Satmap Charity & Sponsorship

The Active 10 is the GPS of choice for many people attempting charity challenges and we are proud to be able to contribute to many good causes. Let yourself be inspired by some of the impressive feats on this page and perhaps we'll be able to feature you next.

Colorado Trail Race August 2011

"The Colorado Trail Race - 500 miles and 65000 feet of ascent through the Rocky Mountains. The toughest mountain bike event of my life.

Planning and preparation had gone well, and lining up at the start I felt confident to take on the challenge.

I had my trusted Active 10 with Colorado mapping, the race route and poi's preloaded onto the SD card. Satmap had kindly loaned my brother Andy the same set up - I'd given him a few lessons on its use, but he was very much a beginner and new to GPS. I'd managed to convince him that carrying extra paper maps was not necessary - the active 10 would not let him down.

As the 70 racers spread out and the mountains got bigger and bigger route finding became more and more critical, mistakes meant hours of lost time. The active 10 kept me on track and with planning and zooming in and out I always knew what was coming up. (This was not necessarily a good thing - often it revealed another 1000 feet of climbing I hadn't realised!) The sun filter proved invaluable, allowing me to see the necessary detail in bright light whilst wearing sunglasses, I was glad I'd remembered to show Andy that feature.

As the race progressed I realised the scale of the task, and the effects of the altitude - one thing I couldn't really prepare for. The race became a challenge just to finish as my body struggled to function between 10 and 13 thousand feet. The more tired I became the more I appreciated how easy the route finding was compared to using map and compass, it almost felt like I was cheating! Other riders used an array of GPS units but none could easily produce the detail and wealth of information that I could. On day seven Andy caught me up in Silverton, an historic mining town in the San Juan range. I was relieved to see he had remembered my lessons, and had discovered more useful features as he played with his Active 10. It was also kind of comforting to know he had also been struggling with the altitude. I was not the only one out there suffering! Together we rode the final day and a bit to the finish in Durango.

After a few days rest and recovery the unit then became our satnav back to Denver (by car!)

The advanced power saving features meant that whilst averaging over 16 hours on the move each day, in just over eight days I was still only on my fourth set of batteries.

I knew the Active 10 was the best navigational tool for the job. Despite only knowing the basics Andy was won over by its ease of use and adaptability - getting him to relinquish it will be difficult!"

Steve Heading, Colorado Trail Race participant

Read a more detailed description of Steve's ride on this blog post

3 Peak Challenge for The Anthony Nolan Trust

On the 17-19th June Caroline Spence and 16 friends completed the 3 Peaks Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike & Snowdon and raising almost £11,000 for Anthony Nolan, a charity who match bone marrow donors for people with Leukaemia.

"We were very grateful for the Active 10. The weather was far from what you would have expected for the middle of June - snow, rain & wind, and we made full use of the many features to ensure we kept on track, especially during our hike up notorious Scafell" reports Caroline.

Satmap rider ready for "The Hobbit's Tale."

On Friday May the 13th 2011 at 10am, Satmap sponsored rider, Dave Buchanan, will take on the biggest ride of his life. He will cycle from Cardiff to Caernarfon, over some of the toughest countryside and trail centre terrain in the UK, before turning around and heading home to Cardiff. The aim is to complete the ride in a record breaking 48-52 hours of non-stop riding. "The Hobbit's Tale"e; has been validated by The Guinness World Records™ as "The Greatest Distance Achieved on a Mountain Bike in 48 hours."

"The Active 10's accuracy and speed makes it an essential piece of kit on this ride. The long battery life, special night vision setting (red-light filter) are simply fantastic features!" says Dave, who's riding for the charity Clic Sargent.

All information relating to the ride and how to contribute to the funds raised are available on Dave's website.

Vic’s Big Walk for Pancreatic Cancer

Vic Heaney is walking 2,000km (1,243 miles) in 70 days to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer research. He will walk from his home in Puivert in the French Pyrenees to the place he was born in Blackpool, England. An impressive challenge, whatever age, but Vic will be 70 on the 23rd July which is when he hopes to complete his walk. Look out for Vic and his Satmap branded support van - http://vicsbigwalk.blogspot.com

Pete n’ Nick’s Cycle Around Norway

Braving the fall-out from the volcano, Pete and Nick are cycling around Iceland to raise money for Reach, a charity for children with hand or arm deficiency. This is an impressive 850 mile (1368 km) distance and all the more challenging as they expect to endure bad roads, steep gradients and unpredictable weather. Please support them at http://www.aroundiceland.co.uk

105 Mile (169km) Robin Hood Way Run

Stephen will attempt to run 105 miles of the Robin Hood Way in one go. He is raising money for The Lymphoma Association, a condition which he was diagnosed with in 2008. Please donate at http://www.justgiving.com/Robin-Hood-Way

Simon & Andrea’s Tour of Mont Blanc

At the end of July, Simon and Andrea will walk 180km (112 miles) and take in 33,000 feet of climbs and descents during their attempt. A fantastic challenge and all money raised will go to Rainbow House which helps children with disabilities to be more active and independent. Please help Simon and Andrea raise their target money http://www.justgiving.com/TourofMontBlancwalk

Mountain Biking the West Highland Way

Martin, Stew and Leigh are cycling from Glasgow to Fort William to raise money for The Donna Louise Children's Hospice Trust. The 100 miles will be really challenging on a mountain bike and there will be some sections where they have to carry their bikes and equipment. This is a gruelling challenge so please support them at http://www.justgiving.com/West-highland-wheelie

5000 mile British coastline walk for Alzheimer’s

In February 2010 Philip Williams began his 5,000 mile (8047km) walk around the coast of mainland Britain. His target is to raise £100,000 for The Alzheimers Society. He started his attempt in Brighton and you can see his progress at http://www.philipwilliams.uk.com/my_charity_walk