@FOUND SOUL,
Good Morning
BEAUTIFUL Sunshiny day in England today and the SW is getting some of the best of it... absolutely beautiful super-stunning day.
Ten Tors starts today from Oke Camp - amazing - gosh, takes me back to my school days and a good yomp - it may even be a little warm for those who are doing the 55 miles
Dartmoor National Park Authority Partnership Project News Release
Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenge 2012
The 52nd annual Ten Tors Challenge starts at Okehampton Camp on the Northern edge of Dartmoor at exactly 0700 on Saturday 12 May.
2,400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 from across the south west will take part in the Army run event; one of the biggest adventure challenges for young people in Britain.
The teenagers will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest points in southern England.
It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults. They’ll have to rely on their navigational skills and - crucially - their team-work to guide them.
The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of Scout groups, sports and Ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.
For many youngsters it was a challenge just to be selected for their team, such is the competition to take part in the event.
Central to the spirit and ethos of the Ten Tors Challenge is that teams who take part remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions. They must camp out overnight on the moor and carry all the food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials they will need to sustain them as they go.
Both the Jubilee Challenge and Ten Tors are a daunting challenge for the young men and women taking part. All will have been in training for at least four months or more to make sure they’re fit enough to complete it.
It’s a rite of passage which has played a formative role in the lives of more than a quarter of a million people from across region over the last half a Century.
‘For more than 50 years, the annual Ten Tors Challenge has shaped the values, attitudes and fitness of thousands of young people’ said Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors and Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade.
‘It literally changes lives for the better. Over those years clothing, equipment and regulations will have changed, but the underlying challenge of walking unaided over the forbidding Dartmoor terrain remains as demanding today as it has ever been.
To complete Ten Tors and the Jubilee Challenge takes considerable commitment and determination, not just from the individuals and teams participating, but also from the adult team managers and group leaders whose selfless commitment and dedication bring the experience and love of the wild to new generations.
We will be presenting more Ten Tors Awards again this year to those essential adult volunteers, whose dedicated support has kept the Ten Tors Challenge alive.
I remain extremely grateful to the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the emergency services, Dartmoor Rescue Group, Devon Air Ambulance Service and Red Cross and to all the many other voluntary organisations and individuals, too many to mention, for their continued assistance with the safe conduct of the Ten Tors Challenge. Safety remains our primary responsibility.
Good luck to the participants and I look forward to meeting you in Okehampton Camp or on Dartmoor.’
Jubilee Challenge
Immediately after the start of Ten Tors, nearly 300 youngsters with special physical or educational needs - many in wheelchairs - will start the Jubilee Challenge, competing routes up to 15 miles. The youngsters can enter either as a team or as individuals, each one accompanied by an Officer Cadet from Exeter University Officer Training Corps.
An emotional awards ceremony for the youngsters who complete the Jubilee Challenge takes part in one of the buildings at Okehampton Camp on Saturday afternoon.
Ten Tors - Moor conditions and Weather Forecast
The Director Ten Tors has conducted an analysis of information available as at 1000 hrs (8 May) regarding the safe conduct of this weekend’s Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenge. Following advice, the Director is satisfied that it will be safe for Ten Tors to continue. His key messages are:
Safety of participants. Current conditions and assessment of the Moor (Safe Environment) appear satisfactory.
Safe and manageable Admin Area. Although not a reason to cancel the event, measures will be taken to mitigate, manage and anticipate issues such as vehicle and route management, track improvements, recovery considerations, and mud on roads etc.
All Team Managers are asked to continue to monitor the Ten Tors Web Site for further information posted. A final assessment will be made on Fri at 1800 hrs, before the start of Ten Tors/Jubilee Challenges. Conditions will continue to be monitored throughout the events.
Finally, the Director urges all teams to prepare for the anticipated conditions, and have a safe and successful Ten Tors or Jubilee Challenge 2012.
Go to: www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/sw/sw_forecast_weather.html (external link, opens new window)
http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/aboutus/news/au-_partnershipnews/ten-tors-and-jubilee-challenge-2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Tors
GOOD LUCK to all the kids, and a special good luck for Sammy and his team from S-boys school. Safe yomping.
I wish y'all new how special the moors were... it's magnificent up there... takes my breath away.
Anyhoo, I am going to spend time out in the garden - it's a jungle out there...
now, if only I could get my body to actually move - I'm not so much Dorothy as I am the tin man without oil - creak creak groan. Flippin dodgy hip and I am completely wracked for no reason whatsoever... does my head in at times (grrr). OK, whine over.
Mind over matter...
BEAgle - loved nattering, no worries with the timing, night or day, anytime, it was just fab to tawk and to hear you so much stronger, MUCH stronger each time. Fantastic. ((((((BEAgle))))) Enjoy your outing with MrsB and take.it.easy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
FS - do hope you made the sale on the property! Yep, it's good to see our Cosmic Eagle flying around... what a difference a week makes. There's no stopping him now - makes me so happy to see him fly
(((lyBlue xox))) & yours x
Okeydokey, cuppa then off to get the lawnmower out and give the grass a haircut - may not get another opportunity before the rain heads back in and I gotta find my special pink gloves (they're brilliant, designed for arthritic hands and man, they make such a difference) and start pulling some of them weeds that are beginning to take over.
Gosh, such a stunning day out there - LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! I love the sunshine and it's so......GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN! I am surrounded by green and all the leaves are coming on the trees - beautiful.
Laters ((((((Crew))))))) - y'all have a great one
x
All well in the big mitten?
