Sky Waka Vertical Challenge

Saturday, 15 March 2025

Whakapapa Ski Field

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The Sky Waka Vertical Challenge in Whakapapa on 15 March 2025 sees individuals, pairs, and teams knock off as much mountain elevation as possible in 4 hours.

The Vertical Endurance (4 hour event) has participants use pure leg, core, and willpower to ascend the mountain on the Waterfalls Descent Track. They will then be rewarded with a much-deserved ride on the Sky Waka Gondola to bring them back down to the event base/transition area where they can either do it all over again, or for teams of 3, tag in a teammate.

The event course is a sky-running beast and a well-marked 2.5km loop course. The lowest elevation point on the loop is 1610m (Bruce Road roundabout), and the highest elevation point is 2010m (top of the Sky Waka). Each lap has 400m of mountain elevation.

The event can be competed solo, in pairs (pairs must stay together at all times) or teams of 3 - Only 2 team members can be on the event course at any one time – 1 team member must remain at the event base at all times. Who tags who? What pace do team members run? Well, that’s all up to you.

The Vertical Dash is for the speed demons, where participants have one shot at recording the fastest time to scale the course.

The event is organised by The Ohakune Events Charitable Trust.