GLORIOUS sunshine beamed down on 2,358 youngsters as they crossed the Okehampton Camp finish line of the Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenges on Dartmoor this weekend.

The challenge, now in its 58th year, is one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in the UK in which they are tested to their limits by trekking unaided over different 35, 45 or 55 mile routes encountering some of the wildest landscapes and highest peaks in southern England. They not only have to rely on team work and navigational skills but sheer grit and determination to succeed. 

Colonel Andrew Dawes DSO OBE, Commander Headquarters South West and director of Ten Tors said: ‘The event has been brilliant, the weather has been spectacular, Dartmoor has rarely looked so beautiful and the young people have rarely looked happier.

‘From the volunteers, our cadets, the military and especially all the team managers who worked so hard to bring the youngsters here in good order to undertake what is a very challenging event, everyone has done a fantastic job.

‘There is a spirit to Ten Tors which is unique in a sense, there are essential ingredients that we must always get spot on. It is a ‘rite of passage’ for some of these young people, 3,000 take part and may come back two or three years in a row and it is wonderful to see them grow through the events.

‘The planning has already started for next year, in fact we are now planning for 2020 which will be the 60th anniversary of the event and we are really focused on that. However, this has been absolutely brilliant year and it has been a privilege to deliver it.’

After the start of the main event, up to 354 youngsters with special physical or educational needs started the Jubilee Challenge. The youngsters - many in wheelchairs - entered either as teams or as individuals and completed routes of up to 15 miles; they were each accompanied by an officer cadet from Exeter University Officer Training Corps.

Major Heather Stanning OBE, serving with the Royal Artillery, a retired member of the Great Britain rowing team and double Olympic gold medallist, presented medals to some of the early finishers.

She said: ’Ten Tors is a brilliant event; character building taking the youngsters out of their comfort zone. It helps them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and is important in terms of team work and the lessons they would have learnt on this will definitely be remembered for the rest of their lives.’

The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from across the South West. These include scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units, all of whom have prepared and trained hard since late last year.

See this week’s Times for further coverage and more pictures from the fantastic Ten Tors weekend.