Two teams from The King’s School completed the Ten Tors challenge, with one group reaching the finish line only just in time.
The teams were allocated different 35-mile routes for the Dartmoor trek on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday 8. Other students from years 10 and 11 took part in the 35-mile and 45-mile hikes, representing local Scout groups.
Ben Venables, head of outdoor education, said: “The event requires students to be completely self-sufficient and start their adventure from Okehampton Army camp at 7am on Saturday morning. To complete the challenge successfully they must return to the finish at the camp by 5pm on the Sunday evening.
“The King's School on Route D finished at 3.10pm on the Sunday afternoon, with The King’s School team on Route C finishing at 4.45pm, only 15 minutes before the cut-off time. They had had to push hard all day, sometimes running as a team and narrowly avoiding ‘crash’ times, sometimes by as little as nine minutes!
“The team kept parents and staff guessing all day and keeping their fingers crossed to see if they would make it. The sight of the team cresting the horizon with their orange flag coming in from Dinger Tor will be imprinted on the minds of all watching for years to come!
“Special mention goes to Toby and Will Morris, they had been chosen as reserves for The King’s teams. On Saturday morning they volunteered to help students from Truro College in the Jubilee Challenge. This involved helping students with Special Educational Needs complete a 15-mile challenge. The maturity and selflessness of Will and Toby was really impressive and they were outstanding ambassadors for The King’s School.
“The challenge requires the young people involved to start training in October. The students at The King's School have completed five day walks and three camps in preparation for the event. This has required huge levels of commitment and determination for all those involved in the training process.
“I would like to thank all everyone involved in the training of the students. I am sure the young people will look back at the completion of their challenge as a fantastic achievement that proves many barriers can be overcome with teamwork, positivity and a will to succeed.”
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