Choose a Challenge Reviews 232

Fantastic adventure and way to raise money for charity!

Just returned from the student Everest Base Camp trek and can without doubt say it was one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you CaC for organising so effortlessly (and helping when things go wrong), and to our guides for bringing all the fun and helping each and every one of us reach base camp!

I had the time of my life embarking on this amazing Trek to summit Kilimanjaro, Choose a Challenge knocked it out of the park. The accommodation, Transport, food and support was fantastic. I don't regret joining for a single minute

I’d like to start by saying that Valencia Travel in Peru are amazing, especially Ruben, Hosé Luis, and Luis. They made my whole trip to Machu Picchu worth it.

However, this company is a scam, targeting university students by selling the idea of a cheap way to travel. The fundraising goals are entirely unachievable, plus there is hidden fees such as £200 to defer, or £100 to purely cancel, with no chance of getting your money back that you’ve already put in. Every year, at least half the people cancel or defer due to the stress from fundraising or the financial strain it puts on them.

Choose a Challenge’s communication with students, support through fundraising, information provided about the challenges and what they actually involve and their difficulties, and general care throughout are significantly lacking. If they were more honest about how difficult the trek actually is, rather than selling a dream of how it could be, many people who physically aren’t capable wouldn’t sign up, instead of being blindsided and then really struggling in country.

If you are considering signing up, I would recommend you reconsider. By all means take the trip, travel, do the trek, but book it yourself. Use SkyScanner for cheap flights, stay in hostels, use recommended guides in country. You will have a better time overall, it’ll be so much cheaper, and you won’t spend a year or two stressing about fundraising when you should be doing University work, only to basically have to pay it off yourself anyway.

Security must be improved, especially regarding scamming, and there should be more medics with us considering the intensity of the danger in this challenge.

overall smooth, but we got lucky. more security and medics are demanded.

Having recently done both the High Atlas Trek and Sahara Extension I have only positive things to say about the experience.

The trek was challenging both physically and mentally but at no point did I feel out of my depth or unsafe. This is in large part to the exceptional team of guides and porters who helped our group through the entire trek. The team provided amazing hospitality and support through the trip cooking 3 delicious meals a day typically of traditional Moroccan cuisine such as tagine. We also were able to engage with the guides culture through evening activities such as cards and campfire songs. Overall the trek was a great experience made better by the brilliant guides and porters.

The Sahara Extension was really the cherry on top for the 2 weeks. Exploring more of Morocco and camel riding in the Sahara desert was an unforgettable experience with incredible hotels and hostels along the way.

Overall, the two weeks I spent in Morocco with choose a challenge were absolutely immense. I could not recommend this company more!

I recently visited morocco with this agency and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

All of the guides, especially Abdul and Saïd, were the most kind, generous and informative guides you could possibly ask for.

If there was any issue, they made sure to help in any way they could. They always went above and beyond for us.
The guides and everyone involved were the funniest, most caring and friendly people ive ever met. They lifted everyones moods and genuinely became our friends. I couldnt have asked for a better group of people to spend a week in the mountains with.

The days were full of beautiful, well-planned hikes with lots of breaks to take in the amazing scenery.

The nights were for singing together with drums by a fire and playing card games under the stars after dinner. It was truly phennomenal.

The food:
Was gorgeous. Lovely tajin and couscous and traditional teas among many other things. The food was fresh and healthy and delicious. As a vegetarian, I was worried but they made sure i was well fed the whole time.

The extension trip:
We went to the sahara and got to meet another group of amazing Burbur people. We danced and sang and looked at the stars. We also saw the place that part of the Gladiator, Outer Banks, Game of Thrones and a bunch of other movies and shows were filmed at. So cool.
Then spent some time in Marrakesh city centre too, which was full of lively music and atmosphere, especially at the markets.
Overall amazing trip and wouldnt have been anywhere near as good if it wasnt for the amazing people in this company, helping to create these experiences for us and share their culture, language and way of life.
I made so many friends and am already planning my return next year!

I would also like to note that I was on the same trip as another person who left a bad review, george pearl. I think every experience is what you make of it, and you should dive into it with an open mind, and you will not be dissapointed. The other 20 people on the hike with us had an amazing time and we will all be returning to our friends in Imlil!!

10000000/10

A very great experience overall on the Morocco trek plus the extension. Trekking is difficult and rewarding as one can imagine, but the guides took good care of us all the time. Plenty of water and food, even in remote locations that we visited and stayed in while in the High Atlas.
The extension trip was breathtaking. The guide took us to enjoyable locations and we were taken care of.

Great experience, guides were very helpful and made sure to support everyone and answer peoples questions. The trek leader set a great pace and made sure everyone was comfortable.

I just completed the Morocco High Atlas trek and extension trip to the Sahara and had an amazing time.

I had never done a multi day trek like this before, and while I can say it was challenging, I’m very glad I did it. The beautiful landscapes, delicious food, new friends, and laughs were enough to make up for the uphills.

The guides were next level. They looked after us at every step of the way and ensured we were all doing okay. Ibrahim was lovely and friendly and set a great walking pace. If someone was slower than the main group they would be joined by another guide. No complaints.

The porters made sure all of our bags were taken care of and our tents set up for the night, as well as cooking our food. They did an exceptional job.

The food was delicious Moroccan cuisine and there was always more than enough to go around. I’ll miss tea and popcorn time when I’m back home!

The extension trip was an amazing opportunity to see the Sahara desert and camel trek for the first time. Omar was exceptional in organising everything and making sure we had a good time. We got to try quad biking too.

Overall, the Morocco High Atlas trek and extension trip was an amazing experience and insight into Berber/Moroccan life that I’ll never forget. Thanks again!

Morocco was great - a good itinerary with variety between the days, as well as good support and also good food. It wasn’t always enough for my gluten free friends but they did a good job of attempting to accommodate for it. Overall, would recommend.

Amazing ppl, challenge leader Mike was an absolute legend. Best experience doing the 3 peaks.

Three peaks challenge was so much fun, very well organised. We stayed in a really nice hostel. The buses were managed very well, excellent experience. The guides on all the mountain chosen were so friendly. Really positive experience. Very supportive of people of all ranges of experience. Unfortunately those who were not walking at the correct pace were not able to make all the peaks but the team tried as much as possible to be lenient to get everyone up the mountain and tried absolutely best but to keep everyone within the time limits set based on buses there were cases of people having turned around. All in all the team tried their absolute best to get everyone up and down in the time required and anyone who didn’t manage was entirely based on their own fitness levels.

It was an amazing opportunity climbing all three peaks of the UK. Definitely a challenge. It was an overall amazing time with some highs and lows. Everyone was amazing to walk and get to know. The organisation was top tier and fabulous to work with.

Event coordinator is so helpful and friendly, great support through the fundraising and the actual three peaks challenge, perfect adventure, totally worth it!!!!

The whole experience of this trip has been incredible, well organised and memorable.

Throughout this trip there have been beautiful landscapes, cultural exchanges and great traditional Moroccan food and drinks.

Choose a challenge have created a thoughtfully prepared trip which allowed extensive trekking and a range of perspectives through the Atlas Mountains, from the picturesque town of Imlil to the incredibly rewarding summit at Mount Toubkal over 6 days.

In addition to this, the extension allowed a well-deserved relaxing trip to take in a variety of Moroccan terrains and mountain ranges, with the thrill of camel riding.

Guides and porters have been helpful throughout and have engaged socially as well as gone above and beyond to be welcoming and attending to dietary needs, especially Abdou who has been very friendly and knowledgeable during both trek and extension.

Overall, a great experience and opportunity to make many new friends and learn about local culture while raising money for charity.

Please disregard the previous review from George pearl. I also attended this high atlas challenge alongside George and completely beg to differ alongside the other people that took on this challenge. To “correct” what the last review said I’ll follow the same order
1.food
The food served during the trek was classic Moroccan dishes such as chicken tajin and Berber salad. The food was prepared cleanly and properly and could been seen so at each camp. The guides always ensured that there was more than enough food for everyone to ensure each participant could go about their day with enough energy. As regard to the food poisoning comment, All participants that did end up feeling unwell knew and have agreed it was due to the altitude as if it was food poisoning the person/persons would have been unwell for a number of days constantly getting sick so the sickness can not be blamed upon the food. It was perfect.
2. Luggage porters
Again George seems to be the only one with a problem with the luggage porters. Luggage porters were friendly helpful and always made sure nothing was left behind. After having a bag for ten years maybe the porters aren’t to blame and also accidents do occur and as a human being you should be allowing of that.
3. Accomodation
Hotels and hostels were very splendid and helped with every need you had. As for the tents, the tents where in perfect condition protecting from rain and wind they where not as he so graciously put it in “tatters” and as for climbing in and out of a tent, you are not staying in the ritz how else would you expect to get in and out of a tent. The tented accommodation was a perfect and again any problems that might have occurred the guides took care of it straight away.
4. Guides
Regarding to these guides as “fine” is and insult each and every one of them looked after and made sure every person on that trek was ok including George himself when his “food poisoning”(altitude sickness) had affected him. The guides were very knowledgeable and in the evenings would sing with us at the campfires, play cards, laugh with us and just have an all around good time. Abdul and his team are a credit to themselves.
5. Kit list
The mandatory equipment list was perfectly fine. Although choose a challenge are an excellent company they however are not god and cannot control the weather. If a down jacket hadn’t have been put on the equipment list and if he had reached the summit and it was cold he would’ve complained about not having one. The wild does not accommodate you and you must prepare for every worst scenario.
6. Sight seeing during trek
Contrary to the previous review I personally saw 3 waterfalls. And to comment on the views some of the most incredible picturesque views I have and probably will ever see in my life. We came across wildlife plants and people we would never see. The sight seeing was incredible.
Extension
The extension is advertised as a Sahara extension and if you had of checks any maps you would’ve seen how far from the Sahara we would’ve been, another stupid statement from George. The extension was absolutely perfect providing with everything it said on the tin, if you would rather not have stopped for short breaks it would’ve been breaking the law as a person carrier in Morocco must have a 15 minute break every 2 hours
Overall myself and every other person who went on this trip is truly satisfied and delighted with how it went Abdul his team and choose a challenge should be proud of themselves

1 star for the main trek, 4 for the edge of Sahara extension.

Starting biggest to smallest issues on the main trek:
1. Food Poisoning/Safety. The challenge was intended to be the trekking in the Atlas mountains, instead it was a challenge against food poisoning. It is abundantly clear that CaC did not properly vet the operator in Morocco who conducted the expedition, and as a result around 80% of the group became ill. I myself did not manage to summit toubkal due to the appalling food hygiene as on the morning of the summit I vomited 4 times and was stuck on the toilet with diarrhoea. When booking with a large company that advertised at a university, I at least expected that the food would be safe at a bare minimum. I was incredibly disappointed that I did not manage to complete the trek due to no fault of my own.
2. Luggage porters. When told to bring a rucksack, I expected that the porters would understand that you are meant to pick them up by the handles, not the straps attached to the front of it. As a result my rucksack which has been absolutely fine for around 10 years was destroyed by the porters with several straps being pulled off, causing the bag to fall apart. It was also picked up by a zip, pulling that off, and a knife was clearly put through the top of it.
3. Accommodation. The actual hotels and hostels are fine, the tented accommodation however... The tents were in absolute tatters, held together with duct tape and not put up properly with many clips missing, guy ropes not pegged in and broken zips meaning you had to crawl out of the tents.
4. Guides. Although most were fine, Hamid was incredibly rude, Fat shaming myself on multiple occasions, and harassing some of the girls.
5. Kit list. A lot of the "MANDATORY EQUIPMENT" was completely unnecessary, such as the listed down/ski jacket. It was never so cold that you couldn't manage in just a t-shirt, let alone need a down jacket. When a lot of this kit is expensive, it is expected that they at least check you will need it for this experience at this time of year.
6. Sights seen during trekking
When advertised, waterfalls and other various things were promised that we would see on the route. Instead it was basically just skree and mountains.

Extension:
It is a lot of travelling which could have been better communicated exactly how much each day, but the views, hotels and places for food have all been excellent. Abdou has been exceptional on this.

EBC Trek November 2024

I've just completed the EBC trek and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I knew I was in safe hands with Buddha from the start. He was very knowledgeable and always happy to help and answer any questions I had. He made the experience very enjoyable and was friendly and approachable. I would highly recommend the EBC trek with Choose A Challenge!

brilliant trip and lovely staff, had one of the best experiences of my life with the marathon. couldn’t have asked for a better experience really! 👍