Industry Leader Challenge 2026:
Mount Toubkal Challenge
21st-26th November 2026
The Toubkal Trek
From 21st to 26th November 2026, a group of automotive industry leaders will take on our toughest Industry Leader Challenge yet: the Toubkal Trek Challenge in Morocco.
In just a few weeks' time, participants will embark on an extraordinary journey through the snow-covered High Atlas Mountains, pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits as they attempt to summit Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak at 4,167 metres.
This year's challengers are Matt Robinson, B2B Trading Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts; Pete Brookes, Sales Director LKQ Bodyshop Division UK & Ireland; Jonny Harris, Sales Director at NRF (Nederlandse Radiateuren Fabriek) and Ellen Plumer, Head of Awareness & Experience at Ben, who are stepping away from their day jobs and comfort zones to raise vital funds for Ben and support automotive people and their families who are struggling or in crisis.
The Toubkal Trek continues the Industry Leader Challenge tradition of bringing together senior leaders from across the automotive sector to take on extraordinary challenges while making a lasting difference to colleagues throughout the industry.
Over five demanding days, challengers will face:
- Up to eight hours of trekking each day
- The summit of Jebel Toubkal at 4,167 metres
- Steep climbs, early starts and rugged winter conditions
- Temperatures below zero overnight
- No contact with the outside world
- Challenging terrain that may require the use of ice axes
As the group makes its way through remote mountain villages, high-altitude refuges and snow-covered landscapes, every step will help raise funds to enable Ben to continue providing life-changing support for people across the automotive industry.
What our challengers can expect:
Early mornings begin crisp and cool, but as the sun rises, the mountain quickly warms and the days become hot and brilliantly bright. Once the sun sets, temperatures fall rapidly and can drop well below freezing. Higher up the mountain, you’ll be trekking above the clouds, where the sun is intense and strong UV protection is essential. Late-summer departures can feel much colder near the summit, so reliable, high-quality warm equipment is vital year-round.
Support our challenge
To show your support for our incredible challengers, click here.
What is the Industry Leader Challenge?
The Industry Leader Challenge (ILC) is an epic personal challenge taken on each year by an automotive industry leader (or leaders) to fundraise for Ben. The ILC is certainly not for the faint-hearted and requires extraordinary personal endeavour that tests the challenger either mentally or physically – or both. After completing a challenge of their choice (either with a team or alone), the challenger then hands the baton over to another industry leader for the following year.
The ILC was originally inspired by Sarah Sillars OBE who took on her own personal challenge for Ben, successfully climbing Kilimanjaro in 2010 and raising £38,000.