“Dartmoor is one of the last wildernesses in England. It is a National Park, and occupies some 368 square miles (954 square Km) of hills topped by granite outcrops - the 'Tors'. At its lowest points Dartmoor touches 325 feet (100 m) above sea level, and the highest Tor-capped hill reaches 2018 feet (621 m). The valleys and dips between the hills often hold bogs to trap the unwary walker.”
From December News
I am going to try and do a monthly newssheet for Ten Tors. This will be posted on the District Website. www.plymouthdistrictscouts.org
Dates & Times
This is the plan for the next series of walks so far but may change if insufficient numbers of walkers or staff.
Sat 21 January one day hike N MOOR
Sun 5 Feb – Sunday hike S Moor
Sat 18 Feb Full one day hike S Moor
Sat 3 – Sun 4 March Full Saturday with overnight at Shaugh Bridge
Sat 17- Sun 18 March Full Saturday with overnight (Sat on N Moor)
Sat 31st March- Sun April 1 - 2 day practice (Sat on N Moor)
Sat 14- Sun 15 April – Full 2 day practice S Moor
Sat 28 – Sun 29 April – Full 2 day practice N Moor
Fri 11-Sun 13 May Ten Tors 2012
Generally we will meet at 0830 at Compton but this may also change.
Payment
The main programme from January until May will cost £50 to include all the transport for the walks. Please let Grazie (our administrator) have a cheque by early January payable to Plymouth District Scouts.
Equipment
I have attached to this email a kit list of what we think everyone should bring on the training walks. We can supply spares if you tell us that you need them in advance! I understand many of you may be waiting for Christmas but I still need to make sure everyone has the right stuff to be safe on any walks. TALK TO ME!
Click here for the kit list
Shops
A number of outlets do discounts for Scouts and Ten Tors.
Cotswold – a letter is attached giving 20%
Blacks/Millets, Mountain Warehouse – take your uniform shirt or this letter.
Kountry Kit in Tavistock are also excellent specialists and give a discount
There may be others – just ask.
Tesco and Sports Direct also have some cheaper options which are a great beginner level but may not last. Andrew Dibben is the main staff member to ask.
Nutrition
Below you will find the aisle numbers at Sainsburys Marsh Mills. Most of the main supermarkets sell similar products. If you want to meet me or Jenny there to go through some of this, please ask.
In the run up to the event, team members should eat plenty of pasta and rice meals which are full of carbohydrates. Generally on the event you will each burn off about 5000 calories and need to put as much of that back as possible. Sweets will provide some short term energy sugars but you will need more carbs than this. Chocolate may well melt in the temperatures that sometime occur on Ten Tors.
Sandwiches, pasties and pies prepared in advance of the expedition will not keep. At this stage do not bring flasks of drink. They were fine for the early one day winter walks but are now not needed. You can boil water on the stove in 5 minutes
Some of you have access to military rations and I can provide some of these if you wish. The camping shops also sell meals but personally I think these are expensive.
The event requires:
Food: 1 1/2 days
Emergency rations
Water: 2ltrs Water sterilisation (48 hrs in date)
Eating container, utensil & mug
Matches and toilet paper
The guidance given is
“2 x snack, 2 x lunch (hot/cold), 1 x eve (hot), 1 x B’fast (hot). Meals should be labelled.
Emergency rations (high energy foodstuffs & hot drink) for extra night clearly marked and in sealed bag.
If platypus is carried a 1 litre water bottle to manage water sterilisation is highly recommended.”
Evening/Breakfast hot
We suggest :
“look what we found” range Aisle 25 – these can be used as boil in the bag!
there are also some boil in the bag rice, veggie and lentil meals in this aisle. There are some more in Aisle 24 including pasta twists. Make sure you choose ones that do not need water added as that is selfish to take the teams hot water and gas.
There are some tinned meals which can become boil in the bag eg sausage and beans if put in a ziplock freezer bag. This stops getting the cooking pots dirty. The meal should be carried in the tin as it will keep better but you either need ring pull tins or a tin opener!
In aisle 23 there are some “free from range meals” with some veggie options of the above.
Don’t forget to get one for breakfast as well and more importantly to eat it. Part of the tiredness on the recent walk on day 2 was a lack of food, in particular breakfast or the evening meal not having any guts!
Lunches
In aisle 26 you will find individual bags of Jacobs crackers, Doriano, snack a jacks and Nairn oat biscuits. There are also tins of fish including john west light lunches, sachets of tuna, pastes, cold meats and things that can accompany the crackers. Cheese in tubes will probably be OK too.
Cereal bars are in aisle 27 and 32 and good slow burn snacks
Aisle 28 has solid blocks of jelly which can be eaten as it is, tubs of rice pudding or Aunties range of sponge puds in plastic tubs that again can be popped into a pot of hot water.
In aisle 32 and right at the back of the store are tubs and tins of fruit salad, dried fruits and some just add water tubs of “Oat so Simple”, which would be good for breakfast.
Fresh fruit: Satsumas (bananas are good but don’t travel well)
Dried fruit and snacks are available at Chaplins eg banana chips in bags at £1 a bag
Drinks
In the tea/coffee aisle there are individual sachets of drinking cholocate, tea or coffee which meet the requirements of the hot drink for the event. Don’t forget you must carry a mug!
Emergency Food – this should include a hot meal, some cereal bars, dried fruit and a hot drink- clearly labelled with contents in a separately sealed bag.
Permission Form
If you didn’t attend starter for 10 please let me have one of these forms. permission form.docx Please make sure your regular Scout/ Explorer Leader knows you are coming to the trainings
Home Contact
Graham Eagle, District Explorer Commissioner will be the home contact in case we have any problems on the moor and he will have your details. In case of emergency, telephone 01752 696025 during any walks
Payment
I will finalise a budget for the post Christmas Walks (around the £50 mark for the remainder of the training programme)
The picture is of taken in November 2011 in the early stages of the training season
If you are interested in finding out more,
please get in touch with Clive Deacon as soon as possible.
For more details about District Ten Tors Team contact
Clive Deacon