Reaching Victoria’s Highest Peak
Reaching Victoria’s Highest Peak
Mount Bogong takes its name from a local Aboriginal word which roughly translates as “Big Fella.” Recently, the Compton Green team undertook the quad crunching climb and successfully reached the summit after four hours. They then had to make the difficult journey down! Exhausted, freezing and feeling sometimes like they were on the brink of giving up, the team kept going. The following comments provide a first hand account of their adventure which is one they will never forget.
“I first climbed it as an 11 yr old kid and continued to do so for a number of years…I’ve seen at least one person of older age carried down that passed away on the climb, I’ve pitched a tent and slept over on top, I’ve seen full-on athletes run up and down as a training session and I’ve seen the most spectacular views and sunsets from the summit! I was thrilled that Adrian loved it enough to make it a CG team adventure! We probably won’t repeat it, however the thought of gathering everyone again for another challenge with the same amount of fun, holds great appeal and I hope the feeling is mutual?!” Associate Director, Dee Gibson.
“Life is a massive journey and sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you about the destination. Reaching the top of that mountain was a relief but it wasn’t about the peak…it was about realising you can achieve anything you put your mind too. Would I climb that mountain again.. “Hell to the NO” but I will promise myself to continue to feed my soul with meaningful and inspirational achievements and be the best version of myself.” Property Manager, Cassandra Hutchings.
“For me it was harder on the way up but I would imagine for some the way down would be harder, especially if you have issues with ankles or knees. I would say the climb is more a test of mental strength than physical strength. Because it’s not a sprint that’s over quickly, there is plenty of time to think things through in your head and if you weren’t in the right head space and your thoughts weren’t positive ones you could easy talk yourself into failing, regardless of the positive attitudes around you. Just like any situation in life.” Administration Assistant, Jackie Bowyer.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t pack more than everyone else. Our Director, Adrian kept repeating “layers and layers and layers” and even though I found myself removing most of my 5 layers on the way up, all the layers came in handy for the time spent on ground! For breakfast there was a variety of cereals, bananas, apples and up & go’s. During the climb we had Dee’s famous scroggin otherwise knows as “trail mix” and we had a couple of sandwiches.” Property Manager, Adela Alicevic.
“When I reached the summit I was overwhelmed! I had talked myself out of doing the climb weeks before as I didn’t think I would make it to the top. A few days before I decided it was better to try and fail then not to try at all. I couldn’t believe I had done it, I reached the summit! It really was a team effort, everyone helped each other throughout the journey and I think the team were so excited that we reached the top together. The view was stunning – a moment that will stay with me for a long time.” Sales Coordinator, Natalia Benitez.
