Hillary Challenge – Top Notch Experience

Kelsi Bayly | 25th February 2010

ON Friday February 12, eight active and aspiring year 13 students from Stratford High School left for Tongariro National Park.
“On arrival we all felt a little nervous and felt very unsure of what was to come over the next two days,” says team-member, Kelsi Bayley
The Hillary Challenge, which started 10 years ago, is run at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) in Tongariro. This event tests each team in tactical, physical and teamwork challenges.
On Saturday each team competed in five tough one-hour challenges, including mountain biking, kayaking, a blindfolded task, water transportation and a high ropes course with just 20 minutes between each activity.
The Hillary Challenge is run on a point scoring system. In the mountain biking event, points were scored for each lap of the track completed. Two members at a time attempted the course and had to carry a bike up a 30 metre mudslide – even the girls! Maximum points could be scored on the ropes course when all members completed the course in the allotted time. The kayaking phase had various paddling techniques, including standing, backwards and hands only.
“The most memorable task was the blindfolded challenge, where six of us were blindfolded and the other two had to instruct them in erecting a tent, taking it down again, making milo and cooking noodles on a gas cooker.

Sunday’s event was a three-hour Rogaine event held on the edge of Lake Taupo.
“This was an orienteering type event, and despite our team’s limited experience, we did remarkably well.
“We all agree this was our strongest event of the weekend, collecting 290 points. We clipped 29 of the 30 markers and made it back to the finish with 15 minutes remaining. The course was over a rough, steep sheep farm, full of gorse, prickles and gullies in the hot midday sun and was roughly 11km long.
“For many, the driving force for competition was a dip in the cool lake at the end.The top five teams from this qualifier will compete in a five-day final at OPC in May.
While unlikely to make the finals, the team is keen to find out the final score which includes points from a pest-monitoring project based at the Lake Rotokare Reserve.
“The team would like to thank Mr Keenan for arranging sponsorship to cover the costs for the weekend, Mr Caldwell for lending us the gym for our early morning training and Miss MacDonald and Simon Terry for the use of their mountain bikes for the weekend. It was greatly appreciated.”
A special thank you has also gone out to David Daughtery who spent time transporting, supervising and organising kayaking, mountain biking and rock climbing sessions for us, giving up his precious lunchtimes to ensure we could navigate with a compass and map.
“Lastly, congratulations team for sticking together and demonstrating a top notch level of team spirit and commitment.
“We will certainly grow from the experience,” says Kelsi.