August 28, 2014. The employees of Uraltransmash (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) took part in an athletic tourism contest for the first time in the company’s history, the corporation’s press service reports.

‘Athletic tourism is a kind of sport based on meeting a series of challenges in the course of a route, including obstacle-crossing in the open air. This is particularly a team sport, so mutual help and support, quick decision-making under nonconventional circumstances, sharing one’s experience and knowledge, and a creative approach are crucial. This is why the goal of the event was to promote team work and improve the contestants’ ability to listen to others and work together. You could call this a peculiar team-building seminar,’ the corporation says.

Uraltransmash employees competed in Kalinovsky Park. Eight six-people teams from the company’s various divisions applied for the contest. There was also a special team of second-year students of Vertical, the company training and professional development system.

The contests began with a general warm-up; the coordinators then explained the rules of following the route, the teams were given maps of the area with obstacles to be crossed.

The teams went through ten different challenges in four hours altogether. They had to deal with group tasks and elaborate their tactics and strategies. One thing to think over, for instance, was how to change positions in a line of people standing within a limited space so that the first person becomes the last one in line. Another task was to get a ball to reach the finishing point in a gigantic wooden maze and not let in fall into traps. Some of the tasks consisted in overcoming rope obstacles. Every stage was assessed in terms of time it took to go through it and the quality of task achievement.

All the team members cooperated very efficiently and completed their tasks. The three prize-winning teams were given medals, and all the teams received participation certificates.