including online copies of your additional insurance policies. 17

18 Section 9: Fundraising & your responsibilities Fundraising As a Core Team member, you have a fundraising target of 15,000. Big Change will send you plenty of content, information and tips on how to maximise your fundraising. It is important to start your campaign as early as possible if you are to smash your target! Please get in touch with Freddie if you have any questions. Your responsibilities We are looking forward to looking after you during the challenge and would really like your support with the following; Attend the daily briefing held before dinner each evening Be ready at the start line each morning on time Take the correct kit with you on the route so as not to be caught out by weather or punctures Take care of your belongings during the event Look after your litter keep it with you or put it in a bin Make sure your water bottles / camelbacks are cleaned each day, and filled ready for each morning s start Attend every lunch stop (to refuel, so you don t miss out on the great food and so we know where you are) Be honest with yourself if you can t complete it and flag your condition to the team. There is no shame in pulling out or having a day off, we will look after you 18