01.The Brief

MDUK approached us back in 2017 to ask us whether we could put together a three-phase activity event based in the Lake District. As MDUK is a national charity their participants are spread all over the country, the event therefore not only had to be a challenge, but also allow the participants to experience a great day out in the mountains to justify their fundraising efforts and to attract them to travel to the Lakes. As this was the first event, they had done with us and also their first bespoke challenge event they wanted to start small but allow for expansion should the event attract larger numbers. Finally, safety was paramount, the event had to have qualified staff looking after the participants every step of the way. 

02.Our Approach

Being based in the North Lakes we naturally looked to our door step and built the event around Ullswater and Helvellyn. The three phases would be ‘Pedal, Paddle, Peak’. In teams of 4 initially, MDUK evolved the event to allow teams of 2 as well as teams of 4 to take part which we accommodated, and this allowed the charity to recruit more successfully. Participants will ‘Pedal’ along the Ullswater Road offering incredible views across the lake and the surrounding mountains; ‘Paddle’ out of Glenridding in Canoes and Kayaks and finally get to the ‘Peak’ of Helvellyn by foot. To get between the different phases the participants would use their bikes as their transport cycling between the activity phases. Basing the event here meant there were numerous venues to use as a start and finish to allow the event to grow in numbers. Helvellyn is a household name for most people but is a very accessible peak with enormous rewards with the views down Ullswater. Ullswater itself is relatively sheltered and offered a great venue to canoe from. The cycle ride down the Ullswater Valley is a great bookend to the event riding to the mountains, and back. 

03.The Programme Outcome

The event has now reached a major milestone where they have reached 150+ participants. To make the event work we changed the route to run as a ‘clover leaf’ out for Glenridding with all three activity phases starting and finishing from one central hub. This change to the logistics will allow the event to grow to up to 400 participants which is fantastic for the income generation for the charity. We also have plans to create an accessible version of the event for the charity which will be much easier to create from Glenridding. 

04.What the client had to say

Our partnership with The Adventure Element began nearly 10 years ago with the creation of our Pedal Paddle Peak triple adventure challenge event. Today, it’s a flagship challenge in our calendar, drawing over 150 participants each year.

From shaping the initial concept to flawless event delivery, The Adventure Element truly are experts in their field, combining exceptional logistics with genuine passion. We’re incredibly grateful to Ben, Chris  and the team for their unwavering support and expertise, which has been instrumental in growing Pedal Paddle Peak to the success it is today – and we’re excited to expand the series further with their guidance.

Absolute legends!

Kiera Santry | Senior Manager - Challenge Events
Muscular Dystrophy UK