By: Blonde Two
Could you wild camp in the middle of Dartmoor?
Could you smile at the ice on your tent?
Could you shiver all night and still smile?
Could you carry more than a third of your body weight?
Could you do it for two days?
Could you do it as it gets heavier and heavier in the rain?
Could you find your way across Dartmoor with a compass?
Could you do it when you can see only ten paces ahead?
Could you do it in the dark when you are exhausted?
Could you set off at seven o’clock on Saturday morning?
Could you do that and keep going until Sunday afternoon?
Could you do that and keep your friends going too?
Could you do all this with a twisted ankle?
Could you do all this and take someone else’s load too?
Could you do all this with blisters covering your feet?
Could you cross the finishing line with a smile?
Could you carry your flag with pride?
Could you do it together, as a team?
Today, just as this post is publishing, over two thousand young men and women will set out to prove that they can; that they are up to the Ten Tors Challenge. Some will be, some won’t be. All will be tested to their very limits.
Why don’t I just go ahead and lie, saying: Yes.
Because we might ask you to join us one day? We couldn’t do it either!
While plodding through the driving drizzle on Monday I did think ahead to this weekend and had such admiration for the kids. I was thinking if getting back to the car and home to a nice warm shower and home cooked meal. To do this, then pitch your tent, cook on your trangia bed down, get up,again and carry on is not something everyone could do.
Good luck everyone-I’ll be following you
X
I’ve just perused the Ten Tors website. I could imagine myself doing the 55 miler alone but the complications of being in a team of 6 would cast a lot of doubt on the outcome. Success would demand a strong leader. I can imagine there are many tales to tell afterwards. Do you train just one team and which mileage category are they entered for? Is it just a matter of finishing or is there a race element?
Circa 1956 I took my Senior Scout patrol (possibly five of us, ages from 14 to 16 I think) from Scar House Reservoir near Pateley Bridge AT NIGHT over the pathless mass of Great Whernside, 2310ft, to descend to Hag Dyke, an old farmhouse 1500ft. up on the other side used as a scout hostel/bunkhouse. The rest of the troop were having a meet there, but accessing by the conventional path from Kettlewell. One of my party cried for his mum nearly all the way. My navigation skills were rudimentary then, but by flook or instinct we hit our target spot on as dawn was breaking. There was no input whatsoever from any adults or scout leaders – I organised the whole thing with the scoutmaster’s blessing – no supervision, no risk assessments.
We have a 35 mile and a 45 mile team. So far, all going well!
You were lucky with the risk assessments – sounds like a proper adventure!
I still have fond memories of doing so, in 1990 and 1992. It’s an experience which the participants will be able to look back on with pride for the rest of their lives. Good luck to your teams and to everyone else taking part.
Hee, nice one, Roderick!
Still got my Ten Tors bronze medal – 35 miles was enough. Back in the 60s, no-one checked our kit – not even our waterproofs, no-one checked our navigation skills ( but our team leader was a Motor Transport WRNS driver and had maps in her brain), no-one looked to see if we were wearing boots – I did it in my Number Two leather shoes because at the last minute I was afraid my very heavy boots might be too much over 35 miles. In those days, waterproofs were not lightweight – mine were PVC coated canvas – but they were very waterproof and I was glad of that; there was no hood – I used a souwester. I remember fetching water for the team in a billy can and half of it blew away in the gale as I crossed the field. I remember being chuffed as anything when a soldier told me I was doing the right thing – (I’d propped my feet up above my head on his landrover.) I remember extreme glee (naughty) when we learned that our WRAC rivals had given up before the end – army boot blisters.
Do you have any photographs of you doing the event? It would be grand to see them.