The Highlanders walked up Table Mountain last week.
This week they have an even steeper challenge to face - fly back from South Africa and then face arguably the most potent team in the Super 15.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph admits his side faces plenty of adversity this week as it steps up to face the Crusaders at Carisbrook on Saturday night.
"It's a real tough week coming up. We've got to sit in a plane for two days, then get into Dunedin, have a light training week, and then go out and face reputedly the best team in the competition," Joseph said just after his side had lost 18-6 to the Stormers in Cape Town, on Saturday morning.
"It's going to be hard for the boys, there is no doubt about that. But we'll be giving it our best."
The Highlanders registered their first loss of the season, failing to get past a resolute Stormers defence in a tryless encounter.
Despite the loss, Joseph's side still sits top of the New Zealand conference, after the Blues could only draw with the Force in Perth.
The Highlanders could get an immediate boost on their return, with first five-eighth Colin Slade a possibility to start on Saturday.
After six weeks on the sideline because of a broken jaw he is back training, but Joseph was not sure whether Slade would be available for the Crusaders match.
With a bye coming after Saturday, Joseph may err on the side of caution and give Slade another week on the sidelines.
But although Slade would be greeted with welcoming arms, it is more important the Highlanders win back the aggression they have previously shown at the breakdown.
They were basically cleaned out at the clean-out and could not get any continuity into their game.
"The opposition beat us to the punch and we found it very hard to get any momentum as they were attacking us at the breakdowns," Joseph said.
"That was disappointing as that is what we have been doing. But they adjusted well to us and just really went in hard.
"But it was a big week for us. We were recovering from the jetlag, the guys had a big week and then put in a huge effort to get one over the Bulls. So it was always going to be really difficult."
The Highlanders, who arrive in Dunedin this morning, had chances to win the game.
Robbie Robinson missed three penalties, all which were gettable, while hooker Jason Rutledge was ruled to have not grounded the ball after he got across the tryline about midway through the first half.
It was one of those decisions where, at first look, it appeared to be a try but, after a long appraisal by the third match official, it was ruled out.
"That was just one of those things really. It was hard to see. Despite that, the little things have been going out way in the previous three games."
The side did show some aggression in stopping the Stormers scoring a try but could not get past a defence which was more secure than Fort Knox.
The Stormers made twice as many tackles as the visiting side but just did not miss any as the Highlanders failed to find any space on the tight Newlands ground.
Joseph admitted the side got a bit one-dimensional in attack the further the game went on, carting the ball up endlessly but not asking much of a defence.
"That is probably just frustration of not being able to dominate at the breakdown, We didn't adjust our tactics from their defence and that is what caught us out."
Lock Jarrad Hoeata and his opposite, Andries Bekker, were yellow carded near halftime after an altercation in a maul, with Hoeata appearing to be the aggressor.
