The Extreme Engineering Challenge is CGCU’s flagship hardware makeathon, inspired by real-world snowfield rescue and extreme environment engineering.

​Participants will work in multidisciplinary teams of five to design, build, and test physical engineering prototypes that function under real-world constraints.

​To support students from all backgrounds, a week of beginner-friendly tutorial sessions will run ahead of the makeathon weekend (16th - 19th February). These sessions cover system-level thinking, modelling, prototyping, and pitching, helping participants feel confident getting started regardless of prior experience.

​During the 20–22 February makeathon weekend, teams will build and iterate on their ideas with access to workshops, tools, and support. Projects will be presented to judges, with awards given on the final day.

​Selected teams will then have the opportunity to continue developing their prototypes over six weeks with funding and access to facilities, and will then take part in a field testing trip to evaluate their prototypes in real extreme conditions.

​Students from all disciplines are welcome. Teams are strongly encouraged to include members from engineering backgrounds, including Aeronautics, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computing, Design Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Earth Science & Engineering.

​No prior makeathon or hardware experience is required — curiosity, teamwork, and a willingness to build are what matter most.