Discover Adventure | Blog

There's a line we use a lot at Discover Adventure: everyone's summit is different.

We mean it genuinely. Over 32 years of running challenges, we've watched people cross finish lines they never expected to cross. People carrying injuries, illness, grief, doubt. People who signed up before they felt ready and figured it out on the way.

But it's one thing to say that from the outside. It's quite another when it's your own start-line that moves without warning.

Hannah has worked at DA for over 25 years. She knows our trips, our values and our ethos better than almost anyone. And three years ago, Long Covid quietly redefined what was possible for her. What follows is her story, in her own words.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. And after 32 years of enabling people to do hard things, we've noticed something worth talking about.

Nobody signs up for a Discover Adventure challenge to fix their mental health.

They sign up because a friend did it a few years back and came home changed in some way they couldn't quite explain. Because a charity they care about needed fundraisers. Because something in them wanted to find out what they were made of. Because they needed a reason to get outside more. Because they said yes before they could talk themselves out of it.

But something happens out there that isn't in the itinerary.

When Jazz, our Charity Support here at Discover Adventure, casually suggested to her mum, Nikky, that they tackle one of our Himalayas Trek together, neither could have imagined just how transformative the journey would be. What started as a "spur of the moment discussion"evolved into something far more meaningful - a chance to raise money for Parkinson's UK in honour of Jazz's grandad, who had lived with the condition.

When Sam, Discover Adventure's Office Manager, swapped her desk for a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, she discovered that the greatest challenges often lead to the most rewarding moments. Here's her honest, inspiring account of climbing Africa's highest peak via the stunning Machame Route.

Looking out of the plane window at Marrakech sprawled below us in shades of pink and orange – this impossible, film-set like city... I couldn't quite believe it was real. My favourite Disney film has always been Aladdin, and honestly, it felt like we were descending into Agrabah. I was buzzing with excitement!

What I didn't know then, looking down at that beautiful city, was that in a few days I'd be standing on top of North Africa's highest peak at 4,167 metres, having discovered something extraordinary about what I'm capable of.

By Jess, Brand and Marketing Manager at Discover Adventure

We know what it’s like, the moment one adventure ends, your mind starts to wander to the next one. Lucky for you, Team DA are always a few steps (or pedal strokes) ahead when it comes to planning what’s next.

We asked the Discover Adventure crew and HQ team to share their top picks for 2026 - the trips that make their hearts pound and legs ache (in the best way), and the ones that fill up their camera rolls. 

From new treks to cycling routes packed with classic climbs, here’s where our team are heading next year... and why you might want to join them.