Blood, Sweat and Tears

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Snow-capped mountains, the call of a bellbird and puffs of misting breath hung in the morning air as day 1 of the Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge Final kicked off on Monday with 12 secondary school teams competing to take out the 2017 champion title.

From the Southern Alps to the beaches of Northland these teams have travelled to meet in the belly of the North Island to battle against the weather, the terrain and each other in a week long multisport and multi skill competition.

There were wet feet, muddy faces and matching raincoats as Day 1 and 2 saw teams abseiling off of bridges, balancing precariously whilst mountain biking along rails, pushing their limits metres off of the ground and thwacking ice climbing tools into a wooden wall. The teams pushed mental and physical limits early on, as they dove into freezing water, hauled themselves along wires and floated atop rafts built by themselves amongst other challenges. A much-deserved dinner was eaten that night but as they say, there is no rest for the wicked as teams kept energy and stoke high for packing for the gruelling expedition the next day.

Sweaty clothes, burnt camp food and soggy maps were the nightmares of the expedition that came to life in the two day rogaine over days 3 and 4 which involved teams running up hill and down dale to collect as many checkpoints as possible, whilst at the same time trying not to get lost. On the night of day 3, teams camped out amid the fog and mud and even the cries of the Moreporks didn’t stop their bruised and battered bodies from finding sleep that night. They woke the next morning to more wet weather to continue their rogaine before heading back to base to mentally prepare for the final push on Friday.

Bloody knees, exhausted limbs and skidding feet filled the final day of the Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge event where teams pushed themselves and each other to the very peak of their abilities in a multi-sport race of trail running, mountain biking and rafting. Elated smiles and limping members were all present at the finish line as the teams finished in the rain to the cheering of spectators and instructors. Though not every team can win of course, every student that competed this week will hopefully always remember the lessons learnt and value the bonds of friendship formed in adversity and challenge. In the spirit of Sir Ed, every team made their school and Hillary Outdoors proud.

ENDS

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