Ten Tors teenagers brave the elements

DARTMOOR National Park’s unpredictable weather did not stop 2,314 teenagers in teams from cadet forces, schools and scout groups taking part last weekend in the nation’s largest youth outdoor event – the Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenge

Now in its seventh decade, the Ten Tors event is a South West tradition. Over two days, teams of six teenagers, unaided and carrying all their own equipment, cover distances of 35, 45 or 55 miles.

They must choose their own route and navigate to checkpoints across the difficult, wild terrain of Dartmoor without the use of mobile phones or GPS.

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Maxwell-Batten is one of the key military organisers. He said: “This experience is always very humbling, and an amazing challenge for those young people. If anyone knows Dartmoor, all the distances are really hard work and it’s just astonishing and so rewarding to see them come through after all their hard training.”

The Army-run event, is heavily supported by the Navy, the RAF, volunteers and civilian agencies, including the Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA).

There was a festival atmosphere on the day before the start, with a new fringe event at Okehampton Camp. Alongside the tented village, various performers, including Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalists Soldiers of Swing, entertained the challengers, who were in an enthusiastic mood.