STATEMENT FOLLOWING DECISION TO END TEN TORS EARLY

"Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the decision was taken at 21.30 this evening by the organisers of the Ten Tors Challenge to end the event early.

"Our priority is to ensure all the people involved are as safe as possible. The weather forecast indicates that the rivers, which are already at their peak, will become increasingly swollen.

"All participants will remain where they are currently camped - safe and with shelter and food. They will be moved off the Moor in an orderly and controlled manner.

"It is important that the organisers and recovery groups are able to continue with the job in hand, and therefore we ask that all families initially contact the team managers, and do not arrive at Okehampton Camp until at least midday on Sunday 13 May."

Ten Tors 2007

__________________

Sun 13-May-2007 at 08:13:34 - Updated:
Teams are currently being recovered from the Moor - so far 112 have reached Okehampton. All participants who were on the Moor at 06:00 this morning will receive their medals. Please don't come to the Camp yourself unless or until requested by your Team Manager.


Sun 13-May-2007 at 07:43:18 - Updated:
The latest information we have is that Teams will be recovered from the Moor by the services personnel, by coach, van and helicopter as appropriate. They'll be returned to and checked through Okehampton Camp - so that the organisers know they're safely returned to their Team Manager - this is a crucial part of the process to ensure everyone is safely off the Moor. We'll post more information as we have it. Keep watching.


Sun 13-May-2007 at 06:50:54 - Updated:
Good morning - it's Ten Tors day two, and your Teams will be coming home! There will be none of the usual automated Team updates; the Expedition has been ended (see below) due to the increasingly poor weather conditions. The event controllers will be pulling all the participants from the Moor as the day goes on - this is a substantial task, the Teams usually do this under their own steam. Please keep watching (and refreshing!) this page - we'll keep you as informed as we can!!

__________________

The annual two-day Ten Tors walk across Dartmoor has been abandoned half-way through because of bad weather.
The Army began escorting hundreds of teenagers off the moor at first light after event organisers reacted to the predicted heavy rain.

Among those involved were team-mates of a teenage girl who died training for the event, now in its 47th year.

Charlotte Shaw, 14, from Edgehill College, north Devon, died in March after falling into a swollen stream.

Speaking from Okehampton base camp on Saturday night, BBC Spotlight presenter Victoria Graham said the weather forecast for Sunday was for driving rain and low mist.

"They're predicting 50mm and the north of Dartmoor is very very boggy.

"The organisers feel that in such conditions it could be very dangerous."

The 400 teams of young people on the moor range in age from 14 to 20 and compete on 35, 45 and 55-mile routes.

By Saturday afternoon only 21 of the 2,400 youngsters on the two-day challenge had dropped out.

BBC NEWS | England | Devon | Ten Tors expedition is abandoned

__________________