A Right Royal Welcome For Yeo Vale Girl Guiding at The Ten Tors 50th Anniversary
Dartmoor is one of the last wildernesses in England. It is a National Park, and occupies some 368 square miles of hills topped by granite outcrops - the 'Tors'. In 1960 when Lieutenant Colonel Lionel Gregor, Major Parker, and Captain Joyner devised what has become known as the Ten Tors Challenge for 200 youngsters, one wonders if they envisaged that 2,400 youngsters from the south west would still be taking up the challenge 50 years on in 2010.
The Ten Tors event - in parallel with the Jubilee Challenge - takes place one weekend in May, and every year some 400 teams of six teenagers accept the challenge to complete the event. The teams, depending on age and ability, face hikes of 35, 45 or 55 miles between ten nominated Tors over two days. The intention is that the teams shall be self-sufficient; carrying everything they need to survive two days on the Moor.
The teams of six set off from Okehampton camp at 7am on Saturday morning and must stop for the evening at 8pm. They can start again at 6am on Sunday and have to reach the finish line by 5pm on Sunday in order to complete the course and receive their medal.
For thirty five of the fifty years, Girl Guides have been represented at the event with teams from Yeo Vale & Wraxall Divisions. Their teams train in conjunction with Gordano District Scouts. Guides and Senior Section girls have entered and completed at all three distances. Inspired by the experience some girls have gone on to take up a career in outward bound centres and cited their participation in this event as being life changing.
This year the Yeo Vale Girl Guide Division 35 mile team comprised Deanna Payne, Anna Baker, Amelia Cox, Clare Dimmock, Ashley Adams and Luke Webber. Deanna, Anna, Amelia and Clare are all Guides at Blagdon, Ashley is a Ranger at Yatton and Luke was “borrowed” from the Nailsea Explorer Scouts to make up numbers. The team crossed the finishing line at 3.45pm, well ahead of the 5pm deadline. The girls described the event as a definite “Mountain Top Moment” in this, Girl Guiding’s Centenary, year.
Also from the Yeo Vale Division were former Blagdon Guides, Kate Dimmock and Annie Rose Davies along with Eloise Brown from Wrington Guides who took part in the 45 mile challenge with other Gordano teams and completed mid morning on the Sunday. Annie Rose and Eloise were surprised to be presented with their awards by the Duke of Edinburgh who, as Patron of Ten Tors, attended to mark the 50th Anniversary of the event.
