Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge 2011

The Genesis Energy Secondary Schools Hillary Challenge is without a doubt the toughest adventure competition for high school students. The 11th annual challenge to find the top Secondary School Outdoor Adventure Team in New Zealand will take place on 16-20 May 2011.

The 5 day Hillary Challenge is held each year at OPC Tongariro, and is only open to a total of 12 teams, each consisting of 8 students from Year 12 or 13. Competition is intense, and not only is a high level of physical and mental fitness is required, but the ability to work together under stress in a small team. 

  
The teams will be scored on their skill, speed and endurance during a 5-day series of outdoor adventure challenges, including a 2-day rogaine style wilderness expedition and a multisport race on the final day. In true adventure racing tradition, the exact details of all challenges will be kept secret until the event.

Check out the coverage of the 2009 event here courtesy of Sportzhub.com and Sportzvibes.com.

The top 5 teams from the 2010 event - Middleton Grange (Christchurch), New Plymouth Boys and Girls High Schools, Opunake High School, Cambridge High School and Onslow College (Wellington) have already received automatic right of entry into the 2011 final. They will be joined by the winning team from the inaugural Hillary Challenge Australia, taking place in October this year.

We need to find 6 more teams who are up for the they challenge and to do this we will be holding two qualification events in February 2011.

Event 1 will take place at OPC Tongariro on the 12-13th and Event 2 will be held somewhere close to Christchurch (subject to sufficient entries) the following weekend, 19-20th February. Both events have a limited number of team places available with a total of 30 teams at each event. These places will be filled on a first in, first served basis and registrations will open on 1 July 2010. General information about the qualification events can be found here and registration forms here.

Grand Final - 17-21 May 2010

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors for such great support.

Bivouac Outdoors, The Park Travellers Lodge, Leppin Sport, Ruapehu Alpine Lifts, Lactic Turkey events, Buff NZ, Multisport Magazine, ARC events, The Bayview Grand Chateau

Here are the schools that have qualified for the 2010 Final.  

Click on the school name to see the team profile

New Plymouth Boys/Girls High

Auckland Grammar/St Cuthberts

Middleton Grange (Christchurch)

Whangarei Boys/Girls High

Thames High School

Opunake High School

Cambridge High School

Onslow College (Wellington)

Hamilton Boys/Girls High

Wentworth College (Whangaparoa)

Raffles Institute (winners Hillary Challenge Singapore 09)

James Hargest High School (Invercargill)

Here is some awesome coverage of the 2009 Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge Final courtesy of Sportzhub and Sportzvibes videos.

Day 1 and 2

Day 1 and 2 of the 10th anniversary event have been fantastic with the teams enjoying the many and varied challenges around the OPC base and Lake Otamangakau areas.

The 12 challenges have involved loads of interesting scenarios requiring a range of outdoor based skills including - decending/ascending ropes, tryrolean traverses, kayaking, raft building, fire lighting and cooking, ice climbing (on an artificial wall), bridge building, catapults. For all of these the teams have needed good problem solving, communication and super quick decision making skills.

All teams have achieved some good success but also some difficulties overcoming some of these problems. Cambridge High School have displayed great form and composure and hold the highest accumulated score with 1488 points. The reigning champions from New Plymouth Boys and Girls high are 2nd on 1394 points with a strong Thames High School in 3rd with 1385 points. The total team scores to this point can be found here.

It is certainly nowhere near over as the teams enter the business end of the competition with an 18 hour long rogaine, split over the next two days and then a 50km Multipsort race on Friday.

For updates during the rest of the event follow us on Twitter.

Final Results 

Congratulations to Middleton Grange on an awesome effort to take out the 10th Anniversary Genesis Energy Hillary Challenge. The final results table is here and event report.