By: Blonde One

Season 21! I can hardly believe that I have just started training teenagers for Ten Tors for the 21st year!

I have to admit to feeling a little bit grumpy at the start of this years first training day. I was very tired due to an extremely busy week, the weather was just horrid, I felt like I hadn’t seen my house for far too many days and I had a lot of school work to catch up on. The journey was mostly spent with me thinking that perhaps I should have ended my Ten Tors training years on the high of receiving my 20 year certificate and medal. It is a slight understatement to say that I was less than enthusiastic!

Once I arrived at the start point and got stuck in preparing the team for their day I soon forgot these negative thoughts. Dartmoor threw at us buckets of rain, many gusts of wind and a shower of hail for good measure. Despite this weather I quickly remembered why I have spent the last 20 years doing this; the excitement and enthusiasm of the team were infectious. They were so keen to be there and so enjoying being in this wild, rough environment that I felt a bit guilty for being so grumpy. The whole day, from beginning to end, was an utter joy. My spirits were lifted, my soul was content and the smile on my face was as big and bright as the rainbows that we saw after lunch.

The Trinity team blew me away with their skills and attitude. They demonstrated some near perfect teamwork, some very skilled navigation and some spectacular eagerness to learn. The questions that were asked throughout the day proved that they had a sense of determination to succeed and a hunger for the challenge that Dartmoor provides. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good year!