Every penny raised will go to Thames Hospice, a charity proudly serving the community of East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. Thames Hospice works in partnership with local healthcare colleagues to provide specialist palliative and end-of-life care services to people aged 16 and over in their own homes and within the Hospice.

Thames Hospice are committed to delivering care that is agile and responsive so that they give patients and their families choices about the care they receive, providing the highest quality clinical and therapeutic care within the Hospice and in patients’ homes, supporting the physical, social and psychological needs of patients and their loved ones. 

All services are free of charge to all those in the community who need vital hospice care. Thames Hospice receives a 26% financial contribution towards their operating costs funded by NHS England and need to raise £38,363 each day to fund their services 365 days a year to the people who need them most.

We do ask riders to raise the full amounts required because the profits from the event are critical to allowing Thames Hospice to provide the care and services. If in exceptional cases a rider is struggling to reach the required fundraising, please just get in touch to let us know. Remember that by sending reminders to friends colleagues family etc before and after your rides with pictures of your training and the ride itself will really help. Riders also fund that significant sponsorship comes in after the event if you contact people to let them know you have completed the challenge.

Yes, most BMC riders bring their own bikes on the flight with them and for this reason we recommend British Airways flights where possible as they accept a bike box/bag as standard checked baggage rather than charging substantial extras. The airport transfer coach will have a special trailer for bike boxes. All bikes will need to be packed in bike bags/boxes suitable for air travel and you need to notify most airlines in advance that you are bringing a bike with you. When you arrive at the hotel you can get assistance assembling your bike and all bikes will be safety checked by qualified staff before any rides leave

Accommodation is in the hotel, Les Balcons du Lac d’Annecy in a beautiful woodland park overlooking Lake Annecy. The hotel includes one swimming pool and access to Lake Annecy. To find out more, please visit the website here.

Yes, everyone will have the opportunity to make up a packed lunch at breakfast time. These will be carried by the support vehicles. 

Lunch stops at local cafes and resturants will be available each day.

Yes, you can hire locally, we will send recommendations of places to hire to those who tick this option when signing up.

Yes, you will be supported by several qualified cycle mechanics. They will help you build up your bike upon arrival and support you over the four days. It is recommended that you bring basic repair kit items such as inner tubes.

• Day bag labelled with name
• Water bottles
• Bike lights
• Inner tubes
• Helmet
• Leg/arm warmers
• Gloves
• Wind jacket
• Cold weather jacket (not just wind jacket as it can get very cold)
• Leggings
• Bike pump
• Bike lock
• Cash /debit or credit card for coffee stops and packed lunches
• Nutritional requirements: please bring along items if you have a specific nutritional preference. Please note: snacks will be provided free-of-charge during the cycles

This is not a race so there is not an official cut off time. However, we require everybody to be back before dark and thus the team captains will make decisions at the lunch stop if somebody is struggling to split the group into two to take a more direct route home. Each group will have two or three ride captains and two support vehicles so no rider will ever be left alone.

We highly recommend a 32 rear cassette, strict minimum would be 28.

Yes, please specify this when completing your booking form.

The Big Mountain Challenge takes place in the heart of the French Alps in the beautiful region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes next to the Swiss and Italian borders. As such, you will experience glorious views of mountains and Lake Annecy as you cycle.

The Challenge is in the heart of the French Alps, surrounded by mountains hence ‘Big Mountain.’ It’s a challenge because you will be cycling some challenging ascents (particularly if you’re on the Everest and Kilimanjaro routes).

• Accommodation
• Breakfast
• Drinks and snacks during the rides
• Mechanical support during the rides
• Medical support available from first aid qualified individuals throughout the rides
• Hot breakfast and dinner with wine as well as airport transfers from Geneva to the hotel

The Big Mountain Challenge runs from 20 to 24 September 2024. Dates vary each year.

No, you will need to book flights separately.

We require participants to arrive before midday on the first day. We recommend a return flight time of 12pm onwards on the last day. After you have signed up, specific flights will be recommended by the event organiser.

Yes, we are looking for teams to sponsor the event and can provide some great promotional activities and exposure.  There is also the opportunity for a professional rider and someone from Thames Hospice to come and speak at an event.  Please contact Helen for further information on h_moore85@hotmail.com

Yes, please email h_moore85@hotmail.com to change your booking.

It is compulsory to wear a cycling helmet.

Road cyclists of all levels are welcome on the ‘Big Mountain Challenge.’ A basic level of fitness is recommended and if you’re relatively new to road cycling (2 years or less experience), the Matterhorn route is the ideal option. There is flexibility to swap to a different route during the weekend, so if you

We have qualified first aiders on the team, support vehicles and every participant will be provided with several emergency phone numbers to call in their Big Mountain Challenge participant pack.

We have professional level support on call with equipment available for purchase, should you encounter an issue during a ride. If your problem cannot be resolved by the mechanic, you and your bike will be relayed either to the start or finish point, as appropriate. As a last resort we have a very limited number of replacement bikes for emergency use, but everyone will be required to start each day with their own bike.

We have dedicated support teams and vehicles for all three routes and support staff riding with each group. Should a rider be unable to complete a route, for whatever reason, the support staff will contact a support vehicle which will pick the you up and relay you to end of the cycle route.