New Forest Corporate Competition

Participants arrived in the middle of the New Forest at 9:30am on the Friday where tea and coffee was waiting for them.

After a brief opening presentation and an introduction to the event, the 15 different teams set off on their first challenge. This saw teams compete against each other on foot; on a micro navigation stage in and around the grounds of the event base.

At a couple of checkpoints there were additional optional puzzles to solve and activities to do, so the teams had to decide whether it was worth spending time doing these or visiting other checkpoints.

A hive of activity

After lunch, having completed an opening puzzle, teams set off on bikes around the forest as part of their next challenge. With many different tasks to complete simultaneously and teams able to split into two, this proved to be a real test of team strategy and effective communication. 

There was a hive of activity at one check point in the centre of the Forest where teams had several different concurrent activities to complete. Most teams split up with half the team completing a construction task while the other half used an orienteering map to go off on foot and visit some bonus check points.

The value of these bonus checkpoints reduced in value with each subsequent team's visit so their was a real sense of urgency to get their before other teams. Navigating though was not easy and a number of teams returned having failed to visit the checkpoint they set out to find. 

Challenging conditions

Completing the small intricate construction was not easy either in the bitter wind, especially when a hail shower passed overhead, as fingers soon became numb with cold.

Teams were glad to get moving again on their bikes  and they soon warmed up as they headed off in different directions to visit various other checkpoints. Activities at some checkpoints could only be attempted during a certain time window so effective time management and route planning was key to success.

Hot drinks were awaiting teams back at the finish before everyone transfered to a new event base in a different part of the New Forest.

Navigating under a full moon

There the Quest chef and his catering team served up a hearty meal that was rounded off nicely with some homemade sticky toffee pudding - which proved as popular as ever. However, with a night navigation challenge soon after dinner, teams couldn't indulge to much otherwise their performance might suffer.

For many this was the first time they had competed in the dark and they were treated to a lovely clear star-lit sky with a full moon that almost made head torches redundant. Nevertheless it still took a while for some teams to get used to navigating in the dark.

All the teams made it back safe and well, where they enjoyed a hot mug of soup before retiring for the evening to rest those weary legs.

Key strategic trade off decisions

Saturday morning saw the teams running to various checkpoints where their were a number of puzzles to solve under time pressure. Teams had to decide upon the optimum route between checkpoints and make key strategic trade off decisions en route between time, distance and point scoring opportunities.

Some teams were initially put off by the scale of the challenge when they saw how much ground they had to cover. However, by the end they were all surprised at how much they achieved just by keeping going at a steady pace and how much easier navigating during the day was than at night.

Construction, canoeing & compass work

After a break for lunch teams rotated between three different competitive activities, which lasted for an hour each.

One activity saw teams solving mental puzzles and orienteering around the grounds of the event base.

Another was a construction exercise where teams were given a set amount of materials which they had to use to construct a free standing catapult. They then had to use their construction to fire a given object as far as they could. The results were quite varied with some firing the object a substantial distance while others barely went any distance at all.

The third activity saw teams canoeing on a lake where they had to solve a puzzle by paddling back and forth between set points, transferring numbered cones as they went. The first people on the water had the unenviable task of having to break the ice but this soon broke up leaving easier paddling for the rest of their teams.

An early bath for some

Two teams lost their balance in the open topped canoes, which capsized sending their occupants into the chilly water. So it was an early finish for them as they went inside for a warm shower and some dry clothes.

At the end of the afternoon, everyone came together for the final presentation and debrief. Teams eagerly awaited for the final scores to be announced and their were prizes awarded for the top three teams. Well done to everyone who took part!