Ten Tors Training - Dartmoor 3

On Friday 25th April we went down to Dartmoor for the final Ten Tors training weekend before the event itself in two weeks time. After the usual stop at Exeter services, we went to South Zeal for our kit check, route planning and bed.

Early the next morning we drove to Okehampton Camp and met the 55 team from Norton Hill School. As they had 5 people wanting to complete 55 and we had 7, one of our team would be joining then for the event and we would be walking with them for some of the time this weekend. We then promptly headed off, reaching our first checkpoint at Cullever Steps just after it started to rain. We then headed south passed Oke Tor as the weather continued to deteriate, and on to Waters Tor. The weather then started to improve as we cut across east to Kes Tor and held out until we reached Fernworthy when it started to get worse again. We then made our way to Sittaford Tor and continued to complete the long leg over to Water Hill and then back down into Postbridge. At this point, we met Mr Brewer and, as we were ahead of schedule, continued on through Postbridge and up to Bellever Tor, meeting the staff and minibus at the road on the other side of the Tor.

We were then told that so we got to know the 55 team from Norton Hill we would be camping with them at the campsite which the staff use in Princetown and so, for the first time, would not be wild camping. The Norton Hill team were still walking (we had the same route as them but had overtaken them at Cullever Steps), so we ate and set-up our tents while it was dry and were just about to go to bed when the Norton Hill team arrived. We went and sat in their minibus for a while and found out that they were planning on sleeping in the bus overnight rather than in tents, and then went to bed.

The next morning after breakfast and collapsing our tents down, we set off again, this time heading our south, towards South Hessary Tor and Peat Cot where we almost doubled back on ourselves and headed towards Two Bridges. Once there, we headed up the path through Beardown Farm to Beardown Tors where we met Mr Stuart and his drone. We then headed down the valley with the intention of crossing it at the bottom, but hight river levels from all the rain we had had the day before made this much more difficult that we'd expected and delayed us slightly. Eventually we did find a way across and headed up to, and passed Higher White Tor before walking around the boundary wall north west of Postbridge where we were able to find the footpath in to Postbridge, at the end of which we waited for the staff and other teams to arrive just as it started to rain. 

Ten Tors Training - Dartmoor 2

Having missed the first Ten Tors training session of the year on Dartmoor earlier in the month, this was my first visit to Dartmoor in 2014. We drove down on the evening of Friday 28th and after a brief stop at Exeter services as usual, we arrived at the hall in South Zeal and had our kit checked before planning our routes for the next two days.

Early the next morning we drove to Okehampton Camp and promptly headed off into the fog surrounding Yes Tor, once there heading back down and over the West Okement River to Sourton. We then headed south along once of the well established tracks to Great Links Tor, before heading down off the moor via Chat Tor, and to the right of Sharp Tor and Hare Tor to the Lane End car park. We then followed the road and paths to a footbridge over the Tavy, and then continued passed Standon Farm up to the top of Lynch Tor. After this we did the dreaded walk east to Baredown Tors, and then back, west to Little Mis Tor where we briefly met some of the staff. Following the poor advise of an ex-student who was helping, we then headed straight down the side of the valley and eventually managed to cross the river at the bottom and traverse the two barbed wire fences on some very boggy ground in which I went up to my waste, allowing us a supposedly quicker route to Great Staple Tor. Our final checkpoint of the day was, as usual, Black Tor, so to get there we headed down off Staple, crossed the road, and followed the dismantlement railway for most of the way before crossing a small area of open more to our campsite.
Once there, we met Mr Brewer and other members of staff who brought us away from our normal spot down to next to the Devonport Leat before leaving us to have our dinner and go to bed.

The next morning, after having breakfast and backing away our tents and kit, we headed north to North Hessary Tor and then followed the pass down one side, into Pricetown and passed the Plume and Feathers where the staff had been staying. After a quick chat with Mr Brewer we sped down the 'yellow brick motorway' to the Whiteworks at Peat Cot before going east and then north to the Prince Hall Hotel. Once there we crossed over the road and went up Bellever Tor where we met Mr Stuart and Mr Mason before descending the other side into Postbrige where we finished.

Dragnet Camp 2014

From the 21st to the 23rd March 2014, the Scouts had their annual Dragnet camp. This is where they spend a weekend camping with the focus being on a all day hike on the Saturday during which the Scouts are tasked with 'Operation Dragnet' and are hunted by the hunter patrol, which this year comprised of the Young Leaders, Leaders and Patrol Leaders.
This year, we chose to move the Dragnet camp to the area around Wooton-under-Edge in Gloucestershire.

On the Friday evening, after the scouts arrived at the site they set up their tents and sorted out equipment for the next day before playing a wide game, and then going to bed.

The next morning the scouts were up and ready to go by around 9am. The route the scouts took saw them walking in the area north-east of Wooton using parts of the Cotswold Way. This gave the hunter patrol ample opportunities to ambush the scouts, with several areas of dense woodland acting as perfect cover. Throughout the day we managed to ambush each patrol at least once, and some three or four times. Between 1pm and 2pm, the scouts had a one hour 'truce' in which they heated up and ate boil in the bag ration pack meals for their lunch. In general, despite a few slight mishaps, the scout's navigation had improved, and as a result they didn't miss as many of our ambushes as they had the year before - although their navigation did still have plenty of room for improvement!

The final patrol finished the hike just passed 5.30pm, and shortly after this we went into Wooton to pick up fish and chips for the evening. The scouts then enjoyed eating fish and chips before I had to leave due to having work the next morning.

Driving Test

On Wednesday 19th February I went to Chippenham test center where I successfully passed my Driving Test!

— Ethan Rose (@Ethanol_Rose) February 19, 2014

Ten Tors Training - The Quantocks

On Saturday 8th February I took part in the second Ten Tors training of the year. We had originally intended to go to the Black Mountains but due to the met office issuing an amber severe weather warning it was decided on the Thursday before, that we would move to the lower Quantock hills.

We left school at around 7.30am and had an approximately two hour journey down to the Quantocks. After a bit of a slow start, we soon got moving over the hills whilst the weather was nice, if a bit windy of the top of some ridges. The weather stayed nice for most of the morning but as we came off some of the more exposed hills onto a wooded path we got caught in a very heavy rain storm which then turned into hail.
After the rain storm passed, he headed down through some fields and then back up to some moor-like land on the other side of the valley where we met Mr Brewer. He told us to be quick across ridge that we had to walk across because it was about to rain and become even windier. When we got to the other side of the ridge, we went down into a valley following a stream, and then back up the other side. We then came off the moor-like area and followed some paths down to a park where we met Mr Stewart and some other teachers. We then went down into a valley following the side of a forest and up the other side as it started to rain. By the time we reached the car park at the top where the minibuses were parked the rain was coming down very hard, we then got on the buses and left at between 2pm and 3pm.

IST South West Selection Day

On Sunday 2nd February I took part in the selection day for IST/JPT in the South West. To read the full write up of this event, please visit my sperate blog which is specifically dedicated to the 23rd World Scout Jamboree 2015 in Japan - http://ethanjambojapan.tumblr.com/

Ten Tors Training - The Mendips

On Saturday 25th January I took part in the first Ten Tors training of the year.
We met at school just before 8am and departed for the Mendips just after. The drive took slightly longer than expected due to some closed roads but we left the minibuses and started walking at about 9.20am.

Our route took us all around the Mendips, first by heading East, and then South Weston along a ridge into Cheddar, where we then turned North before doing some small loops, and heading back to near where we started.
We finished the walk at almost exactly 4 and arrived back at school approximately an hour later.