During the first week of the Christmas holidays, Director of Adventure Education, Mr Stephen Lamacraft, embarked on the inaugural Ten Tors training expedition in a team of ten pupils and colleagues. Below is the report, written by Year 12 Nina C.

From pub dinners with games, to howling winds as we tried to sleep, the Ten Tors practice was definitely a trip to remember! Whether it was the picturesque views as we walked through fields of sheep discussing favourite supermarkets, or tears as another foot sunk into the boggy marshland, the randomness and unpredictability of every moment made the experience unlike anything else I’d done before.

For the seven team members and three teachers (Mr. Lamacraft, Dr. Langdon and Mrs. Tapley) the trip started on the final day of the Autumn term, before everyone broke up for the Christmas holiday. For most of us, the half day was spent answering the same question as to why we were in mufti clothes, with some students regretting not signing up for the expedition themselves! However, 13:30 quickly rolled around and the four-hour bus journey down to Dartmoor had begun. After a quick midpoint stop at McDonald’s, and a much needed toilet break, we arrived at the Dartmoor YHA hostel before we knew it.

Once settled in, we walked down to the local Wetherspoons where we tucked into the first pub meal of many yet to come. After eating our own body weight in chips and cookie dough, we tackled the first hill of the trip: back to the youth hostel! Once at the top we settled into comfort we wouldn’t experience again anytime soon. We finished the night after Natalya and Chris had finished their game of pool, and we’d all had enough of table football. The pool table was Natalya’s trip highlight but it definitely wasn’t Chris’; you can probably guess who came out on top! We tucked ourselves in for the night- which for Sergio was the best sleep he was going to get for the next two days- and set an alarm for 7:00 the next morning.

After a quick breakfast, we walked right out of the Youth hostel and set off on the 17km walk ahead of us. Prepped with hats, gloves, thermals, more gloves, more hats, scarfs, hand warmers, more thermals and more gloves, we were expecting rain and wind but instead the whole day was full of sun, without a cloud to be seen. The conditions were absolutely perfect. Windy enough to keep you cool but not to freeze, no fog, no rain and even sunny enough to see! We walked beside streams and Shetland ponies with lots of us already falling in love with Dartmoor. The Tors in the distance were getting closer and we quickly realised we were about to walk up our first Tor: The “Yes Tor” (Yes, that is its actual name; not just what we decided to call it!). It was a steady climb, but definitely a long one. For Ella-Grace, Chris and Dr Langdon with her victory coffee, reaching the top was the peak of their enjoyment, it was Sergio’s lowest point. The walk continued with lots of random but funny conversations. Then we met the first patch of uneven, boggy land with grass tufts that made avoiding twisted ankles a professional skill. Mr Lamacraft, being the professional he is, walked through with such certainty and conviction that we all stood in awe. Mrs Tapley identified this as the toughest part of the trip for her, and when she shared this recollection everyone groaned, not wanting to have to relive, let alone remember, the trauma of it. After the mentally exhausting grass tuft experience, we all collapsed and looked back at what we had achieved. It was a very satisfying feeling.

Having found it no struggle at all, Mr Lamacraft was keen to get moving again. After feeling stuck to the floor for a few minutes, we all agreed and stood up and got moving. Then we met a nice downhill. Except, rather than choosing to follow the dry, smooth path, many opted for the shorter but boggy route. For Eloise, running down the hill through the grasses was her favourite part of the trip and for Ella-Grace it was the start of the tally of how many streams she could walk through! The rest of the walk was spent listening to music and thinking we found a geocache when really it was an exploded grenade! After a good round trip, we made it back to the youth hostel. A quick coach journey got us to a local pub and the field where we were going to spend the night. The pub had great food and we spent a good two-hours there playing games, but mostly, avoiding going out into the cold to put the tent up. The whole tent experience was the worst part of the trip for me, Ella-Grace and Sophie. The wind was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It was so strong the tents were practically blowing away. However, once put up, we all bundled into one 3 man tent which ended up being a laugh.

The second day started with a cold, quick, tent dissembling, followed by a pub breakfast. A life of luxury! We started the 15km walk from right outside the pub, conditions just as nice as the day before, and a simple 20-minute walk got us to the base of what looked like two Tors that never ended: Brat and Hare. After reviewing the map we realised we were going to be walking through the middle of the two: A rather pleasant surprise considering how high up the peaks were. After panicking about Eloise’s lost inhaler, we set off up the path. However, what we thought was going to be a nice walk up the hill suddenly took a turn for the worse. The uneven boggy grass tufts had returned; except this time they were served alongside some serious winds. The hill seemed to just keep on growing, and as fast as we tried to move up the hill the winds kept pushing us back. After a few tears here and there (rescued by Percy Pig tissues) we made it to the top. It was definitely a struggle for all of us. For some, the winds were quite a thrill but Eloise and Natalya definitely didn’t agree! The day was filled with more grass, hills, streams, downhills, up-hills and getting lost, but I’m sure that once you’ve heard about one day in Dartmoor you’ve heard about them all! The final stretch of the walk was tough but YMCA and other cheesy hits got us through. We arrived back at the pub and collapsed onto the bus, ready to go home to our beds. We spent the journey back reminiscing about the trip whilst revisiting the game Among Us. Once back at School, we slumped out of the bus and were picked up by our parents before they all universally proceeded to grill us on how the trip had been.

The whole trip was a great experience full of challenges to overcome. Whether it be the mental struggle and frustration of walking with wet feet, or the physical challenge of walking up the hills on the second day. Each challenge taught us something new about ourselves and really helped to bring us all together as a team. I think we all enjoyed walking in beautiful places, having conversations we wouldn’t have had in school and learning how to properly use a compass! Practice one complete, just two more to go!