Ten Tors Challenge
Heroic team's success
The Dauntsey's Ten Tors team have returned triumphant from the gruelling Ten Tors challenge. They left School on Friday 8th May, travelling to Okehampton Military Camp where they spent the evening planning the route, preparing food and packing their rucksacks. The team, surrounded by hundreds of other young people from all over the country, set off with the start-gun at 7am the following morning, full of confidence and optimism.
Progress throughout the morning was good: after a fast start the pupils quickly found their rhythm and they picked off their first few tors at a good, steady and sustainable pace.As morning turned to afternoon they maintained their momentum well, showing good stamina in order to stay on schedule. After nearly 12 hours non-stop walking (carrying 15 kilos of kit), with throbbing feet and weary legs, they checked in at Hartor (tor six) at 18:45, and still found the will to walk another three hours into the next leg before pitching camp.
The next morning the team members awoke at 4.30am in order to get moving early. As the day wore on, they battled rising temperatures and an increasingly fierce sun, racing against the clock (in order to be successful, the team need to finish by 1700hrs). Finally, heroically, they crossed the finish line at 16.20 - forty minutes before the cut-off. Their courage, stamina, spirit and team-unity were tested to the utmost and their achievement cannot be understated. All the supporters present were extremely proud of them.