Ten Tors is a real test of commitment, grit and team work.

At 7am a cannon fires, Chariots of Fire is blasted out and over two thousand teenagers bomb burst from Okehampton camp under the watchful eye of the Armed forces.  For two days each team of six is required to accurately navigate a route across Dartmoor completely self sufficiently – with no other group to follow and no teachers to ask for support.

In 2019 I was lucky enough to represent Queen’s on the 35 mile route.  As a bunch of thirteen and fourteen year olds we had been well trained over the previous months however we arrived on Dartmoor naïve to  the challenge ahead and the mettle that was going to be required over the next few days.

Our team ethos was that we would all succeed, we would not let anyone give up – we were determined to start and finish as a group of 6. The going definitely did get tough but that has only made us all have fonder memories of the event and the desire to go back for more and challenge ourselves to succeed over the longer distances.

Our memories from the 2019 Ten Tors yomp:

• Making up songs to pass our time.
• The feeling of happiness to see other groups having been as a team of 6 for so long
• Blisters, bogs and falling in rivers
• Being tired, getting lost, and having to work out what to do ourselves – the happiness when we were back on track was so rewarding
• Team work – constantly being optimistic and supporting others when they were struggling
• Jelly babies – they can give so much pleasure when you are feeling low
• The overwhelming sense of achievement when we crossed the finish line

I am so excited to take part in Ten Tors 2022, this time tackling the 45 mile route!