Dozens marked the fifth anniversary of the Belstone Tor Challenge last weekend (September 5) with a fundraising trek up the tor in memory of Gilby Taylor.

Belstone resident Gilby suffered from a rare degenerative form of multiple sclerosis and used a wheelchair but had once been a keen hiker and wished to stand on the top of the tor again.

So, in 2021, the North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (NDSART) stepped in and carried him to the summit. The feat raised £10,000 for the mountain rescue organisation.

Sadly, Gilby passed away in August last year but his widow, Jane Taylor, decided to mark the anniversary and raise funds for NDSART with a commemorative event, inviting friends, family, residents and mountain rescue members to retrace the original route and climb to the top of the tor. The event attracted dozens, including those uninvolved in the original challenge.

Jane said: “A heartfelt thanks to the team once again for their support and as always being such great fun. It was such a lovely, happy day and it felt like a nice finale to what was an amazing event at the time. Gilby would have been amazed at how many people remembered and wanted to come and enjoy the event as he was such a quiet, humble man.”

But it was not an easy walk as Gilby had been taken the long route around the back of the tor – the easiest with a stretcher, but not on foot, as hikers need to negotiate a ring of clitter near the top of the tor. Jane added: “It really brought it home; how difficult the original challenge was. It wasn’t just a gentle walk. People started asking: How did you get a stretcher up here?”

Luckily, participants could enjoy the view and have a bit of fun once they had reached the summit. Surrounded by Dartmoor’s rugged landscape, participants raised a glass to Gilby and Jane released a flare, which caused a great deal of laughter after she was forced to adopt a ‘Statue of Liberty pose’ to prevent the smoke irritating everyone’s eyes.

However, as Jane noted, there was a serious note behind the fun. The NDSART receives no government funding and relies solely on donations from the public. All team members are volunteers but are on call 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, responding to emergencies across a huge area stretching from Exeter to Bude. In recent years, more and more of their work has involved tracing lost people who are vulnerable or struggling with mental health issues.

Participants raised £351 for the charity on the day, and, at the time of writing, JustGiving donations stood at £405, making a total of over £750. The money will go towards funding vital equipment, training and resources.

The fundraiser is still open and anyone who wishes to donate should visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/gilbys-challenge-5-years-on.