The Wild For Nature Peak Bagging Challenge

About the Challenge:

The Wild For Nature Charitable Trust – the new owner and organiser of The WILD Epic Mountain Runs – will come into being early in 2023. Its stated purpose is “to encourage people of all abilities to pursue adventurous activities on foot and by doing so to benefit both themselves and the natural environment”

To kick things off the Trust has teamed up with Wild Things to challenge its members to get out there and get peak bagging during 2023.

It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you do this, just so long as it’s done on foot.

While going about it we also encourage you to take note of any specific challenges that the native flora and fauna around each peak face (or of the good work that humans are doing to lend nature a healing hand). Take a photo of these and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #wildfornaturechallenge to be in to win a spot prize (details below)

Your challenge is to run or walk up as many of the 100 listed peaks as you can between Jan 1st and 30th November 2023. The peaks are fairly evenly split between the North and South Islands.

View all 100 qualifying peaks

NB each peak only counts once, no matter how many times you climb it. The idea is to have as many new adventures as possible, not repeat the same old same old numerous times!

Challenge Prizes:

Medals

The Trust will award medals (yes, real medals!) based on how many of the nominated peaks you tick off before the end of November:

• 10 peaks = a bronze medal
• 15 peaks = a silver medal
• 20 peaks = a gold medal
• 25 peaks = a platinum medal

Medals will be awarded in person at The WILD prizegiving in Arrowtown on December 10th or mailed shortly afterwards if you can’t be there.

Race Entries

The Trust is putting up 4 free entries to The WILD on December 7th - 9th.

• each person who has achieved bronze medal status (or above) by 31st July 2023 will go in the draw to win a free entry to the Beast of Brow (11k, 1050m) event
• each person who has achieved silver medal status (or above) by 31st July 2023 will go in the draw to win a free entry to the V1600 (30k, 1600m) event
• each person who has achieved gold medal status (or above) by 31st July 2023 will go in the draw to win a free entry to the V3000 (64k, 3000m) event
• each person who has achieved platinum medal status by 31st July 2023 will go in the draw to win a free entry to the V5000 (86k 5050m) event

Instagram Prizes

Each month during the year we will award a $25 discount off an entry to The WILD (any distance) to the person who is judged to have posted the most thought provoking/meaningful picture to their Instagram account (Post please, NOT Story) using the hashtag #wildfornaturechallenge.

Relevance to the subject matter - specific challenges that the native flora and fauna around a peak face (or of the good work that humans are doing to lend nature a healing hand) – will be key in selecting winners.

There is no limit to how many monthly prizes you can win, so post away!