Last weekend pupils from Years 9 – 13 completed the Ten Tors Challenge on Dartmoor.

This was the culmination of 8 months of training, selection and preparation for the teams.  This year has been extraordinary with almost all of the training completed in cold, wet and windy conditions through the winter and spring.  The teams all showed wonderful commitment and resilience throughout this process, despite the miserable weather conditions.

The weekend of the event however, provided the two hottest days of the year so far and the sunny conditions brought a whole new set of challenges.  With participants carrying heavy packs and unable to avoid the sun, drinking enough fluids was difficult and heat-related injuries were a major problem for many teams.

The Army did a fantastic job at keeping everyone safe in very challenging circumstances, with a large number of teams and individuals being evacuated from the moor on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.  Our two 35-mile teams made up of pupils from Years 9 and 10 finished the event exhausted but with massive smiles and were greeted with applause from the thousands of spectators that had turned out to welcome all the teams home.  Although our 45 and 55-mile teams struggled with the conditions and didn’t manage to complete the full distance, their efforts over the two days were incredibly impressive.  They were bitterly disappointed on Sunday afternoon but for many, their thoughts quickly turned to having another go at it next year…  This is why the Ten Tors is such a special event.  Well done to everybody who took part.