At 7.00 am on Saturday two THS teams set off on the annual Ten Tors Challenge, not knowing that the event would attract national news coverage when it was dramatically cancelled at 9.30 pm that evening. All day both teams had battled their way over Dartmoor, facing strong winds and heavy showers. The teams’ progress was monitored throughout the day by the support staff and the teams' reserves, Belinda Cooper and Shane Norman, at Okehampton Battle Camp, with parents following events at home on the internet. It was not the weather that caused the event to be cancelled, but the rising river levels, brought about by the heavy rain, making river crossings dangerous. With more rain forecast overnight and for Sunday morning the Army took the decision to cancel the event and to start evacuating all the participants off the moor and returning them to Okehampton the following morning.
Both the teams had trained in wet and windy conditions which had well prepared them for the weather they were facing. The 35 mile team - Richard Salter (Leader), Connor McCullagh, Adin Hatcliff, Laura Pickering, Abi Hunter and Jessica Alsopp - managed to maintain a steady pace throughout the day, arriving at Black Tor on the south moor just a few minutes late which meant that they could not continue on to their next objective, Great Mis Tor. They were prevented from starting on Sunday morning by the Army and were told to stay in their tents until transport arrived to return them to Okehampton.
The 45 mile team had made rapid progress all day making their way down the moor always checking in at their tors within a few minutes of their predicted arrival. They had reached Red Lake where they camped for the night with 23 other teams. Red Lake is one of the remotest parts of the moor. At one time the Army was contemplating marching all 23 teams down the Two Moors Way to Ivybrige and returning them to Okehampton by road. In the end the team - Rosie Davey (Leader), Graham Radford, Harry Hunter, Tom Graham, Maude Morrison and Alex Tall - were evacuated in a much more exciting way, when a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter arrived to take them to Bickleigh Barracks in Plymouth where they were repatriated by road to Okehampton.
Two other THS students, Ruth Woodcock and Harriet Greatrix, were walking with the Mid Devon Youth 45 mile team. They were stopped at Trowlesworthy Tor, along with over 90 other teams, and were taken off the moor and returned by road to Okehampton Battle Camp.
Both teams arrived at Okehampton with mixed feelings. All were disappointed at not completing the event but were glad to be awarded their medals for taking part. The 35 mile team were interviewed by the Express & Echo reporter when they arrived at Okehampton. Connor McCullagh summed up the feelings of both teams when he said “It is a bit annoying really. We don’t feel that we have achieved as much as we should. It doesn’t feel right to get a medal”.
Both teams should be congratulated for their efforts during the months of training and for the spectacular effort they made during the event weekend. On the Saturday there was a 15% retirement rate, one of the highest ever for the Ten Tors event. Both of our school teams were intact, with all twelve still on the moor before they were evacuated. Not only were both teams deprived of a glorious finish but parents were also prevented from being able to applaud their children as they crossed the finishing line. Every team member should feel very proud of what they have achieved and the way that they conducted themselves.
