The 2012 Chill Factor Challenge on Friday involved teams of four firefighters making as many ascents and descents as they could on the slopes of Coronet Peak in the two hours before the skifield opened, all while attached to a fire hose.
The descent was less than graceful for most, who gave their legs a rest and slid to the finish.
Wanaka firefighter Caleb Hansen completed the climb fastest in 3min 22sec, while the Queenstown skiing team made 11 ascents and descents with the fire hose and took first place.
Second place was tie between Queenstown's skiing and boarding teams, with nine, followed by the Auckland Airport boarding team, with eight.
The Chill Factor Challenge began last year and the climb was added to the event in memory of Winter Olympic athlete Bruce Grant, who died while climbing the world's second-highest mountain, K2.
Each run was sponsored and the money raised was donated to the Bruce Grant Youth Trust, a Queenstown charity which helps youth further themselves through sports, arts or cultural activities which they excel in.
The firefighters' ages ranged from 17 to 43.
Valentyne Schnelle (17), a volunteer firefighter and pupil at Wakatipu High School, came seventh in the K2 Climb with 4min 24sec.
The oldest competitor, Phil Glen, of Christchurch, a seasoned Sky Tower climber, completed the climb in 6min 4sec and said it was harder than the Sky Tower.
"We train on an escalator in a mall. When it's coming down, we are going up."
Mr Glen and his team of three other firefighters compete in stair-climbing races internationally and plan to travel to Las Vegas and Seattle in March, for such challenges.
"This [the K2 Climb] is all up and down and different steppings and it's really hard on your lungs, but good fun."
The event at Coronet Peak was organised by Auckland Airport firefighter Tony Scott, who said he intended to run it annually, in the third week of August, and attract more firefighters in a bid to make it the southern equivalent of the Sky Tower challenge.
"We had five more teams competing this year and have managed to raise over four times what we raised last year.
"It is fantastic to see how much this event has grown."
Mr Scott said although the fire hose race was tricky, the firefighters had improved on last year.
"At the end of the day we are all here to help support this wonderful charity and all the great work they do, so being able to hand over a cheque for $8200 to the trust was extremely rewarding."
The Queenstown brigade was the overall winner.
For its efforts it received a trophy made by Dan Kelly, a Glenorchy man married to Bruce Grant's sister Christine.
The trophy depicted a multitude of stairs made from wrought iron, which Mr Scott said was relevant to firefighters.
