:: GENESIS ENERGY HILLARY SECONDARY SCHOOLS HILLARY CHALLENGE
What is the Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge?
The Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge is the ultimate inter-school event. Each year we search for the best student teams to enter this awesome 5-day adventure competition in the heart of New Zealand bush.
Our mission is to find the Top Secondary School Outdoor Adventure Team in New Zealand.
This is a contest of skill, endurance and values in the New Zealand wilderness.
The teams will be scored on their skill, speed and endurance during a
5-day series of outdoor adventure challenges, including a 2-day Southern-Traverse style expedition. In true adventure racing tradition, the exact details of the expedition will be kept secret until the evening before departure.
The winning team will take home $8,000 of technical equipment for their school and the highly sought-after Challenge Trophy. The winning team will also be invited back for next year's challenge in order to defend their title.
What will take place?
Over the first two days, the teams have ten problem solving challenges to complete - each consisting of one hour. The challenges, different every year, include a mixture of physical and mental elements and could involve activities such as orienteering, caving, high ropes, rock climbing, kayaking, survival techniques, search and rescue scenarios and canyoning. Competition points are scored based on success in the tasks and teamwork skills displayed.
On days three and four, teams set off early for a two-day rogaine navigation challenge -carrying food for 2 days, safety, and camping equipment. Teams score points for the checkpoints they correctly visit and must ensure they are at a campsite (self selected) between the hours 5pm and 7am. The terrain is always physically and technically demanding, mostly off-track and it is common for the top team sto cover over 60km, navigating off-track. Each team is shadowed by an OPC instructor who is there for safety and not to assist with the challenge.
There must be an accompanying teacher with each team although the teacher will not go on expedition with the team. An OPC instructor will be with each team at all times to monitor safety practices.
Only one team from any school may enter. The team is made up of eight senior students (Year 12 & 13) and has to be a mix of genders (maximum of 5 from any one gender ).
The next Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge Grand Final will be held from 18th to 22nd May 2009
So come on all challengers! Get a taste of this awesome experience by having a go at the Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge Qualifier in February 2009..
Download 2009 Invitation / Registration
2008 Grand Final
Scores
Photo Gallery
Taranaki Teams Rise To The Challenge.. Again!
On Friday 23 May, 2008 the team from New Plymouth Boys’ High School and New Plymouth Girls’ High School were crowned the champions of the of the 2008 Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge, winning the event for the fifth time in the event’s eight year history. The prestigious trophy was presented to the team at a prize-giving evening following dinner at the end of the final day. First prize was $8,000 worth of outdoor equipment for their school, kindly donated by Bivouac Outdoors. Other spot prizes included electronic equipment from Sony and were awarded to competitors nominated by their peers and the ‘hardest competitor’ (determined by OPC instructors). The top three teams also received prize packs sponsored by Genesis Energy.
It certainly was no easy feat for the New Plymouth team, who battled hard against some strong and determined competition to achieve the exceptional result. Throughout the five days of competition, all of the year 12 and 13 students that competed were constantly challenging personal boundaries, and functioning at their limits and beyond.
Second place went to the team from Opunake High School – a small rural school, for a consecutive year with another outstanding performance. They dominated the rogaine expedition section with exceptional teamwork, elite fitness, speed, and first class navigation and bush skills. Ahead on points at the end of day four and poised to conquer their Everest, remarkably, New Plymouth Boys’ and Girls’ managed to deny them first place with a gutsy effort in the multi-disciplined adventure race. Opunake High School also received the Synergy Award for their teamwork and cohesion, producing an overall performance greater than the sum of it’s parts. This entitles the team to a two day OPC programme later in 2008.
Middleton Grange School of Christchurch always produces a tight team who put in a strong effort. This year they earned third place – one up on their fourth placing in 2007. However, it was no three-horse-race. Points were very close in the middle of the field, and a number of other teams could have made the top three very easily if the leaders had made even the slightest of slip ups. Teams to watch for next year are Cambridge High School (new to the event in 2007, finished fourth this year), and Thames High School who came in a close fifth.
During the first two days, teams had to complete twelve mentally and physically demanding activities. This was followed by a two day rogaine expedition in the Tongariro National Park , with teams navigating through the rugged terrain and scaling peaks to visit geographical checkpoints. Each checkpoint was worth points based on the difficulty and time taken to reach, with the objective to accrue as many points as possible. The event culminated in a head-to-head adventure race (average five hours to complete), consisting of a mountain bike section, on and off trail running legs, and an assault course through obstacles and challenges at the OPC base.
Fleur Pawsey, female winner of the 2008 Coast to Coast, shared some of the secrets to her success and gave a motivational talk to the teams on the first night. On the final evening, Auckland University of Technology (AUT) lecturer Mark Jones gave a keynote address on the importance of goal setting and embracing adventure. He also ‘wooed’ the crowd with accounts of some of his personal adventures, including big-wall rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley, USA, and a sea-kayak expedition around the Antarctic peninsula.
The 2008 Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge leaves much to aspire to and many of the students will have fond memories that they will hold for years to come.
Pre event news
After a fantastic qualifing event in February, three schools - all new to the event, have been selected to join the returning teams from the 2007 event. The teams from Mercury Bay Area School, Rotorua Boys and Rotorua Girls High School, and Whangarei Boys and Whangarei Girls High School proved they have what it takes to further test their endurance, outdoor skills, team work, and leadership, and will compete in the Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge grand final this May.
The line-up is:
Auckland Grammar and Auckland Diocesan School for Girls, Opunake High School, Mercury Bay Area School, New Plymouth Boys and New Plymouth Girls High Schools (07 champions), Middleton Grange, Rotorua Boys and Rotorua Girls High Schools, St Paul’s Collegiate, Upper Hutt College, Thames High School, and Cambridge High School, Whangarei Boys and Whangarei Girls High Schools, Raffles Institution School for Girls and Boys (Singapore Hillary Challenge Winners 2007)
So, it is all set to be another incredible week, with 12 teams proudly representing their schools, and demonstrating that they have what it takes to meet the challenge and measure up to the values endorsed by Sir Ed.
