Hiking with Confidence

Hiking with Confidence

Every year, charity ESTEEM head to the Pyrenees to take on a stage of the GR10 hiking trail with 10 young folks (aged 14-16 years), all of whom either come from the care system or who are classified as "NEET"(Not in Education, Employment or Training).What better way to inspire than a group adventure to somewhere amazing? The Pyrenees stretch over 430km and are filled with mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers. A perfect playground for adventurists and a great place to Do Good Things. They'll be carrying with everything they need for the 6 day hike in their backpacks, including cameras to capture the stunning landscape and viewpoints they'll undoubtedly ecounter.

This isn't just a jolly to an incredible part of the world though, ESTEEM have a greater purpose in mind and the Alpkit Foundation are happy to be aiding their quest. By pushing their boundaries and experiencing something incredible, ESTEEM aim to put confidence back in the steps of these young hopefuls so that they may carry on to a more successful future and overcome issues too often seen in our younger generations such as anxiety and depression.

Here's what they have to say:

"Esteem developed as much more than just support and pleasant environment, our charity offers positively life-changing experiences for young people who have suffered negative ‘labelling’ and often appalling childhoods. My dream is that some of those we affect will be empowered to feel the possibility of achieving their truly personal goals. Our aim is to encourage participants to take feasible, targeted steps such as education and training, thereby improving their chances of a socially fulfilling and successful future.”

– Val Vizor, ESTEEMFounder

You can help ESTEEM out too by heading over to their Just Giving page.