Senior rowing squad goes bush

8 December 2017

The senior boys rowing squad embarked on their annual team building camp last weekend. They laced up their hiking boots and went into the Kaweka Ranges.

On day two, the boys woke at 4am to hike higher to see the sunrise.

The tradition of having a teambuilding camp started on Roger Batley’s farm six years ago. It has developed from team building exercises into an adventurous multi-day hike.

This year the group was lead by rowing coach Josh Wedlake with the help of Amy Stevenson.

Mr Wedlake has a good understanding of tramping due to his many previous experiences in much harder terrain and conditions.

This made the young men feel safe and helped them gain confidence to overcome the barriers they faced.

After school on Friday, the boys arrived in Patoka following a four-hour drive. They stayed in the community hall that night before getting up at 6am the next day.

Within an hour, they were changing from thermals to singlets.

Rocky slopes needed high concentration as there was no room for error. The ridgeline they were tramping along was 1500m high.

When they finally reached the hut, the boys were informed they were not to sleep in it, and were to instead build their own bivouac tent. This was a good learning experience for them, as this skill can be used later on in life in any terrain. The day concluded with a small walk up a hill to watch the sunset go down and for the boys to reflect on the long 13 hours of tramping.

The next morning, alarms went off at 4am. The squad wanted to experience the sunrise. They climbed to 1600m and sat above clouds so they could look miles into the distance. They could see National Park and Mt Ruapehu.

For the second half of the day, the boys descended down the steep terrain and into the river below. They went through a tough session of bush-bashing and river crossing. This was a good mental challenge, as the boys kept going despite how many times they slipped over or got stinging nettles in their skin.

They stayed the night at the edge of a constantly flowing river, cooking meals they had planned and carried for two days.

On day three, the boys hiked to the natural hot pools of the Kaweka Ranges.

This team building camp bonded the squad together and strengthened the relationship between each member. Before the few days they were teammates but now they consider themselves brothers.

The experience was an amazing opportunity for all 9 of the young men and they are very grateful to everyone who made it possible. Even though rowers want to spend as much time as they can in a boat, this was a great chance for them to get motivated towards the sport with just over 100 days until Maadi Cup.