The weekend of September 19-20, 2009 saw 15 teams from the construction industry take part in the inaugural COINS 3 Peaks Challenge event in the USA. The teams hiked three of the highest mountains in the Northeast, pledging $60,000 to the project work of the COINS Foundation.

Click to view a gallery of event photos.

The Challenge began on Saturday morning at Whiteface Mountain in upstate New York (elevation 4,867 ft), where the teams swarmed the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center to check in and get briefed on the day’s events. Spirits were high, and the weather was ideal for some intense hiking– cool, dry and sunny. The teams went through a series of equipment, safety, and team checks and then hit the trail at five minute intervals. Spectacular views along the way and at the top rewarded the climbers for the 9.1 mile hike.

After a safe descent, the teams hit the road. The support crews drove their teams through the night to Brattleboro, VT, where the teams received their morning start times. A couple of hours later, the teams left Brattleboro for a pre-dawn check in at Mount Monadnock in southwestern New Hampshire (elevation 3,165 ft).  The White Dot trail provided the shortest of the Challenge hikes at 3.5 miles roundtrip, but the elevation gain of 1,865 feet made it the steepest overall. The view from the top of Monadnock was amazing, with vistas of valleys hidden in morning mist and sunlit hilltops. The teams seemed to enjoy the morning workout, most coming back down the mountain at a trot, with smiles on their faces and thoughts of breakfast in their heads.

The tireless support crews saw the teams through the last leg of the journey with a 4-hour drive to northern Vermont and the last peak of the Challenge: Mount Mansfield (elevation 4,867 ft). Again, the weather was kind to the teams. If anything, it was a little too warm and sunny especially at the base of the mountain. Topping off the marathon effort of the long hike the teams were rewarded by stunning views over Vermont, west to Lake Champlain, Whiteface and the other Adirondack Mountains in NY, and north to Canada and Montreal. Then it was time to make the final descent to finish line at Stowe Mountain Resort, where every team was greeted with cheers from the support crew, fellow teams, COINS staff, and the Grand Dynamics team.

Nearly every team completed the Challenge within 24 hours combined hiking and driving time.  The fastest industry team was from Einhorn Yaffee Prescott (EYP), crossing the finish line with a time total of 20hrs 5mins. W.M. Schultz Construction followed shortly thereafter with 20hrs 23mins, with one of the four teams from The Pike Company coming in at 21hrs 11min. Fourteen teams in all completed the challenge in less than 24 hours. See complete time results here. COINS rewarded all participants with commemorative t-shirts and medals.

Larry Sullivan, President of the COINS Foundation and COINS Chairman, thanked all the teams for their efforts, particularly for raising funds at a time where the industry is still largely reeling from the impact of the credit crunch.  He assured all participants that the COINS foundation receives strong guidance from its board of trustees, including Lord Joel Joffe and Paul Collier (author of Bottom Billion) and that 100% of the money they raised would be going to the projects work of the COINS Foundation in the USA and Africa.

Ric Law, CEO of the COINS Foundation, echoed Larry’s thanks. He explained that the COINS Foundation is all about construction but that the legacy is not the buildings themselves but thriving, sustainable communities.  Ric went onto explain project priorities this year, including community development, housing, and schools in Zambia and the USA.  In each region, the projects are interrelated and mutually supporting; each one has its own path to sustainability. For more information on the COINS Foundation projects keep an eye on the web site www.coinsfoundation.org.

To round off the event teams who had made the highest fundraising pledges were recognized and presented with awards by Derek Leaver, COINS CEO and Ric Law. The team pledging the most was The Pike Company with $ 7,585; the Brickman Group with $7,500; and EMCOR Mechanical Services with $5,000. Altogether, the teams pledged $60,000 for the project work of the COINS Foundation.

If you would like to take part in the COINS 3 Peaks Challenge 2010, you can register now.

Our special thanks to:
The Grand Dynamics team, including Will Leggett, Tim Walther, and the mountain marshals who climbed into position and back down in the dark;  all our event volunteers; and the staff of the Stowe Mountain Resort.