The Last of the South Australians

At 6am most of the team was beginning to stir in their beds in Sydney. We had to be up the mountain before 8:30 to start the walk on time. It’s a long walk: 19km with 2 big descents and 2 big climbs.


At 6am in Adelaide 2 members of the team were taking off. Their flight the night before was delayed then cancelled. They’d trudged home late, rebooked, and gotten up in the dark with the dream of catching the team. We were going on a team building walk up Mount Solitary. If we made the summit through the rain and messy track we’d discuss our values, elect our captains and come off the mountains as a team.

It had been windy, cold and wet. The mist was low and the track damp when the 20 person group started walking. A few minutes later the Adelaide boys stepped off their flight. In the 1.5 hour taxi between the airport and the dirt road trail head, they read the hike plan and prepared for a struggle.


They would need to complete the 9km outbound leg, along a tight single file trail, without perfect directions, one and a half hours faster than the main group in order to join in the important team moments.


We knew they were coming. At obvious places the team build arrows out of sticks. Coach Dani hung her hat on tree and a spare red whistle on a fallen log as the trail became obscured by fallen leaves and branches. We walked on wondering if they could do it.


Back in the woods they surged on. With minimal food they took no stops and settled into their chase. A system developed, they took turns in the lead; scanning the trail to stay on track and setting the pace while the other just had to keep up.


There is a tricky section when the track dumps out into an open creek bed, the water was flowing happily in the creek and raining gently at times. The trail disappears and the way is to cross a giant fallen tree and rediscover the path as it climbs up the opposite bank.


From there it’s all up on the way to the summit, a long steady climb from the water to the sky. The final steep section had slowed the big group down. We stopped for breaks, muscles tightened and called out at the continued stepping up and up. The track hits rocky sections and is hard to follow in places, particularly given the leaf and stick debris which had fallen over the last few days.


There is a scramble section to a false summit, back on the chase, they continued to wonder if they were on the correct path and how far they have to go. They’d already made 3 mistakes and backtracked, correctly, to save the attempt and not get too lost. It was hot and humid, everything wet, they were shirts off and charging. The marks were working, they’d already found the hat and the red whistle. The boys continued, pushing up the steepest section, blowing the whistle and hoping.


On the summit the team had eaten lunch, shared some stories and stood around in the drizzle for a while. Dani headed back down the trail to find our last teammates. Stalling for time before we started the important team discussions we broke for 10 minutes. We all wondered if they’d be able to make it.


Slow heavy drips gathered on leaves and fell sporadically, all around a wall of dense white cloud surrounded our clearing and muffled the sound.


Then a tree rustled, the sound of thumping feet and heavy breathing. Dan and Oscar burst around a corner and into a circle of team. Greeted by cheers and 20 happy faces, they folded into the group. Handshakes and hugs, questions, congratulations and heavy breathing. They were blowing from the climb, wet with sweat, mist and rain. Triumphant from a chase completed and relieved to not be lost on the side of a mountain.


It was a legitimate struggle: from the late night decision to book the early flight, through reduced sleep, fatigued decision making and physical strain, fast along the trail. The reward was significant. Both for the 2 chargers, and for the team. It was a statement loud and clear. The team is worth your best effort. Just to be part of the group warrants sacrifice and powerful persistence.


The team building walk was a success, the sun even came out so the captains could talk in brilliant warm light. It was probably always going to be a great way to begin forging our team. Due to the slightly mythic effort of 2 young men, and the respect and deference offered by the team, it was enhanced on all measures.


All morning my mind was playing scenes from this movie. As the chase through the beautiful landscape was on. “No matter how long, no matter how far, I will find you.” The Last of the South Australians.