Walking for life to £250,000 for the chosen charity

It's the ultimate free holiday, isn't it? An attractive destination, fares paid, accommodation booked, daily activities scheduled and a ready-made group to have a bit of craic with. Not so, say the fund-raising managers of many of the country's highest profile charities who co-ordinate overseas walks for groups of up to 170 people every year.

"I know that question arises but most people will walk for up to 20 miles a day. And while we don't intend it to be penal servitude, with 120-150 miles in total, there will be blisters," says James Cassidy, national co-ordinator of the Irish Cancer Society.

Charities, however, don't deny the feel-good aspect of going on such overseas trips. "Wonderful people, savage scenery, breathtaking beauty, unbelievable climate and the killer Kilimanjaro," was how Peter Kenny described the trip to Mount Kilimanjaro and its environs in Tanzania with the Diabetes Federation last September.

Many walkers have a specific interest in the particular charity they travel with and raising funds for it becomes a kind of zealous mission. For instance, half of those who went on the Diabetes Federation trip to Kilimanjaro have diabetes themselves. Similarly, many walkers who partake in the overseas trips organised by the Irish Cancer Society have a relative with cancer.

"Quite a few of our walkers have been touched by cancer. We don't ask our participants if they have cancer themselves. We merely ask if they are medically fit - and if they have a serious pre-existing condition, it is best that they get medical clearance before they go," says James Cassidy.

However, before you can access the feel-good factor while taking in the spectacular vistas of the Great Wall of China or the Garden Route on the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, there is the not-so-tiny challenge of raising between £2,000 and £3,500 in sponsorship to be delivered to the charity's offices two to four weeks before departure.

For some charities, the net profit from overseas walks can be up to £250,000 and overseas walks themselves represent one of the top, single-activity earners in the fundraising calendar.

"The amount of money which has to be raised frightens off a lot of people and some more back out in the initial stages," says Luke Waldron, development manager at the Children's Medical and Research Centre, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin.

However, for those who do get stuck into fundraising, the sky seems to be the limit to the ideas they come up with. Mock weddings, head- and beard-shaves and 24-hour sponsored badminton tournaments are some such money-spinning ventures.

"Some people have access to corporate sponsorship which makes it easier but others simply organise raffles and things like that, sometimes surprising themselves at how much money they can raise," says Geraldine Gill, fundraising manager at the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght.

Alongside the fundraising activities, many participants also need to improve their fitness before embarking on their overseas walk. One charity with a particularly strong interest in the health benefits of walking is the Irish Heart Foundation. It develops a training programme for its walkers, friends and family members.

Once at the destination, Irish Heart Foundation walkers are usually divided into two to three groups depending on their level of fitness and ability. Some groups also schedule evening foot clinics where blisters can be compared and, one hopes, soothed.

While the group nature of such walking holidays may sound universally appealing, experienced fundraising co-ordinators add a note of caution. "A lot of people don't like the team thing. You have to be able to share accommodation, eat together, walk together and go out together. If you are not into that, you can be a bit miserable," says Waldron.

Then, there's the nasty moments. Discovering that someone has pocketed some of the funds raised is one definite turnoff. Realising that a team member has little intention of walking once at the destination is another. Then, there are always those indeterminable personality clashes which can ruin a group atmosphere. Fund-raisers are tactful but adamant that, yes, there are some people who are not welcome back again.

With more than 10 such walks already scheduled for this year, are the days numbered for these exotic sponsored walking holidays?

"There is a fashion in everything and we're at the height of the fashion with these overseas fundraising walks and cycles," says David Doran, chief executive of the Children's Medical and Research Centre.

Ruth Findlater, national development officer at the Irish Heart Foundation, admits that the Irish Heart Foundation has recently cut back from two overseas fundraising walks a year to one.

"We take 50 people at a time and as one of the first groups to get into this type of fund-raising initiative (alongside Rehab, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland) in 1989, we did see the numbers dwindle a bit when a lot of other charities took on overseas walks. But, we also have a very heavy fund-raising schedule at the beginning of the year, so having one walk in October gives us more time to organise and enjoy it."

"Some people say, why don't you walk Carrauntoohil? But if you have a target to raise £3,000 for each person, you have to have an attractive venue," adds Luke Waldron.

And that's the bottom line - the amount of lucre such walks bring in, and once that starts to drop, one expects the fundraising managers will cast their nets elsewhere.