For two consecutive years, Leweston School has proudly assembled a formidable team to tackle the Ten Tors challenge, conquering the arduous 45-mile route across Dartmoor over two challenging days. With unwavering determination, the teams dedicated months to rigorous training, honing their map planning skills, and enhancing their outdoor survival and safety knowledge. Each member astounded themselves with their resilience and stamina, creating unforgettable memories and forming enduring bonds of friendship along the way.
The Ten Tors Challenge is a two day expedition for teams of 6 young people aged between 14 and 19. Each team must visit 10 specified checkpoints requiring a walk of 35, 45 or 55 miles over the rugged terrain of Dartmoor depending on the ages of the team. The Challenge tests students' endurance, navigation, and decision-making skills as they navigate unforgiving terrain to reach the checkpoints.
Participating in the Ten Tors Challenge builds teamwork, leadership, and resilience. Students communicate, make group decisions, and support each other, developing skills like cooperation and problem-solving. They learn to overcome obstacles, adapt to challenges, and form lasting bonds, fostering camaraderie and friendship.
Participating in the Ten Tors Challenge requires a high level of physical fitness, testing endurance, strength, and stamina. Regular exercise improves cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and overall fitness, while also boosting mood, reducing stress, and promoting mental well-being. The challenge fosters self-esteem, self-confidence, and personal growth, transferring skills to other areas of students' lives. Overall, it enhances physical fitness, mental well-being, and personal development.
Participating in the Ten Tors Challenge enhances navigation and map reading abilities, crucial for outdoor activities and emergencies. Students learn to interpret maps, identify landmarks, and calculate distances, fostering valuable skills for various scenarios beyond the challenge.
The Ten Tors Challenge fosters independence and self-reliance as students plan routes, make decisions, and navigate challenging terrain. Overcoming obstacles boosts confidence and belief in their abilities, positively impacting academics, activities, and relationships. Interacting with diverse peers promotes cultural competence, preparing students for future global endeavours. Ultimately, the challenge empowers students to thrive in various aspects of their lives.
When I first signed up for Ten Tors, I had no idea what I was in for. I thought it would simply be a long walk, not so different from DofE, where I would get to meet new people and have a fun overnight on the moor. I certainly did not expect almost 24 hours of gruelling terrain, swamp-like bogs and potentially the most stressful experience of my entire life.
From the sheer volume of people participating to the incredible performances by the military, the event exceeded my expectations in everyway from the very start. The pent-up excitement from the Friday was released as the cannon went off and we started walking up the hill in the opposite direction to 90% of the competitors due to our route. About 4 hours into the walk and we finally realised why it was called the Ten Tors challenge. We had only made it past the 2nd Tor, our 2nd checkpoint of 16 and at that point we finally realised the true scale of what we had to do.
Ten Tors is a challenge in more than one way. The distance, the endurance, the weather and the terrain are all huge parts but the mental aspect cannot be downplayed. An example of this was at our 9th Tor. Oke camp, the finish could be seen to our right. Our next checkpoint, however, was not only in the complete opposite direction, but we couldn't even see it was so far away. The mental strength required to overcome the tiredness and the soreness, and finally start walking to the next destination was immense, and this was near breaking point.
If you are planning on doing the Ten Tors challenge there are a few pieces of advise I would give. The first is that the distance cannot be underestimated and you will be hurting for most of the walk. To minimise this, bring as little as possible. Even just a kilogram less can make a huge distance. Another piece of advise I know some of my team regret not following is to prepare for the weather. Even if it is warm, preventative measure must be taken. Around 200 participants dropped out this year simply from the heat. Finally, I would advise being up to date on navs, even if you are not navigating yourself. Again, the distance cannot be underestimated, and at least knowing that you're going to have to walk another 8 kilometres before the next Tor is far better than just hoping for it to end, from a mental point of view.
Ten Tors requires a huge amount of input, but the feeling of completion is unmatched. Crossing a finish line as a team in front of hundreds of spectators is something I will probably never get to experience again in my life, and the magnitude of the accomplishment made it even more special. Hopefully you go on next year and take as much from it as I have, because I know it is something I will never forget.