AN intrepid group of young people from Chulmleigh Community College took on the 55th annual Abbots Way Walk on Sunday, October 1.
The walk of just under 24 miles over some of the bleakest parts of Dartmoor, followed a route plotted by monks centuries ago, linking Buckfast Abbey on the southern edge of Dartmoor, and Tavistock Abbey on the western edge.
It is a very long, challenging route over which the teams of young people walk unaccompanied, heading deep into the moor before finding their way out of the other side. In view of the distance and navigation challenge involved, participation is limited to students who trained with Chumleigh CC for Ten Tors last year, and it was good to see they had not forgotten their training!
The conditions on Sunday were terrible, with persistent rain almost all day, and thick fog which meant even the most experienced youngsters found navigation tricky.
Despite that, the first two Chulmleigh teams arrived at the finish together, completing the route in about eight hours, and arriving back respectively as the sixth and seventh teams to reach the finish (some dispute between them as to who was sixth and who was seventh), out of a total of just over 90 teams.
The third team arrived back just over an hour later, meaning all three teams made excellent time, especially given the conditions.
The teams included pupils from years 10 and 11, plus a number of former pupils (now year 12). It was great to see how skilfully they handled the challenge, and how well they worked together, but even better to see them smiling at every checkpoint, despite being soaked to the skin by 10am!
Well done to all three teams:
• Ella Fraser-Smith, Elouise Garland, Esme Hazelden, Holly Bonner and Jasmine Fifield.
• Silas Rowe, Tim Western, Toby Langrill and Will Stredwick.
• Laura Fraser-Smith, Oscar Sutherland, Peter Elston and Sarah Kneller
Adrian Wade
Ten Tors Manager