After a long build-up of nervous anticipation the Trainees and Paralegals of Hanne & Co were taken on their annual Christmas excursion.
This year it was a zombie room escape. For those who, like us at the time, have no idea what this is, it consists of a room in which there are a range objects, puzzles and clues all interlinked to create the web of the ultimate riddle of how to escape. The concept brings together a variety of mental and physical challenges, and combines them with the pressure of ‘the Crystal Maze’ and the sleuthing of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ to create a pulse pounding team building activity that has your mind racing and adrenaline flowing. The tasks are designed to ensure everyone in the team worked together to solve the riddles.
At this point the concept sounds relatively easy. All you have to do is take your time to work together to solve the puzzles, which then ultimately allows you to escape the room. However, just before we entered the room we were told two vital pieces of information. First, that we only had one hour in which to escape or we would fail. A large clock counting down in the corner of the room was there to remind us of this.
Secondly, there was a hungry zombie in the room looking for his next meal. When we first enter the zombie would be chained up in the corner, restricted in his movement. However every 10 minutes an alarm went off and the zombie’s chains extended by another few metres giving him more access to the room.
At first there was a lot of squealing, screaming and running around (mostly from the partners who had decided to accompany the trainees). However, the team quickly composed themselves and learned to work strategically to solve the mind games whilst in the face of a dangerous zombie.
Sadly the clock was slightly too fast for us and the final hour mark came around all too soon. Although the team had made a valiant effort to get onto the last task, the few seconds remaining were not enough to escape.
During our time in the room only one member of the team was eaten by the zombie. This particular team member who had already proved himself to be an integral part of the team, heroically sacrificed himself to allow one of his teammates to complete one of the practical tasks.
Although the trainees and paralegals did not escape the room, they did show that they could all work together efficiently in pressurised circumstances. The event concluded with a well-earned drink at the local bar.
