PUPILS from Sidmouth College braved the heat to take on the challenge of the Ten Tors.

PUPILS from Sidmouth College braved the heat to take on the challenge of the Ten Tors.

The annual event was back last weekend, after torrential rain and adverse conditions on Dartmoor caused organisers to abandon the challenge and evacuate the participants last year. In stark contrast, this year's walkers were met with blazing sunshine and some of the warmest conditions in years.

Sidmouth College fielded two teams, one for the 35-mile route made up of year 10 pupils, Harry Snow, Matthew Hindle, Nathan Carpenter, Katie Dean and team leader Victoria Lee, and a 45-mile team, including year 11 students Rosie Sinclair, Charlotte Hall, Ben Lomax, Alex Wright, Dan Gigg and team captain Ben Gibbs.

College teacher, Roger White, who acted as team manager, said: "They had two full weekends training, one on Exmoor and one on Dartmoor, as well as three day walks on Dartmoor and a walk along the coastal path.

"It went well for our teams. They did extremely well and were very motivated. They worked extremely well together as a team and, despite quite hot conditions, they managed to get round very successfully, so we are very pleased with their performance. Both teams are very good groups of kids and they worked hard."

Another group of college students took on the task of forming their own team, the Newton Poppleford Ramblers, after missing out when last year's event was called off.

Mr White said: "Five pupils formed their own team which had nothing to do with the college. They did all the training themselves, with some help from Andy Turner, and they got round the 55-mile route."

The Army-led walk is open to 14 to 19 year olds. Around 2,400 teenagers in 400 teams set off from the base camp at 7am last Saturday to trek either 35, 45, or 55 miles across the moors.