Two Bryanston teams have successfully completed this year’s Ten Tors Challenge, one of the most demanding and distinctive youth endurance events in the UK.
Run by the British Army, Ten Tors sees around 450 teams take on routes of 35, 45 or 55 miles across Dartmoor. Each team of six pupils walks independently for two days, navigating between ten tors, the high granite outcrops that punctuate the Dartmoor landscape, while carrying everything they need on their backs.
What makes the challenge so remarkable is the level of independence required. Once underway, pupils make every decision themselves, without the direct support or guidance of staff. Route choice, team management, personal care, pace, rest breaks and navigation all sit with the team.
That independence is tested in a challenging environment. Dartmoor can bring driving rain, strong winds, boggy ground, steep ascents, heat, dehydration and exhaustion. With a 15kg pack and many hours on foot, pupils must continue to think clearly, support one another and make sound decisions under pressure.
Following a 5am wake-up on Saturday, around 2,500 pupils began walking at 7am. For Bryanston’s teams, the tough training weekends were fresh in their minds, but they knew the next two days would test them even further.
The team of Cs, taking on the 35-mile route, completed an impressive 43km on Saturday, working exceptionally well together during 12 hours alone on Dartmoor. The A3s, tackling the 45-mile route, covered a staggering 65km on Saturday, finally arriving at their camp at 10pm after 15 hours on the move. Breaks were brief, rarely more than five or ten minutes, as the pupils kept themselves on track to complete the full distance.
After a short night in tents, both teams woke at 4am on Sunday and checked in at their first tor at 6am, ready for a further 25km of walking.
In a fitting end to the weekend, both Bryanston teams finished within minutes of each other. The A3 pupils had hoped to catch the Cs so they could cross the line together, but the younger pupils had other ideas. Drawing on the friendly competitive spirit built during training, they sprinted down the final track towards the finish, determined to cross first. After two days and more than 65km on foot, they still found the energy to run.
The confidence to decide where to camp, when to sleep, when to wake, which direction to take, and how to look after both themselves and each other is built over many weekends of training. Pupils are pushed beyond what they previously thought possible, preparing them for the physical and mental demands of the event.
We are immensely proud of every pupil who took part. Congratulations to all of the following:
Cs – 35-mile route
Team leader Fletcher D, lead navigator Tom W, Sam C, Max H, Bess B-M and Iris K-W.
A3s – 45-mile route
Team leader Oscar D, lead navigator Theo S, Tom F, Eban E, Milo H and Jamie T.
