Corporate Snowdon Sunrise Trek

Location

Unlimited positions available

Please email [email protected] if you have a group that is interested in this challenge or visit our website for more details.

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh) is the highest mountain in Wales and England. Standing tall over the village of Llanberis, Snowdon is a part of a close-knit family of jagged peaks and can offer views of Snowdonia, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire and Ireland. 

This overnight challenge starts around 3am as participants gather at the foot of Snowdon ready to climb to the 1,085m summit in total darkness. Traversing the tricky terrain with just the light of a head torch climbers will arrive at the summit just as the sun rises across the dramatic backdrop of Snowdonia National Park.  The descent will see the start of a new day for the tired walkers and they will enjoy a well deserved breakfast when they return to base. This is the perfect team building activity for a company looking to do something different and challenging but without taking up too much time. You can expect to be back in London or Surrey within 24 hours of leaving!

How tough is it?

This is not a technical hike, but it is also not a stroll up a well laid path. The terrain will be rugged and rocky, but the summit is within reach of any reasonably fit and determined person. Whilst we don’t recommend any specific training just remember that the fitter you are then the more you’ll enjoy it! Snowdon is a mountain. It’s the highest mountain in Wales. The terrain is rugged, rocky and mountainous so please arrive prepared. You’ll need the correct kit and your footwear is particularly important. If you’re not used to hiking or hill-walking then the sooner you start training the better.

“We at Integrity have just started out on our corporate partnership journey with Shooting Star this year, so we thought why not start big! We opted to take on the Sunrise Challenge and climb Snowdon! I can honestly say it is an experience not to be missed! It was AMAZING, we were not so lucky with the weather, but it just added to the feeling of accomplishment reaching that summit. We are a remote workforce so the team building aspect was invaluable to us alongside raising well over £7K. Ellie, Alexa and the team provided support and encouragement from beginning to end. We are all so exited to start planning our next challenge to support the amazing SSCH!”

Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive or coach to Pen Y Pass Car Park, Snowdonia to arrive in the early hours of 

Day 2: It’s an early* start with a briefing from your mountain guides before you begin your trek (in total darkness) to the summit. After reaching the summit for sunrise you and your team need to summon up the energy to take the Llanberis trail down to the village of Llanberis ready for a well deserved breakfast. After which you are free to explore the local area or to travel back home again.

* Precise timings will depend on the time of year but the start is normally around 0300 hours.

Training and Preparation 

We expect to be walking for approximately seven hours Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales! The terrain is rugged, rocky and mountainous so please arrive prepared - the more preparation you put in before the event the greater your enjoyment If you’re not used to hiking or hill-walking then the sooner you start training the better - the summit is within reach of any reasonably fit and determined person We will be organising a training walk and trek talk where Simon from SVL adventures can answer all your questions (details of these events will be sent to you via email) More information on training and preparation will be sent to you via email

What support is included?

Before you go

• Support materials (itinerary, kit list, fact file, Q&As, health notes, travel tips, responsible travel policy and guidance)
• Fundraising advice
• A Shooting Star Children’s Hospices t-shirt and neck buff

On your challenge

• Hot breakfast after the challenge
• All challenge management before, during and post event
• Fully qualified mountain guides
• Full back-up support including first-aid qualified staff and first-aid supplie

What support is NOT included?

Before you go

• Clothing and equipment listed on your Kit List

On your challenge

• Transport to Pen Y Pass – we recommend you book a coach through our travel partners Arena Coaches, Go Gutsi or through your local coach company
• There is an additional £150 breakfast room booking cost that will be invoiced at the time of booking
• Food on the journey there and back
• Personal spending money
• Any other specific items listed as not included in your Trip Notes

You will be someone with a reasonable level of fitness that loves a challenge. You will support and encourage your team mates and be able to fundraise £250 from doing this challenge.

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices support families who have a baby, child or young person with a life-limiting condition, or who have been bereaved, across Surrey, south-west London and north-west London. We support families from diagnoses to end-of-life care and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care. Whether lives are measured in days, weeks, months, or years, we’re here to make every moment count. It costs over £10 million a year to run Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and we simply wouldn’t be here without our incredible fundraisers and supporters. What’s more, we know there are many more families desperate for our vital support, so it’s crucial we raise more funds - that’s where you come in.

 Fundraising 

With your bravery, courage and determination you can help us raise vital funds to make every moment count for babies, children, and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families. 

To do this we ask that you’ll commit to fundraising a minimum of £250 - this could pay for a visit by a Community Nurse during an emergency, providing vital support to a child and giving parents a few precious hours to themselves. 

We recommend using JustGiving

Be creative with your fundraising. Hold an event, have a bake sale, organise a dress down day and add the money raised to your total. We have some fantastic tips on the tools and advice page on the Shooting Star website. We also have some wonderful incentives for participants who hit certain fundraising milestones. We will be on hand to support you with your fundraising and any other questions you may have. Those who reach their target of £250 will be entitled to a free beanie hat!

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

Rucksack  - Small 

Drinks bottles  - We recommend at least two litres of fluid 

Head torch with batteries We will be climbing in the dark so this is essential 

Medication and First Aid - Please bring plasters and any medication you require including painkillers and travel sickness tablets 

Walking boots and socks - Ensure you are wearing sensible footwear and thick socks as it will be cold Layers of warm clothing It will be cold, please ensure you are wearing plenty of layers 

Waterproof Jacket Hat and Gloves 

Snacks - We recommend flapjacks and cereal bars to keep your energy up! 

Mobile phone and charger 

Change of clothes - Please bring a change of clothes for the way home after the trek 

Suncream

RECOMMENDED ITEMS

Trekking poles - The ground is uneven, please bring walking poles if you feel it would be helpful 

Anti-bacterial gel 

Pillow / blanket / eye mask It is important to get some sleep on the coach before and after the trek 

Waterproof liner bags - Helps keep your kit dry and organised 

Energy gels or glucose tablets  

If you are able to organise a group of 15 or more people to take part in this event then we can organise a bespoke trip for Aviva employees to take their own bus from a location of your choosing to Snowdon.

If there are individuals or smaller groups wishing to take part in our organised trip on Saturday 22nd March 2025...

Meeting at Pen y Pass car park 

You can book parking at the Pen y Pass car park through the following link (insert link) Alternatively you can use the pay and display spaces at the bottom of Llanberis pass, near the Pen y Gwryd Hotel (LL55 4NT) for £4. Please ensure your ticket is visible and that you park correctly, if one wheel is slightly on the road then your car will be towed away. You can then take the 30 minute uphill walk to Pen y Pass car park using the path located on the left hand side of the road. This path can be accessed through a gate further down from the hotel. Please ensure you arrive at the car park for the designated arrival time. Walkers who have arranged their own transport will need to leave the breakfast room at The Royal Victoria Hotel by 12pm. Please be mindful that you will be tired from this event and driving after the trek may be dangerous, we therefore advise you travel with us by coach and get some rest. 

Transport from Shooting Star House in Hampton - TW12 3RA

You can book a place on our coach from Shooting Star House leaving at 7pm on Friday 22 March. We will depart from The Royal Victoria Hotel at midday on Saturday 22 September to return to Shooting Star House for around 6:30pm. Please arrive to Shooting Star House by 6:30pm on Friday 21 September and bring some food for dinner with you. Bookings can be made during your registration or by emailing [email protected]

Toilets 

Public toilets will be open at the starting point, Pen y Pass car park - this will be your only opportunity to use the toilet before we embark on the trek However, if nature calls, there are a few strategic places along the route where secluded rocks can be found for some privacy (we’re told by the mountain leaders that a ‘wild wee’ is a great thing to experience!) It’s important that if you require the toilet that you notify your mountain leader, as they will find a safe space for you 

Water 

There are no water points on the mountain, therefore you need to come prepared with enough water for the full trek It is recommended that you bring at least two litres of fluid

Please contact Tommy Gale via [email protected] if you have any questions regarding accessibility on this event. 

Booking

SVL Adventures (Snowdon Trek providers) reserve the right to alter certain elements of the event if it is necessary due to factors outside of SVL Adventures control, such as weather or COVID 19. This allows SVL Adventures to ensure your safety and satisfaction is a priority. For example, it may provide a safer and more enjoyable experience if SVL Adventures decide to take a different route that will give the walking group more shelter from any wind and rain that has been forecasted. These decisions can only be made dynamically on the event. It is very rare for SVL Adventures to cancel an event, and this is only done if extreme weather conditions such as lightning or strong winds mean that it would be unsafe for SVL Adventures to continue. If an event is cancelled, then it will be rescheduled where possible. 

Safety and insurance 

Safety will always be SVL Adventures and Shooting Star Children’s Hospices number one priority. SVL Adventures take that responsibility very seriously and have a continuous development approach to their own skills. All the guides that SVL adventures employ on the events are experienced and qualified Mountain Leaders with up to date remote first aid qualifications. SVL Adventures occasionally also use assistants, who may not be fully qualified, but are experienced and working towards their qualifications. They will always be under the supervision and guidance of an experienced SVL Adventures leader. SVL Adventures are fully insured through John Ansell & Partners under the British Activity Holiday Insurance Scheme. SVL Adventures take every care to ensure that all participants are safe and well looked after, but there is also an individual responsibility on the participant to listen and act upon any advice given by SVL Adventures mountain leaders or assistants, to be aware of their own safety, and act in a manner that is fitting of the outdoor environment that they are operating in. Any participant who does not adhere to instructions of guidance from any of the SVL Adventures mountain leaders may be putting themselves and the rest of the group at risk and as such will no longer be considered as part of the group and may be asked to leave. SVL Adventures will not be responsible for their safety from that point onwards. The mountain leaders are well versed in encouraging walkers to dig deep and achieve more than they think they are able to. A huge part of getting up and down successfully is based on determination and mental strength. At the briefing at the start line the mountain leaders will ensure everyone is motivated and in the right mind set for the challenge. If you feel you need to drop out at any point of the challenge, one of the mountain leaders will be on hand to get you safely back down.

Dogs 

Although dogs are permitted on the trail and we’re big fans of your pawsome companions, dogs will not be permitted due to the narrow paths and limited light first thing.