Disappointed students who have spent months training for the Ten Tors challenge will have to wait until next year, after the event was cancelled.
The Army announced that this year’s Ten Tors, which would have been the 60th, has been called off amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Thankfully all was not lost after Sidmouth College, along with many other schools, anticipated the move - so organised a weekend walking and camping trip to Dartmoor before the lockdown.
Carole Clark from the school, which had 14 children set to take part, said: “We, along with many other schools in Devon, had realised this was going to be the case before the Army actually cancelled, and were able to take the students for one last training weekend earlier in March where they enjoyed two days walking and overnight camping.
“Students have commented to me that they found the training experience ‘hard’, ‘exciting’, ‘a feeling of accomplishment’ and a ‘great learning experience’, and they feel ‘disappointed’ and ‘deflated’ that they won’t be able to take the challenge this year. However, they feel they had a good experience which will stay with them.
“The college relies upon our wonderful volunteers and would like to thank Nick, Martyn, Roger, Jen, John and Andy – we very much hope to be back training at the end of 2020 for the 2021 Ten Tors Challenge.”
Headteacher Rob Gammon, of Ottery’s The King’s School, said: “Like Sidmouth College, we were in the middle of a training programme for our Ten Tors students before lockdown.
“Naturally, students and staff were disappointed at the cancellation of the remainder of the training and event itself; however, given the current situation, this is absolutely the right thing to do.
“We had already entered the camping phase, having done a number of day walks, and therefore the students did enjoy an overnight camp and walk on Dartmoor at the beginning of March.
“We will now keep the situation under review.”
Director of Ten Tors, Colonel Neville Holmes MBE, said the activities planned to mark 60 years of the event will now take place next year.
He said: “In the meantime, I would like to congratulate all those who have achieved so much whilst training for this year’s event and thank the hardworking teachers, leaders, parents and others who have enabled them to do so.”
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