There's a hike in New Zealand's North Island National Park that involves scaling two mountains, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, in one day. It's a stunning yet arduous, steep trek that leaves you spent and satisfied in equal measure.
As they shift from Auckland to Wellington, herein lies the All Blacks' challenge. One week apart, Scott Robertson's men will attempt to traverse two peaks against the world champion Springboks.
With the Eden Park blockbuster long circled on the calendar there's a very real comedown from the emotive high of defending their fortress, celebrating Ardie Savea's 100th Test and snapping the four-match losing run against the Springboks.
The job is only half done, though. Now the All Blacks must rise again.
Cultivating the same mental edge to deliver successive performances is an inherent hurdle for any sports team to clear.
The All Blacks' breakthrough victory against the Boks was partly fuelled by harnessing the hurt from their maiden loss in Argentina, too.
The backdrop this week is, therefore, decidedly different. But with the Freedom Cup they lost for the first time in 14 years in South Africa last season up for grabs, and with Richie McCaw ensconced in camp, the All Blacks are confident of scaling their second mountain in as many weeks.
"I'm expecting a big response from us," All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan said. "This is a unique opportunity to play two Tests against South Africa in New Zealand. Now we've got a chance to win the Freedom Cup so that will be talked about this week.
"You often hear the saying pressure is a privilege, but the reality is pressure is a lifestyle when you're in the All Blacks. That's the way it's got to be."
Introspection is, naturally, harsher following defeat but the All Blacks know many elements of their game can vastly improve.
While they created two well executed set piece strikes to spark a superb start and their combative defensive effort set the tone, the All Blacks scrum and lineout wobbled, and they almost blew two 14-point leads to cling on at the death.
The reality of those flaws has quickly replaced the euphoric high as they attempt to further elevate last week's performance.
"We need to go to another level this week," All Blacks midfielder Quinn Tupaea, who scored a decisive second-half try cutting back on the angle at Eden Park, said. "There was a lot of emotion last week given the occasion with Ardie [Savea] and Eden Park. We've got Richie in camp this week so we're drawing a bit of inspiration from him and the history there.
"It's pretty crazy seeing him in the environment. It's the first time I've met him. I've been a fan of him growing up. He gives us confidence, inspiration and views when he was playing so it's awesome to have him in the group."
Robertson fronted in the biggest test of his coaching career last week but the pressure is not off yet.
Despite Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus turning heads by resting many of his proven performers, including Damian de Allende, last week's captain Jesse Kriel and Eben Etzebeth, the latter sitting out an All Blacks Test for the first time since 2012 amid seven starting changes, he still had the confidence to jibe Robertson by suggesting he wasn't overly impressed last week.
"I think we were really bad last week and I don't think they were outstanding," Erasmus said. "I know Razor and I think his standards are much higher. But there was a hell of an intensity, that's Test match rugby, but I don't think either team played really, really well.
"They would want to get better, and they will be better, and we want to get better. They were better than us, that's the bottom line."
After going all in on experience in the quest to break fortress Eden Park, Erasmus ushering in sweeping changes and turning almost exclusively to youth in his backline has left many baffled.
Erasmus believes the Springboks must score at least 25 points to defeat the All Blacks on home soil and while the likes of 23-year-old playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and fleet footed fullback Aphelele Fassi are undoubted attacking talents, there's an element of sink or swim to this South African backline.
"It's not like you want to lose the game, you want to build some experience and knowledge into those guys," Erasmus said. "If you get a win by doing that, you might just go back next week with a hell of a smile to South Africa, with some young guys who've learned a lot."
Growing squad experience en route to the next World Cup is understandable but the balance seems skewed towards high risk from the Boks.
Maybe Erasmus' maverick approach will bring desired rewards but after promoting his backline ballers he must now release the shackles to hand assistant coach Tony Brown much more scope to ignite the Boks attack after a highly conservative style proved predictable at Eden Park.
For the All Blacks, from the outside at least, it would be easy to suggest there's not as much at stake this week.
Wellington, with four wins, four losses and two draws from the All Blacks' last 10 Tests in the capital, is far from a fortress.
There's no centurion to strive to celebrate and in the wake of last week's success the white noise has dissipated, somewhat.
But after Robertson's inconsistency and largely unconvincing tenure to date, there is everything for the All Blacks to play for.
Victory would recapture the Freedom Cup but, more importantly, deliver a definitive momentum shift in rugby's greatest rivalry and prove, without doubt, Robertson's coaching crew are progressing.
In a country dubbed the shaky isles, where rugby perceptions shift on one All Blacks result, recapturing their ruthless mental edge to scale a second peak is imperative for this team's development.