Over the finish line...

The students were picked up after the bad weather and flooded streams slowed their progress down, as the support team (who were monitoring progress) didn't think they would make round the course at their rate of walking.

The support team met up with them at about 12.30 in Post Bridge after they completed Beardown Tor.

The staff managed to complete all but their last Tor -Oke- at 3.23pm! Just in time for a glass of champagne and a Devonshire cream tea!

All in all, the wet weather and localised flooding had meant that the route proved much harder than the teams initially thought they would be. But both did a grand job!

For more pictures of the staff team adventure: click here...

Good Morning!

Well the staff were up for an alpine start (3.30am) in order to get off from their bivi site at 5am. The students left their bivi site at 7.15am and both teams are now tired and very damp!

Keep praying for both teams as the battle against the moors!

More pics at the finish line to follow when completed.

Afternoon adventures...

This afternoon the support team headed off in the direction of Princetown - a prison in the middle of Dartmoor. Janette and Rach ran ahead to meet the weary staff team to find one staff member had fallen into a bog thigh deep. Feet looked to be growing webbed attachments as their boots were all so moist!

Before hand, the support team (Mary, Janette, Rach, Chris and Sheila) sat down to a cream tea and watched the looming hills to catch a glimpse of the teams. We waited and waited and waited some more, getting quite worried about the teams progress...

When we eventually met up with the staff team, we thought they looked rather rain battered and tired, but 2 snickers bars and some hot chocolate later, they raced ahead getting through some more tors and are back on track. One tor had to be missed due to bad conditions, but we're hopeful about their progress tomorrow.

The students have had a dreadful day - the streams have become rivers. Two team members ended up giving fireman's lifts to the girls to get them across the river: how heroic of them! Sadly their route had been very poor, so we have had to adapt the route in order that they complete it.

They are now erecting tents and cooking dinner - and look forward to many Zzzzzzz.....

10 tors will still be visited... tune in tomorrow to find out more!

For more pictures: click here...

They're off!

This morning the girls were woken to the delightful noises of heffalump boys, plodding across the floor above, at 5.45am, before Paul Hettler laughed very loudly penetrating semi-silence and the ticking clock in the room!

We sat down to a lovely breakfast, supplied by the Vine Church in Hatherleigh (Pat Legg-Bagg's church). The support team diligently made sandwiches and the faces of both teams were both white and tired - we think they were thinking about the enormity of the challenge ahead!

The teams lined up outside: the student team in fancy dress... They are wearing KBCTC brochures with Simon Shaw's happy face beaming at them with captions such as, "I grew up here, I know all the short cuts... I'll see you at the finish line". The boys are wearing feather boas and they are all donning some college book marks made into headbands, reading "think"!

For more pictures: click here...

Less than £1,000 left now

There is only 17 hours left until the Challenge begins, and less than £1,000 to be raised to hit our target of £10,000.

Please help us to reach the magical £10k by donating: Student team, Staff team.

Despite some heavy rain around the country today, the teams are excited and confident of a good weekend out on the moors. The forecast is fair, with light rain showers over both Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately, the nights will not be dry, but that's all part of the challenge!

All teams will be meeting before departure this evening for a good hearty meal and some essential team bonding. What better place to do so than over food?

The journey to Dartmoor should be a swift one, after which the teams will be hunkering down on a church hall floor.

Once the teams leave Okehampton YHA on Saturday morning, it will be over to the Support Team to inform supporters and followers of the teams' progress. They have been working hard in the last few days to get food, equipment and logistics together.

Please check out our other pages to keep up to date of the action as it unfolds:

Facebook

Twitter (staff)

Twitter (students)

£8,000 surpassed

A provisional total last night revealed that over £8,000 has been raised!

This means that the students will be wearing fancy dress on the Challenge, as the staff team beat them quite comprehensively in the sponsorship race.

However, it is not over, as there are still three days and 21 hours left, in which we intend to raise the last £2,000. Please help the teams as they look to raise £150 per team member in order to hit the £10,000 mark.

What a week it is turning out to be!

https://www.help.co.uk/fundraisers/KBCTCstudents
https://www.help.co.uk/fundraisers/KBCTCstaff

The final week

It's hard to believe that there are only four days left until the beginning of the Challenge - time has flown! Yet donations have been flowing in too over the weekend, and we are confident after provisional totalling that the £5,000 mark has been surpassed.

The pre-event brief will take place this evening, but other than that, all preparations are in place. The showdown between the staff and students will be set once the winners of the fancy dress challenge are announced.

Don't forget that you can follow live updates during the Challenge this coming weekend here and on the Facebook group page.