Beechen Cliff School student correspondent, George Capsey, reports on the preparation taking place at the school for this year’s Ten Tors expedition
Beechen Cliff School in Bath offers many extracurricular opportunities, one of which is the exciting challenge of Ten Tors.
Ten Tors is an annual hike that takes place in Dartmoor over a weekend in early May. It was established in 1960 by the British Army and brings together teams of six participants who take on one of three routes, 35, 45 or 55 miles, across the rugged terrain.
With 2,400 participants, including a majority from schools, cadets, scout groups and colleges, it is a significant event. Since 2012, only groups from the South West have been able to enter due to high demand, with teams from as far as Australia participating before this change.
The event starts at 8am on Saturday and participants must return by 5pm on Sunday. While time is a factor, the real challenge lies in navigation and independence. This year, Beechen Cliff was accepted for two 35 mile groups, one 45 mile group and one 55 mile group.
Beechen Cliff has built a strong reputation for its high standards in this event and to maintain this, teachers dedicate their free time to bring students out on training walks and weekends. This commitment reflects the work ethic and determination of our teachers who aim to help us succeed.
For one of those teachers, Mr Brewer, explained, “Ten Tors offers a unique challenge for youngsters which certainly takes individuals out of their comfort zone. As teachers we see pupils gain in confidence from the event as well as developing independence and team work skills. All pupils gain so much from the experience and step away from the ordinary in so many ways, not least an understanding of self and just what can be achieved with determination and resilience.”
The training sessions include a day walk in the Mendips, two nights and two days walking at the school’s Tir y Cwm cottage in Wales, and three weekends in Dartmoor. These sessions run from mid January to late April, preparing us for the real event on 10-11 May. So far, we’ve completed the Mendip session, the Black Mountain session and Dartmoor 1. Dartmoor 2 is taking place from 28-30 March, with a final training session at the end of April.
These sessions teach us valuable skills such as navigation skills, tent-building skills, cooking skills, safety advice and much more that we can take with us onto the harsh hills of southern Devon.
With 24 Beechen Cliff students taking part in the event this year, every teacher who helps out has our utmost respect. Thanks to Beechen Cliff’s extracurricular opportunities, we can push ourselves with challenges like this, going out of our comfort zones and developing skills we’ll take with us in life.
To find out more about Ten Tors, go to www.tentors.org.uk
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