Richard Holt - A winners account of his journey to the Carnegie Alpenrose I first came across My Peak Potential at the Marketing staff away day. We were shown the trials and tribulations of the Everest West Ridge team and undertook a range of team building exercises. I found their approach enjoyable and informative, ending the day feeling positive and empowered. This 24 hour challenge seems very involved and also quite intriguing; it seems I will be embracing my cognitive, physical and emotional dimensions!! I am looking to approach the day with an open mind and see where it takes me. Alongside my Faculty of Business & Law and Support Staff day these two physical days will give me something to look forward to as a way of exercising both my body and my brain.
As I arrived at Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales for ‘My Peak Potential’ 24 hour ‘Carnegie Great Outdoor Challenge’, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had visions of sleeping rough, skinning rabbits and being tracked by packs of hunting dogs. Being greeted by friendly staff, a choice of sandwich fillings and a comfy bed come as a pleasant surprise. That is not to say we weren’t still challenged, almost immediately we were split into groups and sent out to begin a range of different challenges, as diverse as they were fun.
What was described as examining our cognitive, physical and emotional dimensions, translated into tasks that at times included logical thinking and problem solving, physical strength and a high dose of trust. These elements came together to create a strong altruistic group in record time. Whilst there was a competitive edge to the day, it felt more important to get the most out of yourself and the group, whilst smiling our way through the day. I had a fantastic experience, and will be recommending these challenges to everyone as a great way to develop your team’s spirit and productivity or as a way of
making new friends from around the University.
The Carnegie Alpenrose:
Returning from four amazing days at the Carnegie Alpenrose, I have evaluated my experience to see why it was so fulfilling. Two models attributed to Karl Ronke, introduced me to a tool for creating the right balance of challenges to optimise our learning experience. Whilst new to me, the concepts are very straight forward. The first is ‘Challenge by Choice’, where we choose how hard to push ourselves and understand we need to be stretched to maximise our development. The second is ‘Comfort, Stretch, Panic’, best pictured as three concentric circles. In the centre is our Comfort Zone, next comes the Stretch Zone and the outside ring is the Panic Zone.
The Comfort Zone is what we are used to and enjoy doing. I spent a lot of the weekend here, aided by the beautiful surroundings, excellent staff and the safe environment they created. The Stretch Zone is where the learning happens. Abseiling blindfolded while the whole group is mute, stretched me to evaluate my every movement and remember everything I had been taught. The Panic Zone is to be avoided, you are not focused or learning. Luckily, my only foray into Panic was when it was time to go!
The stunning scenery was a perfect backdrop to the activities - Nordic skiing, snowshoe walking and team building - involving ropes and wires across gorges - the most rewarding as it needed cooperation, trust, and teamwork. These qualities, on a much larger scale, were seen in two awe-inspiring evening presentations by Dave Bunting, who led the 2006 expedition up Everest's notorious west face and Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail single-handed round the world in both directions. It is possible to question the purpose of enterprises like these but impossible not to admire the sheer courage, drive, organisation and determination to carry them through. 
