EXETER College students have been giving up their spare time and weekends to train for this year’s 50th Ten Tors Challenge, with the voluntary help of Exeter College tutors and Ten Tors Managers Mike Whale and Nick Couzens.
Each in teams of six students aged 16 to 19, Exeter College will be entering one team for the 45-Mile and another for the 55-Mile route.
Departing from Okehampton Army Camp at 7am on Saturday, May 8, their journey will see them walking across the whole of Dartmoor in one weekend via some of its most beautiful and challenging tors and landmarks before returning to the military base again on Sunday, May 9.
The 45-Mile and 55-Mile teams have undertaken the Ten Tors Challenge as part of their Enrichment experience while studying at the College.
A third Exeter College team will be taking part in the one-day Jubilee Challenge on the Saturday; an associated Ten Tors event for students with learning and physical disabilities.
Together, the 18 students will be among the students taking part from across the South West this year – 400 teams having registered in total.
Nick, who has completed the Ten Tors Challenge twice himself, in 1993 and 1995, recalls: “It is very, very hard. Mentally and physically it’s almost impossible.
“But afterwards, you don’t really remember that; you think about the huge sense of achievement when you cross that finishing line. It’s not a race and it’s not about competing, it’s about working as a team and helping each other out to get there together.”
He adds: “As part of the challenge, the students will have to be self-sufficient, navigating around the tors, cooking meals from army ration packs, and setting up their tents. Since last September, Mike and I have been taking them up onto Dartmoor and to Haldon Hill for team-building exercises and they have all done incredibly well, so I’m sure they’ll do the College proud.
“What is particularly nice is that these are students who would not normally necessarily study together on the same courses or even on the same sites. Some are from Foundation Studies, others are A level students; some are from Construction and others from Public Services. They are all working really well together as teams.”
Among those taking part is 55-Mile Team Captain Edward Slipzenko, aged 18, of Kingsteignton.
Currently studying for his A levels in History, English Literature, Spanish and Computing at Exeter College, he says: “I decided to take part in Ten Tors because I enjoy being out on the moors, and also to help me with my Royal Navy application.”
Expecting there to be a few ups and downs along the way, he continues: “Rivers will probably be the worst bit, not because they are particularly difficult, but because they can result in you losing quite a bit of time reaching your checkpoint – that and going uphill.
“Obviously, the downhill treks will be among my favourites, but most of all I’ll be looking forward to crossing the finishing line knowing that we’ve covered 55 miles across Dartmoor, having navigated ourselves around the route the whole way.
“What I’ve liked about taking part so far,” he adds, “is that we have been getting out on the moors and going for it. The scenery is great, my team has been working well together, and I’ve really enjoyed being out there with them.”