MONARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN

One of the big physical challenges students face in Term 4 at Timbertop is the Monarch of the Mountain. This challenge, like many in the final stages of the year, embodies our Term 4 theme: ‘What is Possible?’. It is one of those moments where achievement, progress, and growth are abundantly obvious; and the students are reminded of how far they have come in their Timbertop year. This does not just come in terms of their physical fitness and capacity, but more importantly, their mindset to respond with confidence and gusto to something significant and daunting. No longer does dread or nervousness tempt the students to lean away from what could be viewed as insurmountable, but rather they lean in and tackle the challenge knowing that struggle and discomfort in this context is often coupled with significant reward and fulfilment.

The Monarch of the Mountain run itself is without a doubt very challenging and arguably only achievable by a small percentage of people. Starting at the speed hump outside the library, where all Timbertop runs start, students make their way up the steep fire break for about 6km to Doughty Road. There is then a short reprieve of about 3km of relatively flat running along the dirt road to Forest Creek. From here the climbing resumes along a single track to Round Hill, where the might of Mt Buller comes into view. With nearly 10km already in the legs and much of it climbing, the view of

Mt Buller entices both awe and despair, and questions such as “are we going all the way up there?” can be heard amongst the puffing and panting. The final 4km scales the spectacular West Ridge, which is a combination of jagged rocky terrain and rugged trails. Many students are forced to combine a shuffle and power walk up much of this section as they near the summit of Mt Buller. Once at the top, weary legs are quickly forgotten as students are greeted with amazing 360-degree views across the vast high country.

What seemed impossible and what was an entire day of hiking in Term 1, has now been accomplished in a matter of hours with strong legs and determined minds. The 14km journey rises from 600m above sea level on campus to 1805m at the top. After a short drink and snack stop, students finish with a gentle 10km jog down the Klingsporn Bridle Track to Mirimbah, where the community gather for a BBQ lunch by the river. It is here where one can look across the student cohort with amazement and admiration at what they have achieved, as they sit amongst their friends, sharing stories of struggle and triumph, with a humble sense of pride.

Ross Hopkins 2022 Head of Timbertop