Ten Tors: Rules, routes and safety measures

Thousands of people will descend upon Dartmoor at the weekend to take part in the 63rd Ten Tors challenge.

The annual event, between 9 and 11 May, is usually attempted by 2,400 teenagers in 400 teams of six, and organisers said routes ranged between 35 and 55 miles (56 to 88km).

The challenge, organised by the British Army’s Headquarters South West, involves teams navigating routes across the northern half of Dartmoor in under two days.

“Teams must be self-sufficient, carrying all they need to complete their route and stay out overnight safely,” organisers said.

The Ten Tors challenge began back in the 1960s, when it was attended by 200 people.

The founders of the inaugural expedition were Lt Col Lionel Gregory, Major Parker and Capt Joyner following an adventure training exercise for young trainees on Dartmoor in 1959.

There are three formats for the challenge:

• 35 miles (56km) for 14 and 15 year olds
• 45 miles (72km) for those aged 16 and 17
• 55 miles (88km) for 18 to 19 year olds

The teams are assigned one of 26 routes which requires them to visit at least 10 safety controls and checkpoints in the order given.

Organiser said each route had its “own unique problems and combinations of tors”.

The teams are due to set off from Okehampton Camp at 07:00 BST on Saturday and can go no further than their eighth tor on the first day.

Teams must reach the finish line at Okehampton Camp at 17:00 on Sunday.

The Army Headquarters South West said the challenge was “immensely tough”.

It said: “Those teenagers taking part will trek unaided… and will encounter some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in southern England.

“They will rely on their navigational skills, and carry all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.

“It is a feat they must complete as a team, and without any help from adults, and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.”

In 2024, challengers from Torquay Boys Grammar described “tough times” but said team work got them through.

One member said: “It’s the best thing for camaraderie you could ever do as friends. There were really, really tough times but we picked each other up… we got through it.”

Prior to the event, those participating must complete “structured and progressive” training, which includes four days of training on Dartmoor and two nights of wild camping.

Teams must follow their allocated route, which only specify which staffed locations must be visited and in what order.

It is up to teams to identify and navigate their own ways between them.

Each team must carry all its requirements for the challenge and must be completely self-contained. Outside assistance, including shops and public toilets, is forbidden.

The Army Headquarters South West said phones were not allowed, excluding one to be kept in a sealed bag for emergency use only.

It said medals would only be given to those who completed the challenge in the time allowed.

Alongside the main expedition, there is also the one-day Jubilee Challenge, which has been designed for young people with a range of physical, neurological or educational needs.

Up to 400 people can enter the Jubilee Challenge each year, which offers four different routes which range 7.5 and 15 miles (12 and 24 km).

The Jubilee Challenge begins on Saturday at 07:30 BST and ends at 17:00.

The Jubilee-Plus Challenge, which was launched in 2024, is aimed at young adults with special educational needs and disability who are capable of an overnight stay, but may find the entire Ten Tors challenge inaccessible, organisers added.

Establishments may enter up to two teams with a maximum of four participants per team to take part in the Jubilee-Plus Challenge 18-mile (29km) route, which organisers said was “physically arduous and challenging”.

Each year hundreds of applications, exceeding the 400 teams limit, are made to Ten Tors organisers.

Any establishment such as schools, scout groups or clubs in the south-west of England can apply to enter teams and applications are made in September.

The organisers’ selection committee meets at the end of September each year and a list of successful entries is published online.

Organisers said the 400 team-limit was agreed as there were “many competing demands” for Dartmoor’s space and the limit existed to maintain the “balance”.

They also said the limit was in place to retain a “crucial aspect” of the challenge, which it said was for teams to be “alone on the moor and rely on their own resources”.

The Army Headquarters South West said safety was at the “heart of the planning and execution” of the challenge.

It said: “It is an exercise which is meticulously planned… over many months in advance working closely with other key civilian organisations, such as Devon and Cornwall Police, the Met Office, the British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group, who will provide almost 350 volunteers.

“For the vast majority of the young people taking part in Ten Tors, the event itself is the culmination of months of training designed by team managers to ensure they are fit enough to walk up to 40 miles [64km] in one day across Dartmoor, but, crucially, are also gelled as a team and proficient at navigating across the wilderness of the open moor.”

It said all teams carried a satellite tracker which would be monitored by staff in an operations room based at Okehampton.

Team managers are required to attend an Army briefing which focuses on the harsh extremes of Dartmoor’s climate, with further briefings and kit checks one day prior to the event.

Organisers said a heightened fire-risk status would also be in effect during this year’s expedition following a wildfire

Items including a torch, whistle and a compass must be carried by those taking part in the challenge.

A sleeping mat, sleeping bag, sun cream and base layers are also listed among the packing list.

Trousers must “completely cover lower limbs” to provide protection against sun and insects, with three-quarter length leggings “prohibited”.

Waterproofs, a hat, emergency rations and a first aid pack are also included on the packing list.