Ten Tors: Not an Outing for the Casual Walker

Ten Tors Team with Fin Godfrey (far left)

Tor: a rocky pinnacle; a peak of a bare or rocky mountain or hill. (1)

“Ten Tors is an annual weekend hike organised and run in early May for 2,400 young people by the British Army on Dartmoor.” So starts the Wikipedia entry on Ten Tors. For the past several years, my nephews have taken the challenge and hiked the rugged terrain of Dartmoor. Although a “spring” event, the weather in England in the spring runs from beautiful to worse than awful. From warm and dry to freezing cold and raining or snowing. The young prople who take on this challenge of 35, 45 or 55 miles train for months, then after a gear check and briefing, strike out on the hike. They carry all the food, tents, clothes, cooking gear and first aid gear they will need to meet the conditions on the open Moorland. They purify water as they go for drinking.

These are tough young men and women.

This year my nephew Fin will lead a team 45 miles from Tor to Tor until all ten have been reached. He was chosen because of his experience on previous outings, his ability to navigate in the wilderness and his personality. No better choice in my opinion. He will lead the group to success and the entire family is as proud as a proud family can be.

All there is left to say is “GO FIN AND GO TEAM!!!!!”

Image: Fin (left) and some others I don’t know, including the team members
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Tors
1. Definition: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tor