South Yorkshire Scouts

Explorers win Apex Challenge

Monday, 12 April 2010 15:08 admin

A group of adventurous teenagers from Coventry has this weekend beaten teams from across the UK at one of the country's toughest outdoor events.

The four from Radford Rhinos Explorer Scout Unit, had to complete gruelling ropes courses, tough mountain bike routes, exhilarating climbs and even a bizarre bouncy castle duck race, to win the Apex Overnight Challenge.

It all took place right through Saturday night and into Sunday morning in the depths of Sherwood Forest. Kev McShane, Calum Barnetson, Aimee Bryers, and Adam Bent all spent the weekend (10-11 April) at Sherwood Pines Forest Park in Nottinghamshire, taking part in this massive Scouting competition. They battled against the 300 other young people aged 14-25 who took part. Throughout the night they were faced with a relentless sequence of tough challenges from night navigation, to extreme inflatable events and team strategy tests.

Their team finished in first place - not only beating all the others in their 'Explorer' age group - but also scoring far higher than the winners of the older 'Network' category. At the end of the competition they'd gained a staggering 905 points - one of the highest scores in Apex Challenge history. It meant that as well as the kudos of doing so well, they won a load of camping equipment including sleeping bags and a tent, as well as the prestigious Apex trophies.

The Apex Challenge is regarded as one of the country's toughest adventure events. Two competitions run side by side for the two Scouting age group of Explorers and the Scout Network.

Event Organiser Matt Richards said, "This year's event was our biggest ever with more teams taking part than ever before. The winning team from Coventry put their all into taking on this event - easily one of the toughest in the country. Their teamwork, strategy and skill shone through and they should be extremely pleased with being able to take the enviable title of Apex Challenge champions."

The Apex Challenge is an intense adventure competition, with two events every year. It is run by a group of enthusiastic young Scout leaders from South Yorkshire, with more than sixty volunteers helping to organise the event. It's a multi-activity competition where teams of four spend six hours visiting a range of activities to test their skills to the limit. For more information, visit the event's website at www.apexchallenge.co.uk.