What is the Moonraker Challenge?
A night time team based orienteering walk organised by the Rotary Club of Taunton Vale with questions along the way. Solve clues and find your way between checkpoints.
Course of around 8 and 16 miles are undertaken by teams of between four and eight people. Awards are won based on sponsorship money raised and questions answered. All sponsorship money goes to the nominated and other Rotary Charities.
Our 2024 event is supporting Arc; who strive for all homeless people to have a safe and supportive environment, where people can be inspired and empowered by their own strengths, and Escape Support Group; who provide support for families in Somerset raising children who have disabilities or additional needs, through organising a wide range of fun activities, days out & occasional short break holidays. Their events boost morale, increase confidence, improve social skills as well as develop & strengthen friendships.
In 2023 you raised over £14,000. We supported Somerset Counselling Centre, which provides a safe space to talk to a skilled counsellor, who will listen and help you understand how past experiences, worries about the future, or lack of self-confidence may be affecting your life. They offer flexibility; providing counselling in-person, online and over the phone.
Why Enter?
Because it’s great fun, great exercise for both brain and body and a really terrific way to raise money for very worthy causes! Most teams come back year after year to try their skill at that year’s route and questions. Teams enter because they really enjoy the challenge of navigating the route and solving clues in the dark, while raising substantial sponsorship for important local charities. Many teams have been doing it for ages and look forward to a new challenge in the dark every year, but new or inexperienced teams can start earlier and complete most of the shorter course before it gets too dark if that’s what you want. You have a choice of start times so you can be last out (if you book early enough) or first out (same applies). It’s up to you.
Who Benefits?
This year our main charities are Arc and Escape Support Group.
Other charities such as Taunton East Development Fund, Abbeyfield Care Home, Arc, TOG, and Somerset Counselling Centre are all charities we have supported regularly or in the past, along with many others both locally and abroad.
Where, When and How Long?
Every year the route changes. Our expert route planners seek an area vast enough to give several miles of interesting and sufficiently challenging walking while keeping it safe and manageable. Our start point for the 2024 event is near Staple Fitzpaine taking in some of the beautiful Blackdowns.
Our shorter course will appeal to all and is suitable for younger or less experienced walkers who’ve not done a night orienteering exercise before. The longer course is designed to give more of a challenge for the more experienced and adventurous.
An early start time should enable you to complete most of the short course before it gets too dark if you and your team are more comfortable with that. Please book early if that is important to you.