May 2007 event, TTN 09

Was it an omen that one minibus blew its head gasket just 10 miles from Okehampton on the Friday?

Congratulations to everyone for their achievements this event weekend. It is so important that you put your progress into perspective against what was the second worst weather on record, leading to the event being stopped on Sunday morning. Should you have continued on the Sunday then each team would have finished within the stipulated time – only the weather stopped you. 

For the record as at Saturday night when all teams were forced to stop:

BNW 35 Scouts - Tor 7, Distance covered 38k (24 miles)

Brabazen Explorer Scouts - Tor 7, Distance covered 38k (24 miles)

Cabot Scouts - Tor 6, Distance covered 31k (19 miles)

Polar Explorer Scouts - Tor 6, Distance covered 29k (18 miles)

BNW 55 Scouts - Tor 6, Distance covered 44k (28 miles)

The distances do not include additional mileage to negotiate poor terrain. You can view the routes and progress here.

I have had some feedback from individuals – how as a team you worked to keep in good spirits; how as a team you worked to help one another out; and how, as a team, you were prepared to lose time to help other teams through some very difficult parts of the moor. (Hence the 2 hours over a 45 minute leg.) From the outset we have emphasised that this is a team event and we are all proud of you for working as a team. (If you have a tale to tell then you can do so here). I hear that Trowlesworthy has been renamed “Glastonbury” after the mud, and that quote “apart from it being damp - it was a really good weekend”.

The decision to call the event to a halt was not taken lightly. On the day and after due consideration of the weather in the preceding 72 hours together with the weather prospects for Sunday, it was the right choice. There was not one dissenting voice from the team managers at Saturday’s late night briefing. Whilst as individuals you may be disappointed that you didn’t get the opportunity to finish, neither were you put in a situation where any of you took unacceptable risks. Pumped up with adrenaline, it could have been so easy for your judgement to have been clouded simply to reach that finishing line.             

After all the Challenge will still be there for you next year!

Getting back was also a challenge when the radiator sprung a leak on the second minibus. But we made it.