Shortlist for The 2017 Next Challenge Grant

I am delighted to announce another inspiring list of adventure ideas for this year’s Next Challenge Grant.

Of the 208 ideas submitted, 41 have been selected to complete an application form to win a grant towards their trip. The winners will be announced in June.

For the many people that didn’t make it into the shortlist, I’ve emailed them to offer whatever non-financial help I can. I know from previous years that many such people still go on to complete their adventures regardless and I very much hope it is the same this year.

Thank you to everyone who donated to make this grant possible: from the 100-odd donations of £3 or more to the dozen adventurers who’ve contributed.

Here’s the shortlist…

2017 Next Challenge Grant Shortlist

As always, I’ll stress that I’ve boiled down each of these ideas into a single, pithy sentence which often doesn’t do justice to what’s involved and the stories behind the ideas. But hopefully you’ll get a flavour of the grand adventures people are planning.

1. Swimming the Yorkshire coastline
2. Stand up paddleboarding across Lough Neagh
3. 40 nights’ bivvying in a year
4. Cycling between and running up all of the Munros
5. Walking the length of Long Island, New York
6. Pedalling Lake Superior in a home-made boat
7. Walking 430 miles along Japan’s tsunami-affected coastline
8. Hiking and packrafting the Lofoten Islands
9. Running 1,250 miles from Rome to home (London)
10. Bikepacking the Lannmannalagur trail in Iceland
11. 9 women Everesting in the Lake District
12. Running the Thames Path over a Bank Holiday weekend
13. Circumnavigating Menorca on foot
14. Running the Three Peaks
15. Paddleboarding the Lake District tarns
16. Hiking the length of Portugal
17. Running London to Brighton
18. Cycling Camino de Santiago on a tandem
19. 52 year old mum kick scootering the Hebrides
20. Running around the Monopoly board in London
21. Mother and children walking in the Western Ghats
22. Bikepacking the GR247 in Andlusia
23. Walking 500 miles in memory of a friend
24. Cycling across Luzon, The Philippines
25. Swimming across Lac Serre Poncon
26. Mother and daughter travelling as far as they can on €5 a day
27. Walking the length of the Tendrivska spit in Achilles’ footsteps
28. Kayaking around the Isle of Wight
29. Kayaking around Ireland
30. Walking around Nanga Parbat
31. Trekking to the source of the Ganges and Yamuna
32. Father and sons trekking in each of the four seasons
33. Hiking and paragliding across the Pyrenees
34. 12 mini-adventures with a newborn baby
35. Cycling the Faroe Islands
36. Celebrating 60th birthday by cycling through Norway
37. Hitchhiking across the USA
38. Running a marathon at Marathon in Ancient Greek armour
39. Hiking the Continential Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada
40. A paddling expedition in the Hebrides
41. Walking the Beacons Way

Read more about The Next Challenge Grant

• 2015 Shortlist
• 2016 Shortlist
• 2015 Winners
• 2016 Winners

See all articles about the grant