One sunny day in September, 100 intrepid individuals from 25 well known sports and outdoor industry brands took on the HIKE BIKE PADDLE, in support of the Youth Adventure Trust. Between them they covered almost 5,000 km on foot, by bike and on stand up paddleboards in a challenging one day event in the Lake District. Teams raised £40,000 for the children’s charity – enough to cover the cost of 33 vulnerable 11 and 12 year olds receiving one whole year of support through the Youth Adventure Programme which helps them build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills to help them face the challenges in their lives.
HIKE BIKE PADDLE was sponsored by Bullitt Group, pioneers of rugged mobile phones designed for extreme conditions and the hard knocks of everyday life. Teams set off in the early hours to conquer Helvellyn, one of England’s highest mountains. They then swapped hiking boots for pedals to take on a tough 36km off and on road bike loop before cooling off in Ullswater Lake with the final 2km SUP section, powered by Red Paddle Co.
The team-building event is one of the only ones of its kind, bringing together people across all sectors of the sports and outdoor industry. Participants came from companies including Bullitt, Red Paddle Co., Rohan, Specialized, Les Mills, O’Neill, Spinlock, Yeti, Stance, Ineos, Brewdog, Sprayway, Trekmates, Brandwave and more. It was all made possible thanks to: the main sponsors, Bullitt Group; the ‘powered by’ partners, Red Paddle, Brandwave and Ordnance Survey; and the companies that donated prizes and items for our goody bags.
The team from Specialized were crowned the overall champions in 2021, smashing the 36km off and on road bike section in 2 hours 52 minutes, despite going off course. Les Mills Team Combat mastered the mountains by completing the 15km hike up and down Helvellyn in 2 hours 48 minutes and Team Red Paddle showed off their paddling prowess in the giant SUP section which they managed in 20 minutes and 6 seconds. Team O’Neill were the champion fundraisers, raising £5,300 between their 2 teams. And last but not least, Les Mills Team Pump were given the Volunteer’s Choice Award for showing the most amount of resilience during the day.
Mark Davey, Chief Executive of the Youth Adventure Trust, said:
“The Hike Bike Paddle has become the sports and outdoor industry event of the year. It brought brands from across the whole sector together for some friendly competition, it was a great networking opportunity and has helped to create an outdoor legacy for vulnerable children who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to benefit from the outdoors in a way we all take for granted.”
Thanks to event sponsorship by Bullitt Group, all of the funds the teams raised have been channelled towards enabling more young people to benefit from the charity’s three-year outdoor programme.
Registration for the 2022 event will open soon but places will be limited. To find out more and to express your interest for the ultimate team building event of 2022, visit www.hikebikepaddle.co.uk or contact Louise Balaam on louise@youthadventuretrust.org.uk
