Planeterra Trek Challenge

Recent world events have affected almost everyone. Many of us have been left in uncertain positions due to government/school/business closures. The impact for some has been more devastating than it has for others. Especially for those in areas that have relied on tourism as their major income source. Of course, it can be really easy to get discouraged in times like these and I’ve got to admit that some days are worse than others. I’m lucky to have access to some of the best hiking trails in the world, so I’ve decided to put them to good use by joining the Planeterra Trek Challenge.

What is Planeterra?

Planeterra is a non-profit organisation that’s all about social enterprise in tourism. They are committed to positively impacting local communities and helping them derive sustainable income from tourism. In other words, they work to ensure that tourist money spent in communities goes to improving those communities. That starts from the grassroots by employing youth and empowering disadvantaged groups, such as women.

They believe in using tourism as a tool for wealth distribution. Planeterra’s Projects are currently running on all seven continents and in 51 countries. The projects are aimed at being the catalyst for change by empowering disadvantaged groups, like women and youth, preserving culture and protecting the environment. You can find out more about Planeterra and what they do on their website. They can also be found on Instagram,
Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook

What is the Planeterra Trek Challenge?

The Planeterra Trek Challenge is an event set up to fundraise for Planeterra projects in areas that have been affected by recent global changes. These projects include rebuilding community tourism in the places most adversely affected by tourism lockdowns. Myself and some fellow Nomads Giving Back have come together and we are planning to trek 65 kilometres to Everest Base Camp in the mountains of Nepal. Oh, did I mention virtually?

Obviously, we can’t make it to Nepal right now. Our plan for completing the challenge is to do our individual ‘treks’ in our own backyards. For me, that means climbing hills in ridiculous humidity and heat. For others, it means running around suburban streets in the cool of autumn. Our team of five is located all around the world, from Australia to South America and Asia. We each aim to do 85,000 steps in the week starting on Monday the 21st of September and ending on Sunday the 27th.

Want to help?

We’d be ever-grateful for any support that you could offer. You can support us by making a donation to our team via my fundraising page. Your donations will be matched, up to CA$25,000 by the Planeterra Foundation’s Founder Bruce Poon Tip. Can you help Planeterra reach its next milestone of $50,000?

We’d also love it if you could share this post with everyone you know. It’d even be cool if you could share it with people you don’t know. Any social media shares will be greatly appreciated! The more people that we can reach, the more help we can offer to those that need it the most. Doesn’t that sound like something that would be great to be a part of?

Encouraging comments are also welcome. I’m sure that spending a week climbing hills in 30°C temperatures at 80% humidity probably isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. It’s definitely not mine! So if you’d like to offer motivational quotes in the comments below, I welcome them. I mean, I’m sure I can do it. It’s just nice to hear other people say it, you know?

Follow the Story

During the week of the trek, I will endeavour to document the journey with fitness app screenshots, photos of scenery and funny anecdotes. There may even be videos. Some of them might end up on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. There will also be a round-up post of the whole Planeterra Trek Challenge next week. Keep an eye out for it.

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We’d love to get the word out about the Planeterra Trek Challenge, to help raise funds for those affected by current travel shutdowns. Please help us do that by sharing this with your friends and followers. Just click any of the pictures below to Pin it for later! Thank you! :o)