Apex Challenge

Latest annual report published

2012-02-14T11:03:00.000Z

The latest Apex Challenge annual report has just been published online. If you're a fan of our events you're sure to enjoy reading more about how the team puts together some of the UK's biggest and most popular scout competitions.

In this year's document you can look back at the highlights from 2011, flick through our accounts to see how your entry fees are spent and get an idea of how we are planning to celebrate ten years since our first competition during 2012.

Download your copy now and let us know what you think!

Apex team tests out new ideas

2012-02-13T00:56:00.001Z

More than a dozen members of the Apex Challenge team have spent the weekend coming up with ideas to make sure our next two competitions are a fitting way to celebrate ten years of adventure since our first event in 2002.

Richard from the tech team testing out a new activity.

Despite the wintry weather we made it to a scout activity centre in Derbyshire for two days of boot-camp style activity sessions, team-building tasks and several hours of brainstorming ideas.

Part of the weekend involved splitting into three teams for a competition to design three brand new activity bases that could feature in our future events. The other two teams then tested them out to see how they'd work with dozens of teams. We created games of skills, teamworking challenges and most of all, activities that were great fun to take part in.

The Apex organisers at the team-building session.

We made loads of big decisions about how this year's events will work and there'll be more details about those on the website in the next week. We're really excited about the new ideas we've come up with and we're sure they'll make this year's Apex Challenge competitions the best yet.

We're always looking for even more ideas though so now's the time to leave us a comment on here with your thoughts on what we should include in this year's events. And start getting your teams together to be ready when entries open next month for our spring event.

Check out the brand new Apex promo!

2012-02-03T13:55:00.000Z

A brand new promotional video has now been released, showing off the best of the Apex Challenge in under two minutes.

Featuring footage from the past four events, the film gives a real insight into what it's like to be part of the Apex Challenge adventure.

The film shows hundreds of young people enjoying activities such as rock climbing, grass sledging, shooting, archery and mountain biking while they compete for Apex points. The fast-paced footage was gathered at our events over the last two years, featuring the events in the Peak District, Ilkley Moor, Otley Chevin and Sherwood Forest.

With clips from the competitors as they take on some of the top challenges, the film gives a real opportunity to sample the excitement of the Apex Challenge without having to even leave the house.

Venues for 2012 events revealed

2012-01-24T13:28:00.000Z

As we celebrate ten years of the Apex Challenge, we've picked two amazing locations to host this year's competitions. From an exclusive stately home estate, to a rugged area of outstanding natural beauty these areas will provide us with everything we need to host some unforgettable events.


© Paul Brooker and reproduced with permission.

Spring event
April 14-15 2012
Bramham Estate, West Yorkshire

Our first event of the year will see us heading to the home of the Leeds Festival, as we get exclusive use of the massive private Bramham estate in West Yorkshire. Situated just off the A1, the grounds include dense woodland, open pastures, rivers, lakes and amazing historical landmarks, all of which will contribute to an immense overnight competition. After four years of hosting the spring event at Sherwood Pines, we thought it was time for a change and this new location gives us the opportunity to hold an amazing event in an area few would normally have access to.

After incredible demand for the 2011 events, we are looking to increase capacity still further for this night challenge competition, but places are still likely to be snapped up incredibly quickly. Further details will be announced in February and entries will open online at 3pm on Sunday 4 March.

Autumn event
October 5-7 2012
Burbage and Longshaw, Peak District

In October we're heading back to where it all began! The Burbage Valley near Hathersage was the location for our first ever Apex Challenge event in 2002. Now, a decade later, we're heading back with some brand new activities and a much bigger competition. The number of teams at our events has more than quadrupled in those ten years, so we've been given special access to some brand new areas for camping and activities in this most spectacular of Peak District locations. You can expect a weekend packed full of adventure and adrenaline at this ultimate competition. Further details about this event will be announced in the summer.

Got it covered: Apex photo fame for Explorer

2011-11-28T17:21:00.004Z

An action photo from the Apex Challenge will be dropping through thousands of letter boxes this week on the cover of the national Scouting magazine.

James from Caludon District Explorers in Coventry was snapped taking part in one of our extreme rock climbing challenges at the Apex Extreme event last year.

It was one of a series of photographs which the event's offical photographer, Andy Pagett, submitted for the magazine's photo competition. The shot was then selected by this months' young editors from the 514 photos submitted to be featured on the cover.

Apex DVDs - in the post!

2011-10-08T20:55:00.002+01:00

This year's spectacular Apex Extreme DVD has now been completed, with dozens of copies ready for dispatch.

The fifteen minute film captures all the action from the toughest and biggest ever Apex Challenge event.

From the intense Apex Supersprint event on Friday night, to the action of Saturday's main event and the incredible assault course on the Sunday, this film features all of the teams, and all of the action from this unforgettable weekend.

Those who pre-ordered copies at the event should find them dropping through their letter boxes in the next few days - but there are still some extra copies available.

If you'd like this unique souvenir of your Apex Extreme weekend, simply send a cheque, payable to 'Apex Challenge' for £6, together with your name and address, to Apex Challenge, The Lodge, Eltofts, Carr Lane, Thorner, Leeds, LS14 3HF.

Extreme results and photos online

2011-10-02T17:00:00.000+01:00

What a fantastic weekend! We've had fantastic sunshine through most of the 2011 Apex Extreme which had some of our most exciting and dramatic activitity bases.

With 89 teams from right across the UK, this was not only our fastest selling event but also our biggest and the teams certainly weren't disappointed.

Whether you made it to the event, or didn't, take a look at the event results, photos and report to see what happened. Our photographers did an especially fantastic job of capturing all the action and there are well over 600 pictures in the photo album already. The details are online in record time - even before any of the teams leave the event site!

24 hours to go!

2011-09-29T11:27:00.001+01:00

The Apex Challenge team has just arrived at Event Centre in Bramhope, West Yorkshire to start getting ready for this weekend's event. It'll take us the next day and a half to set everything up for when you all arrive on Friday evening.

Most of you will probably be packing your bags tonight so we just wanted to remind you to check a couple of things. Make sure you've read through the kit list which tells you what you need to bring for the weekend. There are also directions to site to make sure you don't get lost. And don't forget we need a consent form for each member of every team taking part, even if you are over 18 and in the network competition.

You should arrive on Friday evening any time between 6:00pm and 10:00pm. There'll be traffic marshals on duty and once you've parked or been dropped off, follow the signs to Event Centre. There's plenty of space for camping and there'll be members of the Apex Team around to show you where you can put your tents.

When all members of your team have arrived you can come to Event Centre to sign in and collect your welcome pack containing your event instructions and map. You'll need to bring all your consent forms with you. It's much easier for us if you turn up as individual teams with your own consent forms rather than several teams together with all your consent forms mixed up!

We'll look forward to seeing you on Friday night!

Food for thought!

2011-09-28T10:12:00.001+01:00

This weekend's Apex Challenge event is going to be pretty exhausting! We've just been looking through the list of activities and we reckon you're going to need plenty of energy for the three days. Thankfully our Apex Cafe team are up to the challenge and are planning a menu that should keep you well fed throughout the weekend.

Once you've arrived on Friday evening we'll get the pizzas on as an extra snack to keep you going through the evening.

You'll wake up on Saturday morning to a delicious bacon or sausage sandwich served in a fresh bread roll which should set you up for a busy day of activities. When you return in the evening there'll be a selection of meat or vegetarian pies and pasties served with new potatoes and mushy peas followed by a dessert of fruit pie, yogurts or swiss roll (can you manage an entire swiss roll?!)

Then on Sunday morning we're going continental with chocolate croissants and cereal for breakfast and in the afternoon, once you've taken on the challenge of the legendary Apex assault course you can relax around the Apex BBQ.

And all through the weekend we've got an endless supply of hot and cold drinks and there's water to top up your bottles as well.

Don't forget you'll need a packed lunch for Saturday and plenty of snacks in case you get hungry while you're away from Event Centre. Bring some loose change too. There's a shop on site selling some snacks and you never know when you might come across an ice cream van or a sweet shop when you're out and about!

Hitting the right notes

2011-09-26T09:53:00.001+01:00

So it's now less than a week to go until your ultimate adventure weekend at the Apex Extreme 2011 and we want to make sure we're hitting all the right notes, and that's where you come in!

We want all your requests for what songs you'd like to hear during the weekend. You've got until Wednesday night to let us know if it's Tinie Tempah you want to hear more of, or maybe some Katy Perry and Bruno Mars or the chart topping debut single from One Direction.

Whatever you want to hear, we want to know, so leave us a comment below or head to our Facebook page and stick a message on there to say what tunes you want us to play. You've got until Wednesday night to get the message in!

Volunteers needed for new Apex app

2011-09-22T23:58:00.002+01:00

At the Apex Challenge we've always used the latest technology tocontrol and enhance our adventure events, but now we’re taking it to the nextlevel and we’d like you to help us. Our team has spent the last few months developingan exclusive new Apex app for smartphones to runApex Challenge events.

The eventual plan is to replace the current electronic tag and control box system with this new system for all major phone platforms – but we’renow at the stage where we’d like to trial this new app at this forthcomingevent, and we’d like you to be part of it.

We’re looking for some teams who’d like to test the newsmartphone app for us, as well as collecting their Apex points in the usual way. Therewill not be any advantage or disadvantage in the event if you take part in thetrial, but you’ll be contributing to the development of a brand new smartphonescoring system for adventure events. And you can say you were there first!

To take part in the trial...

:: One member of your team will need a smartphone which runsthe Android operating system

:: You'll need to bring a mains charger to ensure yourhandset is full of juice before the event starts!

:: You'll be happy to download our software to your phone.

:: You'll want to be part of the future of Apex adventuretechnology!

If you’d like your team to be one of those trialling the newAdventureApp, please email us by 8:00pm on Tuesday 27th September and we’ll be back in touch with more details.

Last chance to Wear it Out!

2011-09-20T21:01:00.006+01:00

We've seen you high on glaciers, deep in rivers and as far afield as Sweeden and Kenya - but there's still time to send us more pictures of you Wearing it Out!

A fantastic Sony digital camera is up for grabs for the winner of this year's Apex Challenge 'Wear it Out' competition. More than 350 of us now have this year's exclusive blue Apex Challenge t-shirts, and we want to see the pictures of you wearing them on your events and adventures this summer.

Already around twenty extreme pictures have arrived at Apex HQ - but there's still time to send us your images. The winner will be announced at the Apex Extreme event at the start of October.

Simply upload your photos to the Apex Challenge 'Wear it Out' T-shirt gallery on the event's Facebook page, or email them to us.

The competition will be judged by an expert panel, with the person behind the winning entry receiving a high-end digital camera. Two runners up will each get an exclusive Apex Challenge hoodie.

So with just two weeks to go, get out there, go and have some last-minute adventures in your Apex Challenge t-shirt, and send us the evidence for your chance to win the big prize!

Time running out for T-shirt orders and team names

2011-09-19T23:57:00.001+01:00

There are just a few days left to order your T-shirts if you're taking part in this year's Apex Extreme. We'll be ordering them at the end of this week, so if you haven't already ordered yours then contact us to tell you what size you'd like.

They're just £5 each and are available in four sizes. From the number of orders we've had it's clear the 2011 design has been one of our most popular designs to date so don't miss out and order yours now.

The deadline for ordering T-shirts is 8pm on Thursday 22nd September. We will have a few spares available to buy on the weekend itself but to be sure of getting one it's best to pre-order.

Many of you have also been using our new online system for keeping your team details up to date through the website. The last chance to change your team name will be 8pm on Monday 26th September.

Keep your details up to date

2011-08-30T19:19:00.001+01:00

It's now possible for you to log in to the Apex website and keep your team details up to date with any changes between now and the next event.

When you registered to take part in the competition you were asked to create a password. This would have been emailed to you and all the other team members whose email addresses were included in your team's details when you entered.

It's really important that all your team's details (including your names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers) are kept up to date between now and the event in case we need to get in touch with you. It's also those details which we'll be using during the weekend too. If there are any changes or you notice anything is wrong, then please go to the Team List page, click on your team, enter your password and click the Edit Team Details button. You can then make your changes.

If you lose or forget your password then there are also links to get a new password which will be sent to you and the rest of your team. If you didn't get the initial password, it may be because your email address wasn't give to us. In that case, ask whoever entered your team for the password.

Why not take a look now? Make sure everything is right and if not, get to work making the changes. Unfortunately it's not possible to change your T-shirt order and around a week before the event we'll also lock all the team names from being changed as well so make sure your team name is finalised by then too!

Event sells out in less than two hours

2011-08-30T11:39:00.000+01:00

Wow. What a frantic morning that was! Apex HQ was buzzing earlier as 90 teams managed to book their place in this year's Apex Extreme in less than two hours. We knew demand for the competition was going to be huge after the Overnight Challenge sold out earlier this year in a day and a half but that was phenomenal.

A massive congratulations to all the teams who've managed to confirm their places in the competition. It's going to be a great weekend and we're really looking forward to seeing you all there. To those teams who wanted to take part but didn't manage to secure a place, keep checking the website for details of our events in 2012. We've got big things planned for next year to celebrate the event's 10th birthday. More details about that soon!

Entries open for Apex Extreme

2011-08-30T10:00:00.001+01:00

Entries for this year's Apex Extreme are now open. There's space for 90 teams to take part in the competition on the weekend of 30th September - 2nd October near Otley in West Yorkshire. Demand for our events is always high and after the last event sold out in just 36 hours we know that places are likely to disappear in this event very quickly too.

It'll be a three-day test of your skills packed with thrilling activities and exciting adventures. We've already confirmed we'll be including slacklining and grass sledging in the activity bases, plus the new urban element to the event which will test competitors in a totally different way. As always teamwork and a good strategy are crucial to win points and ultimately the honour of being crowned the winning team. It's a weekend not to be missed.

At £100 per team of four the event is also still great value, so book your place now before it's too late! Use the comments below to tell us what you'd like to see at this event!

Stay cool this summer

2011-08-04T13:04:00.003+01:00

Now is the time to get your hands on your very own Apex Challenge hoodie, perfect for these long summer evenings.

Already dozens of Apex competitors and helpers have one, and now you don't need to wait until the next event to get yours. Our new mail order facility means we can post one of these exclusive hoodies direct to your door, and for a limited time there'll be no extra postage or packing charges.

The exclusive blue and white hoodies with contrast piping and side paneling feature a high quality embroidered Apex Challenge logo on the front. They're available to anyone taking part in the event or anyone associated with the Apex Challenge.

So to make sure you don't miss out, send a cheque for just £20 to the address below, payable to "Apex Challenge" making sure you also tell us your name and address, and what size you'd like. They're available in Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large sizes.

Address for your hoodie orders: Apex Challenge, The Lodge, Eltofts, Carr Lane, Thorner, Leeds, LS14 3HF.

Location for Apex Extreme confirmed

2011-07-20T18:36:00.000+01:00

This year's Apex Extreme will be held in West Yorkshire with the Event Centre being at Bramhope Scout Activity Centre, just outside Leeds.

Further details about this Autumn's event have just been confirmed online, including details of exactly when the event is taking place and how much it'll cost for teams to take part.

With new activities already announced as well as the new urban challenge element of the weekend this is an event not to be missed. Get the dates in our diary and make sure your team is ready to enter when the online entry form opens on Tuesday 30th August.

Don't be slack...

2011-06-10T17:10:00.009+01:00

Slacklining and extreme grass sledging are among the brand new activities set to take place at this year's Apex Extreme competition.

The huge adventure event will involve more than a dozen adventure challenges including rock climbing, abseiling and spine-tingling high ropes courses.

The massive multi-activity competition will taking place in a new area of West Yorkshire on the weekend of Friday 30th September - Sunday 2nd October.

Teams of Explorer and Network Scouts from across the UK will spend the weekend competing for Apex points by tackling a series of tough outdoor challenges. Teamwork, strategy and skills are all crucial to succeed.

The Apex team are spending the next few weeks scouring the dramatic playing area for the best locations to host these immense activities. This is a weekend you surely won't want to miss!

Another key date to remember is Tuesday 30th August 2011. That's the day when entries will open for the Apex Extreme. Teams will be able to instantly register and pay online for their teams to secure a place in the competition.

New date for Apex Extreme

2011-05-17T23:34:00.004+01:00

This year’s huge Apex Extreme event will now be held a week earlier than originally planned. The massive adventure event is now taking place from Friday 30th September until Sunday 2nd October 2011, at a stunning new location in West Yorkshire.

We're already very busy coming up with plenty of new ideas for this year's competition which will include the introduction of an ‘urban challenge’ as well as a stack of regular must-see adventure activities such as rock climbing, abseiling, mountain biking and head-spinning high ropes courses. It’ll be a weekend packed full of challenge and adventure for hundreds of Explorers and members of the Scout Network from across the UK.

Another key date for your diary is Tuesday 30th August 2011. That's the day when entries will open for the Apex Extreme. After feedback from teams taking part in our last event we have now simplified the booking system and teams will be able to instantly register and pay online for their teams to secure a place in the competition. To avoid confusion and to speed the process up, online payment will now be the only way to register your teams for Apex Challenge events.

It's also worth remembering that this year's Apex Ovenight Challenge sold out in 36 hours so spend some time now working out who's going to be on your team and getting your payment ready. Expect more updates on the Apex website over the next few weeks!

Wear it Out!

2011-05-08T16:44:00.008+01:00

In previous years we've been sent pictures of them being worn in locations as diverse as Alpine glaciers, Spanish canyons, and even halfway down a toboggan run. But whether you're heading to the Matterhorn or Meadowhall, send us your pictures to be in with a chance of winning.

Simply upload your photos to the Apex Challenge 'Wear it Out' T-shirt gallery on the event's Facebook page, or email them to us.

The competition will be judged by an expert panel, with the person behind the winning entry receiving a Sony Cybershot digital camera. Two runners up will each get an exclusive Apex Challenge hoodie.

The results will be announced at the Apex Extreme event this Autumn. So get out there, go and have some adventures in your Apex Challenge t-shirt, and send us the evidence. Bring on the summer!

Avoid those post-Apex blues!

2011-04-18T20:13:00.009+01:00

So now all the excitement of the Apex Challenge has passed, how are you feeling? A bit down and deflated? Missing the adventure? Well there's plenty of ways of reliving the drama of the weekend on the Apex Challenge website, while starting to plan for what's ahead...

Analyse your results So how did your score come about? Check out your individual results which show exactly where you went and when. Have a look at the times to see where you could have been that bit faster, but also check out the teams who came either side of you. It might be worth having a sneaky look at those teams who came top - maybe you could steal some ideas and tactics for next time!

Track down your friends With more than three hundred photos now in the official Apex Overnight Challenge photo album, it's worth having a look to see how many times you and your mates were snapped by our photographers. We're already planning which ones will make it onto our giant banners for next time!

Find us on Facebook The Apex Challenge page on Facebook is packed with new comments and posts about the event. All our photos are also on there - so why not tag all your team-mates and join the discussions. Is an Apex picture your profile pic yet?

Get ready for Autumn The next Apex Challenge is sooner than you think, so now is the time to get planning. The incredible Apex Extreme will be taking place in West Yorkshire on 31st September - 2nd October. Although we're increasing the number of team spaces available, the event is sure to be a sell-out once again, so make sure you're prepared for when entries open at the start of September. Have a great summer, and we look forward to seeing you for more Apex action in October!

Amazing activities for this weekend

2011-04-05T02:46:00.002+01:00

We couldn't wait to tell you about all the fantastic activity bases that we've got lined up for this weekend's Apex Overnight Challenge, so if you weren't already counting down the days to Saturday then you soon will be!

It's easily going to be our best range of activity bases yet. Archery and pistol shooting are now confirmed. We've ordered in our biggest ever inflatable assault course. There are some old favourites in there as well, including what promises to be a spectacular high ropes course. We're also hoping there'll be a few surprises along the way as well. And don't forget there's the added excitement of doing all of those in the dark!

But don't think it's going to be a walk in the park. Oh no. The Apex Chasers will be out and they're determined to catch more teams than ever. They've been in training and we've set them targets of how many teams we want them to steal points from so you'll need to be on your guard so you don't lose those valuable Apex Points.

And, not that we're wanting to jinx it, but the word is it COULD be the hottest weekend of the year so far. All in all it sounds pretty good. Let us know what bits of it you're most looking forward to and we'll see you all on Saturday!

T-shirts arrive at Apex HQ

2011-04-02T00:22:00.000+01:00

We've just taken delivery of several hundred of this year's exclusive Apex Challenge T-shirts and we're so excited by how they look we just had to put a photo on here straight away!

The sapphire blue wordsearch design already looks like being one of the most popular we've ever created and you don't want to be the only team not wearing one at our competitions. If you haven't pre-ordered one already then make sure you bring £5 with you to buy one over the weekend.

Let us know what you think of the design too!

2011 T-shirt design revealed...

2011-03-27T22:38:00.000+01:00

The design of the 2011 Apex Challenge T-shirt is now complete and is already proving very popular with people who've seen it!

Once more, Nancy Alford has come up with a bold design that tries to capture some of the essence of what the Apex Challenge is all about. This year she's used a stylised wordsearch as her inspiration using words that conjure up images of the sort of things people remember about a weekend at one of our competitions. As you look closer you realise that that within these words you can also find the text, 'Apex Challenge' subtly picked out as well.

Staying with the design used in recent years the back of the T-shirt shows an Apex Challenge logo with the event website.

The printing is a bold bright white on a sapphire blue which is sure to stand out no matter where it is worn!

Only those taking part in our 2011 competitions will be able to get hold of these t-shirts. In the past almost all the teams have been wearing them and many Scouts say they enjoy wearing them at other events for many months afterwards as well.

If you didn't pre-order yours when you entered the event then it's still possible to get your hands on one. They're just £5 each and you can contact us to place your order. There'll also be a limited number of spares available at the event, but to avoid disappointment make sure you pre-order yours in advance!

We're really looking forward to seeing so many people wearing them during the events.

We're able to offer you them at the fantastic price of just £5 thanks to Shawcross Printers of Wakefield who have agreed to make them up for us at a special rate.

Sizes described on the entry form are approximate.