In October 2023, a group of 30 intrepid trekkers undertook the challenge of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain to raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice. Since then, they have continued their fundraising efforts and have raised an astonishing total of £78,878.52!

Their adventure began at Palas de Rei, where they then headed downhill along the Camino trail, passing the charming villages of Casanova and Leboreiro. They crossed several small streams and followed a forest track bringing them to the village of Boente and the Church of Santiago. They then trekked through the medieval hamlet of Ribadiso and arrived in the town of Arzúa, famous for its local cheese.

After continuing through beautiful woods and sleepy villages, they reached the Chapel of Santa Irene with its unique statue of Santiago. They continued through the lovely hamlet of Rúa along calm country roads and forest tracks to Amenal.

The final day of their ‘French Way’ challenge, found them in Lavacolla, set along the outskirts of Santiago, where pilgrims used to wash themselves in the river in preparation for their arrival to Santiago de Compostela. From here, rows of tall eucalyptus trees lined their journey to Monte do Gozo – where they were able to catch their first glimpse of the spires of the breath-taking Cathedral of Santiago. The trip was sensational. A perfect mix of culture, spirituality and camaraderie, and something which our trekkers will remember the feeling of for years to come.

Nightingale House Hospice’s third overseas fundraising challenge, in the July of 2022, took us on the incredible Inca Trail in Peru to trek the magnificent lost city of Machu Picchu.

The ten-day Inca Trail adventure involved a 54k trek starting at the Inca Capital of Cusco – a fascinating city full of colonial charm, hidden deep in the Andes Mountain. At an altitude of 3,300m, our brave adventurers spent their first day acclimatising by taking a trek around the famous Inca sites surrounding Cusco – a great way to begin our charity trek.

Then, the team were off to conquer the one and only Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – the world’s most important archaeological find and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World!  There are literally thousands of Inca Trails within Peru, but there’s only one Inca Trail that leads through the majestic Sun Gate, and then onto the fascinating ruins of Machu Picchu.

Our tough, but incredibly rewarding trail encompassed 3 high mountain passes – the highest being 4,200m. The trek certainly tested the group, but upon witnessing the sight of Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate mirrored with breath-taking views across the Andes, our efforts we’re more than worthwhile. Standing proudly together, it really was a life-changing moment which I’m sure not one of us will ever forget.

This breath-taking charity bike ride is one of the best in the world of fundraising events and it took our challengers on a journey that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

In November 2019, our 24 intrepid challengers set off to cycle 383km from Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia!  It was a ten-day journey that took in the frenzy of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and the contrasting tranquillity of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The team cycled through bustling coconut groves and thriving river communities at the heart of the Mekong Delta and passed by stilted villages with so many other magical sights along the way.

Our fundraising heroes finished off their cycling adventure by visiting the mysterious

Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia where they viewed the ancient relics of a vanished culture nestled in amongst the sugar palm trees.

We staged our first-ever international challenge with a trek on the Great Wall of China in 2018. 25 inspirational adventurers set off in October of that year, following 12 months of preparation and fundraising.

Our Great Wall of China Trek was a fantastic challenge, hiking for five days along this magnificent man-made structure. Voted one of the new ‘Seven Wonders of the World’, our challenge took us over watch towers and mountains, through historic battlement stations that were well off the tourist trail – there are many sections during this challenge that made us feel like the Great Wall was all ours, with no-one else in sight.

The Great Wall of China provided an amazing backdrop to some fantastic trekking.  It also gave our fabulous fundraisers the opportunity to leave something behind that would record the spirit of the person they had loved and lost.