Latest news from this years expedition...

Event weekend - Visit our event pages for all the latest news & views

9th May - Three days to go until we depart for Okehampton camp... Tonight is our final kit check - gives us two days shopping to sort out any equipment shortfalls! Thursday night we will be meeting at the 1st Trowbridge's HQ to load the transport, ready for an early departure on the Friday. John has acquired a transit van for our kit this year AND a generator.. (Last year power was a real problem for our web updates. We ended up bribing a lovely NAAFI lady to let us use their kettle socket!) Check out the web counter... Last year we clocked up about 200 hits on our site for the whole of the expedition.. I see now we've steamed through the 550 mark! It's also remarkable to see who is leaving messages on the guest book. If you haven't done so already... make your mark.

Oh. and the T-shirts are "in production". I am promised faithfully that they will be ready in time for Thursday night. Thanks to Tom for helping to sort this out.... Unfortunately the Tom Jones design bit the dust - picture quality problems. If you can't wait to see what's going to be wowing the Okehampton catwalk this year, click here.

2nd May - Well, we were telling everyone that the last training weekend was going to be a long one.. We just didn't expect it to be quite as long as it turned out to be... Good effort from the 35'rs. Their team is looking very settled now & there was a noticeable upturn in confidence & teamwork over the last weekend.  The 45'rs did well on Sunday (except for our gentlemen's agreement re. Row Tor - you toads!). As for Saturday & the 45'rs.... 

Saturday now holds my all-time "looking a wally still walking out on Dartmoor when everyone else has gone to bed" award. Yes indeed, 12.30 am. I finished walking, having accompanied the 45 team over the last couple of legs of their days route! 

That all said, John & I have been looking back & concentrating on the positive side of things!

• Everyone has finished their training & both teams are very capable of finishing their events.
• Nobody suffered too much during this years training & we were also fortunate not to pick up any injuries.
• The 35'rs now know the quick route from Sittaford Tor to Shilstone Tor isn't via Quintin's Man...
• The 45'rs have discovered the emotional & nutritional value of Safeway's Sparkling Fruit drops.

I will be starting to put together the web pages for the "event" weekend during the next week or so. John & I will also be final planning for the event weekend - final details & info to follow. Although, the official Ten Tors web site - see our links page, has lots of info. too, especially for anyone coming down on the Sunday.

If anyone has any advice for Brendan, ( - he's an Australian Air Cadet, who is coming to England next year with his unit, to take part in Ten Tors. He's been following our training with more than a passing interest!), Please add it to the guest book.

More to follow. p.s. Check out the Guest book - lots of new messages from well wishers...

26th April - This weekend's training on Dartmoor looms large on the horizon.... Meeting at the HQ on Friday night at 18:00hrs, returning Sunday night - time to be confirmed Sunday. Jon Baldry finished the London Marathon in 4hrs. 8mins He expects to have raised about £1000 for Alzheimer's research. Alex Hazel is putting the final touches to our new countryside corner, which should be up & running soon! (Alex is a Scientific Officer for the MOD, and spends her time looking after the birds & butterfly's of the MOD estates - of which Dartmoor is quite a big chunk.)

Tom - I've seen the routes for this weekend. wooohoo! p'raps you ought to take your thicker socks!

18th April - More pictures from last weekend have been posted & minor bug fixes. 

17th April - Back from our 2nd training weekend on Dartmoor. Saturday saw us out on the moors in snow! The weather cleared up during Saturday, but there was a cold wind blowing throughout the w/e. The 35 mile team did very well, & I reckon they out walked the 45 mile team. (Although admittedly they were suffering from blisters a bit!)

If anyone has lost a rather nice dog lead on Crow Tor, let me know.. I found one. Ian.

Pictures from the weekend are slowly being processed, although there should be some posted by now. Checkout the gallery to see how we got on.  Thanx to Bradford for the use of their mini bus!

Brendan in Australia - a postcard from the 35 mile team on Dartmoor is on it's way to you... 

13th April. We've finally managed to book a minibus for this weekends trip to Dartmoor. To everyone who has promised us help, training this years teams & have found other things to do... Ta! And if you think running the London Marathon is an excuse Mr Baldry...  You could still help Saturday & travel to London Sat night! So much for your comittment! Good luck though! go Mr chips, go!

2nd April - Another local hike... Today saw our complete 35 mile team together for the first time this year! Everyone did well, and we had decent weather yet again, whilst we yomped our way around the Marlborough Downs!

21st March - The photo's from last weekend have now been posted...

20th March - Just back & recovering after our first weekend this year on Dartmoor. The campsite - as has become traditional, was East Okement Farm. We took members of the 35 & 45 mile teams, as well as Dan who is training for the 55 mile event. Everyone did well, particularly, David, Simon & Matthew who were on Dartmoor for their first time ever. The weather was exceptionally good. Lots of sunshine & great visibility. A cool NE wind stopped us from overheating. Clear skies overnight meant that we woke up to a heavy frost on Sunday morning, but overall, a splendid effort all round. John took pictures during the weekend & these should be posted up in the near future - hopefully by the end of today - unless John's shop is busy!

Our next training session will concentrate on trying to get Marcus to walk in a straight line!

Our fame is rapidly becoming global... Brendan from Australia has dropped us a line on our guest book.  Be sure to take a look & to add your own comments!

15th March - A new link has been added to the links page.  The bulletin board has been picking up comments from near & far. Make sure you add an entry..

12th March -  Local training hike around Westbury White Horse, Longleat & Shearwater. All went well - we completed a 25Km route which wasn't helped by the strong sunshine & unseasonably hot weather..  Everyone did well though especially our new recruits for the 35m event.