The Canberra Raiders NYC team completed a grueling 8 hour 50km trek last Saturday in their build up to the 2010 season. Initially the team was booked in to head to the south coast to Tathra for the weekend but bad weather forced the cancellation at the last minute; as a result the players undertook the “4 peak challenge” around Canberra.

The squad was split into 4 teams with the course being carried out over 4 stages. Teams left Raiders HQ at five minute intervals with the race heading to the base of Mount Majura where teams then picked up a truck tyre which they kept with them for the rest of the trip.

Teams then had to reach the top of Mt Majura, before heading for the top of Mount Ainslie, down to Lake Burley Griffin and across to the base of Black Mountain, before the players took on the tough task of reaching the top.

The final and longest stage of the course went from Black Mountain through Deek’s forest and finally finished with the players reaching the top of Mount Stromlo at 5.30pm that night.

NYC half back Sam Williams said “the camp was challenging both physically and mentally, but gave the boys the opportunity to work as a team to get the tyres around the course”.

Raiders hooker Matt McIlwrick was amongst the first players to reach the top of Mt Stromlo and described the camp as “extremely demanding and mentally challenging but it represents the challenges of the season ahead for the squad, if all the players can take the mind set required to complete the course into the season it will hold the team in a good position”.