Ten Tors Training Begins: On the Path to Peaks

Outdoor Pursuits is a huge part of QEH life with many students participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, Ten Tors challenge and our bespoke QE award. At QEH we encourage students to immerse themselves in co-curricular activities outside of their academic studies.

Ten Tors takes place annually on Dartmoor starting and finishing at Okehampton Camp. The challenge is organised by the Army with support from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. This event is attempted by 2,400 teenagers and the teams navigate routes of 35, 45 or 55 miles checking in at ten check points in under two days. Each team should be self-sufficient and carry all that it needs to complete the route, including camping safely overnight.

Our Ten Tors training started with an afternoon hike in the Mendips. Twenty boys started in Burrington Coombe, walked along the gorge and then down into Cheddar before they climbed back and completed the route. The 10 mile stretch set the boys up for what was to come in the upcoming training.

The boys then headed to Wales to walk the Pen y Fan horseshoe. Mountain weather had promised blue skies and an 85% chance of clear summits so the team were optimistic that for the first time in 57 years they might have a view from the top…. However, once again the Welsh weather let them down, while Bristol was covered with blue sky, they had thick cloud, a mixture of snow and sleet, strong winds and a mild -6 degrees at the top! All the students completed the walk in tough conditions, taking in the summits of Pen y Fan and Cribyn.

The next part of the training will involve their first overnight weekend in Exmoor. This will challenge the student’s resilience and stamina however with a strong team and supported by experienced staff they will successfully complete their first expedition.