The Jurassic Coast Challenge

A team of 20 intrepid walkers, aged from 18 to 60: Epic Print employees, family and friends took on this endurance challenge, a trek of 100km, to support 3 remarkable charities that have special significance to our group.

You may well ask why this event. Well… It’s on our Dorset doorstep and taking place in the middle of the glorious (usually) summer month of July. The coastal path is both beautiful and challenging with significant ascents and descents. The path has been made even more famous recently by Raynor Winn’s excellent and best selling ‘The Salt Path’ and of course if you like an amble (the team were able to choose to do a quarter or a half or the full 100km) then trekking on the world famous Jurassic coastline from Poole to Bridport is difficult to beat… historical and geological points of interest abound.

And here are some of the highlights:

  • Studland and it’s not so famous naturist beach
  • Old Harry Rocks
  • Brownsea Island
  • Corfe Castle
  • Lulworth Cove
  • Durdle Door
  • Chesil Beach
  • West Bay brought to national prominence by the much loved Broadchurch TV series
  • Bridport – home to the BBC’s Harbour Lights starring Nick Berry

For the record The Jurassic Challenge is organised by the estimable Action Challenge Organisation so all the Epic team needed to do was kit up and turn up. Somehow we managed to inveigle 20 colleagues, family and friends to accept the challenge with the goal of raising £12,000.00 for our 3 favourite charities.

The Eve Appeal

Epic Print’s corporate charity for over 10 years, The Eve Appeal is the only UK national charity raising awareness and funding research into the five gynaecological cancers – womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal. Every day 58 women in the UK are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer and 21 die. That’s far too many wives, daughters, sisters, partners and friends.

Ehlers Danlos Support UK

EDS Uk is the only UK charity to support anybody touched by the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, a collection of genetic connective tissue disorders. There are 13 types of EDS; the most common is called Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (HEDS or type 3). For people with this condition, the body produces faulty collagen which means that the effects are systemic and can be debilitating.

Find Thea’s story…

Young Minds

The crisis in children and young people’s mental health is real and it is urgent. More children and young people than ever before are reaching out for help with their mental health, but for those who take that brave step, help is much too hard to find. Young Minds is leading the fight for a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenge.

Find Harriets story…

What could possibly go wrong… The Dorset coastline in mid July… a quick dash of 100 kilometres leaving at breakfast on Saturday and expecting to be home for lunch on Sunday.

In reality it’s a trek that requires a bit of preparation!! It includes 2700m of ascent (for context Ben Nevis is 1350m) and as many of you know it’s not just the up that hurts! Unfortunately the driving rain and gusting winds of 45 mph made the trek more of a challenge than many of the participants had bargained for. Stress fractures, blisters and muscle fatigue are all part of the make up of endurance challenges, but the poor weather made the trek much tougher than expected. Needless to say we suffered our share of disappointments but we are delighted to report that well over 70% of the group completed their personal challenges with 5 completing the full 100 kilometres.

Thank you to all of our friends, customers, suppliers and stake holders who supported us on a memorable and worthwhile event.

If you would like further information on the story of the trek… please ask and we will send you our commemorative book and maps with a notebook to record your own trekking experiences – (publishing date – 01.01.20).