Over the weekend of the 15-17 March, the Mount Kelly 35-mile and 45-mile Ten Tors and Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award teams completed their final training weekend, walking and camping in some very challenging conditions.
The Ten Tors teams were given a full Ten Tors route to complete over the two and a half days, camping out for both nights. They set off from Okehampton Army Camp in heavy drizzle and thick fog and walked between six and nine miles to reach their respective campsites for the evening. The next day saw them continue their walk over some of the most exposed parts of the moor in continuous rain and even thicker fog, adapting their routes to avoid potentially dangerous river crossings. Overnight rain added to the already saturated ground and made for an uncomfortable start to the final day, however, with around ten miles to go, the clouds dispersed, the sun broke through and the pupils were able to finish their walk in warmer and drier conditions.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award teams also braved the heavy rain and strong winds, and impressively 100% of pupils completed the walk.
All the pupils who completed the weekend deserve tremendous credit. They showed superb grit, determination and attitude throughout.
More photographs can be found on Facebook: DofE and Ten Tors
