TenTors - Final Training Weekend

News - 29th Apr 2025

St Peter’s Students Conquer Dartmoor in Final Training Weekend

This weekend marked the final chapter of our adventurers’ Ten Tors training. We met before 6 a.m. at school on Saturday morning, where pupils loaded their team kit onto their already heavy rucksacks. Three teams set off onto the moor unaccompanied, using their skills and decision-making to navigate a challenging 30km route from Nodden Gate in North West Dartmoor to Postbridge in the heart of Dartmoor. With 820 metres of height gain, the route tested their endurance; apart from a brief drizzle on our drive to our start, the day was clear and pleasant, near-perfect conditions for walking. That’s not to say they didn’t encounter a bog or two, or have to choose their river crossings carefully.

Back at our familiar campsite at Tor Royal, tents were quickly pitched and evening meals cooked to replenish energy spent during the day. It wasn’t long before many students were fast asleep beneath a clear, dark Dartmoor sky filled with bright stars.

Day two began with another early start, alarms set for 5 a.m. Despite everyone needing a lie-in, there was no snooze button to silence the chorus of a hundred or so bleating sheep and spring lambs eager to reclaim their field. As if that wasn’t enough, the resident (and rather large) turkey ensured no one slept in, standing guard atop his greenhouse.

After breakfast and packing away tents, the explorers set off once more, independently tackling a 20km route from Princetown to Peat Cot, then north-east to Prince’s Hall, Bellever Tor, Postbridge, and up to Fernworthy.

It’s perhaps a cliché to say everyone did amazingly well — but their achievements this season truly deserve highlighting. They have learned to map-read and plot routes, built their fitness and resilience, and carried all their food, water, and camping equipment, including spares and emergency supplies, in backpacks that anyone would acknowledge as heavy. They have crossed uneven ground, climbed steep hills, descended valleys, waded through bogs, and crossed rivers — much of this in the depths of winter. They’ve learned how to manage emergencies, worked as teams, and faced all challenges with smiles on their faces, despite blisters, aches, pains, and, sadly, a few injuries.

It is important to reflect that participants completed this training without knowing whether they would be placed in a final event team. Many other commitments and hobbies have taken second place, and no doubt Birthday and Christmas money has been spent on kit needed to survive these challenges. Their commitment has been truly admirable.

Whilst we are fortunate to field three teams, this limits us to just 18 places, sadly meaning we are unable to offer a place to many other very capable students. Our reservists — those not initially selected — continue to prepare diligently, ready to step in at a moment’s notice to ensure we have three full teams starting the event.

To everyone who has been part of the Ten Tors training this year, and especially to our reservists: well done on all your incredible achievements. You have made yourselves, family and your school very proud.

Mr Goldsmith