Challenge Control Questions.
There are a few things about Challenge Control that perhaps need to be explained.
- What is Challenge Control?
- Who works on Challenge Control?
- How are they contacted?
- What do Challenge Control do?
This page aims to answer these questions, as well as trying to allay some of the Challenger apprehensions when contacting Challenge Control.
What is Challenge Control?
Fundamentally, Challenge Control is the help desk in Montrose that is set up for 2 weeks in May of each year for the Challenge event itself, and is the contact point during the event.
For the other 50 weeks of the year, the management of the event is performed by the Coordinators, generally from their own homes. They deal with all aspects of the Challenge, from the application process all the way through to dinner on the final Friday of the event, and everything in between.
Once the event starts in May each year, Challenge Control is the focal point of contact for all Challengers and is where they need to call when they reach their phone-in points or have any other queries.
Those mystery people on Challenge Control.
Well the first thing to realise is that they are all Challengers, experienced backpackers and hill walkers, all of whom at some point were on their first event and no doubt had some level of trepidation about the walk and calling Challenge Control for their very first time.
They are there to be the friendly voice at the other end of your phone in order to provide help, assistance, guidance and most importantly, to maintain a safety overview of the event. They are there because they want to help you and make sure that you have a smooth and enjoyable crossing, so there’s no reason to be worried about calling Challenge Control – they are delighted to talk with you.
Contacting Challenge Control.
Challenge Control phone lines are open from 9am to 9pm on each day of the event (other than the last Friday when it shuts at 5pm). Outside of these hours, the two phones (one for voice and one for text) are kept close to hand by one of the Challenge Control team, so that they are available in an emergency. The phone numbers for Challenge Control are published in the Final Details document, which is sent out to all Challengers in the Spring of that year’s event.
What does Challenge Control do?
The main function of Challenge Control in Montrose is to provide a safety overview of the event. This safety process relies heavily on Challengers contacting Challenge Control from each of their nominated phone-in points, so it’s worth explaining what this process involves. Take a look at the Phone-in Points page for more information on how to choose them.
Missed Phone-in Process
The vast majority of Challengers make their phone-in calls on time; however, some need a gentle reminder, some have just forgotten (generally in the warmth of a pub somewhere), some find that their phone signal isn’t as good as hoped and cannot contact Challenge Control, and very occasionally someone genuinely needs Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) assistance. So, every evening of the event, Challenge Control carries out the ‘Overdue Phone-in’ process. This starts around 8:30pm, when a list is compiled of all Challengers who have not made their phone-in for that day. The following is then carried out for each overdue Challenger:
Phone-in Reminder
Around 8:45pm, Challenge Control send out text/WhatsApp messages as a gentle reminder to those who have not yet called to make their Phone-in.
Risk Review
Starting at 9pm, a risk review is carried out for each outstanding, overdue Challenger.
Risk Assess
A Risk Level of Low, Medium or High is assigned for the Challenger in question, taking into account any pertinent information (such as solo or team, route, terrain, weather, experience, age, declared medical issues, last contact).
Action Plan
An action plan is then agreed for each of the individual risk assessments, (the plans vary in severity from waiting until the following morning, to requesting an immediate MRT callout (with many shades of action in between).
Continuous Review
The risk assessment is reviewed, in line with the action plan, as new information comes in. Usually contact is made and the risk is cleared but they may also have sightings from other Challengers, information gleaned from accommodation providers or emergency contacts that downgrades concerns.
However, subsequent assessments may result in elevating the risk level and increasing the gravity of the associated action plan.
Close Action Plan
The whole process does not cease until all overdue Challengers are located safely or the issue is handed over to the MRT, whereupon Challenge Control provides assistance to the emergency services.
If you do miss your phone-in, for whatever reason, please try to call or text Challenge Control as soon as possible. We will be happy to hear from you and the situation can be de-escalated.
Other Challenge Control Services.
In addition to the safety overview, Challenge Control provides all sorts of other services for Challengers from weather warnings, route assistance, transport advice, accommodation help, arranging the places on the celebratory dinners, general advice and guidance, and of course for moral support.
We are also are very happy to have a chat with Challengers in general, so if you just want a friendly voice or a sympathetic ear on the other end of your phone, then give us a call – you don’t need to wait until your Phone-in point. If we’re very busy, we will let you know.
We very much want to hear from you too if anything or anyone has made you feel uncomfortable or threatened or you have come across a problem that may be pertinent to other Challengers.
There are too many other functions to go through individually, but the Challenge Control staff are willing to have a go at almost anything that Challengers may throw at them.
Event management throughout the year.
The overall management of the event is done by the Coordinators, who are responsible for all the Challenge activities and are the main contact point by either phone or email (contact details can be found here). They will respond to all emails and provide advice and guidance to prospective Challengers as well as dealing with all other aspects of the Challenge. In addition, they keep Challengers (and any others that enquire) informed about the event via this website and the TGOC Facebook page.