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SOUTH DOWNS WAY CHALLENGE, LEWES TO EASTBOURNE

DISTANCE

38KM (24 Miles)

ASCENT

775M (2,540 FT)

duration

10HRS

CHALLENGE OVERVIEW

For this challenge we’ll meet in the historic town of Lewes where we quickly join the River Ouse for a flat 6km stretch to Southease where we join the South Downs Way. From Southease we make our way uphill to the viewpoint of Firle Beacon and then down towards Alfriston where we can take a short break. We’ll then head directly south to the coast where the route takes us over the iconic Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. We finish the day by descending into Eastbourne where a direct train (approx. 25 minutes) takes us back to the start point in Lewes.

Contact us to now discuss how we can create a private fundraising challenge for your charity, business or group

DIFFICULTY

Challenging walk with several continuous ascents and descents

START/FINISH LOCATION

Start: Lewes Train Station
Finish: Eastbourne Train Station

GETTING THERE

Car: Pay & display parking is available at Lewes train station.
Train: The meeting point is Lewes train station. At the end of the walk, we can take a direct train from Eastbourne back to Lewes (approx. 20-25 minutes).

COST

From £40

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TESTIMONIALS

After initially doing a fundraising walk with Whats Not To Hike, we decided that a walk for the whole team would be beneficial – it allowed us to get to know each other outside of the workplace and for some great natural conversations. Lizzy was approachable, organised and made sure the walk was suitable for the whole team. We had a great morning. Thank you!

Helen

I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in several walking challenges in the Peak District lead by Lizzy & her team at What’s Not to Hike. Leading and managing a group of walkers of different abilities takes an abundance of patience & a great sense of humour, Lizzy has both. She is very knowledgeable & clearly has a passion for everything to do with the outdoors. I’ve enjoyed her company & would have no hesitation in recommending her to organise & lead walking events & challenges. I’m looking forward to the next one.

John

I am the Events Manager at a charity called The Passage. We work with Lizzy at Whats Not to Hike to organise our two annual fundraising walks. Lizzy is fantastic to work with, has so much knowledge and makes our life so much easier. The support prior to the event for us as a charity and our participants is brilliant and the day always runs smoothly. Everyone loves taking part in our walks, the team are super friendly and I’d highly recommend Whats Not to Hike.

Rachel

Frequently Asked Questions

Please email us at whatsnottohike@gmail.com with your preferred challenge and date. We can then help you arrange the perfect challenge for your charity. 

Yes of course we can. Please email us on whatsnottohike@gmail.com so we can help you decide which walk is best so we can arrange the perfect challenge for your charity.

Whats Not To Hike challenge walks are led by qualified and very experienced Mountain Leaders and Hill and Moorland Leaders. All our leaders are first aid qualified and have extensive experience leading walks throughout the UK and overseas. They will be carrying full safety equipment and first aid kits with them at all times.

We can arrange the suitable number of leaders for your desired group size. We operate a maximum ratio of 12 participants to one leader. Due to the long-distance nature of our challenge walks we will always use at least 2 qualified leaders regardless of group size. This is to benefit our guests and to offer maximum flexibility on the day.

We offer a variety of challenge walks to suit different fitness levels. As part of the challenge walk package, we will provide you with training advice that you can use as a guide to build up your fitness in preparation for the walk. 

If you are looking for a shorter challenge walk then please get in touch. We would be more than happy to organise one for your charity. 

What’s included?

What’s not included?

  • Professionally planned walk
  • Qualified, experienced, and friendly Mountain Leaders 
  • Public Liability Insurance
  • Pre-event information pack
  • Training advice
  • Travel to/from the walk
  • Parking charges
  • Food/drinks
  • Accommodation before/after the event

From an environmental perspective we do not provide a finisher medal/award as standard. We would recommend ‘Trees Not Tees’ as a challenge award option. This is a service where a tree is planted and a finisher certificate provided as an award. We can organise this, at an additional cost, or alternatively you are able to organise it yourself. To find out more, have a look at their website: https://treesnottees.com/

If you would like us to provide finisher medals then we are happy to source environmentally friendly medals at an additional cost.

If none of our standard challenge walks are suitable for you, or if you or anyone in your group has any specific needs or requirements, we can design bespoke challenges so please contact us at whatsnottohike@gmail.com so we can discuss your requirements in more detail.

Given the long distance covered on many of our challenge walks we will aim to take a structured approach to breaks during the day to ensure we finish the challenge within a reasonable time. Challenges will generally have one morning break, a lunch stop and one afternoon break. There will be other shorter breaks during the day to have a drink/snack, address any kit issues, take photos etc and we will vary these on the day based on the needs of the group and the pace we are travelling at. However, please note these are long walks and we do have to keep the group moving at a reasonable pace. 

We will always have at least 2 qualified leaders on our challenge walks regardless of group size (more for larger groups). If any participant needs to drop out of the challenge, the leaders will be able to arrange for them to be taken off the route at the safest location where we can then advise you on onward transportation options.

We aim to start and finish at a location where toilets are available (although this is not always possible). Details of facilities on the route are in each walk information section. If you need the toilet during the challenge, please let one of our leaders know and they will find a discrete area for you.

A detailed kit list will be provided to you before the event but in general:

  • Sturdy shoes (walking boots or walking shoes) with good socks – it’s a really good idea to make sure you have worn in the boots/shoes before the day!
  • Layers: base layer (eg shirt or t-shirt), mid layer (fleece jumper or similar) plus additional layers depending on the weather. Try to avoid cotton if possible as it isn’t great when wet.
  • Trousers: walking trousers, shorts or sports leggings (not jeans)
  • Waterproof coat
  • Gloves, scarf, hat / sun hat depending on the weather

A detailed kit list will be provided before the event, the kit required for the day may vary depending on the weather but as a minimum we ask that you bring the following items: 

  • Rucksack (contents in dry bag/s or sturdy plastic bags if weather is poor)
  • Water – at least 2 litres, more in hot weather
  • Snacks 
  • Lunch
  • Personal medication
  • Personal first aid kit – blister plasters, plasters, antiseptic wipes etc (we will carry a first aid kit, but we ask participants to bring basic items if possible)
  • Suncream 
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Waterproof over trousers (weather dependent)

If you have any questions on the kit requirements above, please contact us at whastnottohike@gmail.com to discuss.

Many of our participants come on their own and end up leaving the walk having made new, like-minded friends who they continue to go walking with in the future.

We love dogs at Whats Not To Hike, but unfortunately due to the length of the challenges and our focus on the participants, we cannot allow dogs on challenge walks.  An exception may be medical assistance dogs. If you have a medical assistance dog, please get in touch with us so we can discuss it. 

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