Event Information
ABOUT THE MERRELL SUMMER CHALLENGE
The Summer Challenge is a new and exciting adventure event for women. We think of it as the best friend of the Spring Challenge, the hugely popular iconic women’s adventure race established in 2007.
In essence, the Summer Challenge is designed to cater for the same ability level and adventurous women as the Spring Challenge does, with key differences being the season and where the Spring Challenge has rafting, the Summer Challenge will have kayaking and coasteering (think beaches, sunshine, warm water).
Teams of 3-women will navigate their way through scenically rewarding natural environments either kayaking, mountain biking or hiking, with a map and compass in hand.
Fun, teamwork, exploration and adventure are the key elements the course design team have in mind when scheming up the event routes. You and your friends will love it!
SUPPORT CREW
We hold a special appreciation for Support Crews at our events, and we're confident you share the sentiment. There's something wonderfully comforting about having someone there to offer a soothing back rub or hand you a banana while you're busy tying your shoelaces. However, we understand that not all event courses lend themselves to support crews. In some cases, logistical constraints or event regulations may prohibit their presence.
For Mount Cook 2025, we want to emphasise that it's an unsupported event. This means that support crews won't be necessary. But fear not! Spectators are more than welcome to join us at the start and finish areas to lend their cheers and encouragement as you embark on this incredible journey. Your determination and spirit will undoubtedly shine, even without the presence of a support crew.
WHO IS IT FOR, AND WHY WOULD I PARTICIPATE?
The short answer is for any women who seek an adventure. You need to be able to ride a bike and paddle a kayak, and someone in the team needs to be able to navigate to some level, depending on what event you sign up for.
There are 3-options, the 3, 6 and 9-hour events. These are projected winning times, making the options beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The 3-hour event is designed as an entry level introduction to the sport, fun, safe and achievable.
The 6-hour event is typically the most popular and caters for intermediate level outdoors women.
The 9-hour event is for experienced women with a high skill level in the various disciplines.
All participants are encouraged and welcomed in whatever event they opt to participate in.
Our experience is that most of the benefits participants experience from doing the events is the change in lifestyle, the journey to improved health and fitness, adding adventure to their daily lives and disrupting routines for the good.
The event itself is always a wonderful weekend away, but for many it’s the training for the event that they value the most, learning new skills, self improvement, getting fitter and faster.
We particularly like it when we hear that families are being impacted in a positive way, children being inspired or becoming more active as a result of their mothers’ adventure racing habits!
