The Ten Tors Event 2009 has been a huge success. Both the junior 35 mile team and the senior 45 mile team completed their routes in very good times. Having travelled down to Okehampton camp on Dartmoor on the Thursday night the teams were greeted with light rain and a bitter wind. Friday morning there was no change in the weather but there was a more promising outlook for the event. First stop was to get the teams registered and obtain their maps and the route cards. With this done, and after joining the vast queue both teams had to have their kit scrutineered by the Ten Tors organisers.
On Saturday, with the camp tanoy system blasting out the chariots of fire" theme tune at 0500 hours, both the teams and all the adult support staff climbed out of their sleeping bags. A full English breakfast, courtesy of SMI Donaldson and SSI Badge in their chef whites was served to both teams. By 0630 hours all the teams, consisting of over 2,000 people, assembled at the start point. At 0700 hours and on the sound of the 105mm Light Gun, all the teams set off on their mammoth treks.
After twenty minutes both the junior and senior teams had disappeared over the horizon and on towards their first Tor. They had until 1700 hourrs on the Sunday afternoon to make it back. The teams had a very good first day, both getting to their seventh Tor by Saturday evening, with the juniors having just 30 seconds to spare before the Tor check point closed. Starting again at 0600 hours the following morning both teams made it over the finish line by mid afternoon with a few hours to spare.
A big thank you goes to all the Training team adults, HQ staff for their invaluable help, all the cadets that where involved in the training from the very start and especially to all the parents for bringing the cadets to the various training weekends. Very well done everybody.
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