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.

A little update

It's been a while since the last post, which reflects the busy nature of the last few weeks of College.

Thankfully, all students successfully graduated and enjoyed a welcome banquet at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel.

However, as there are only nine days now until the start of the event, the lush and picturesque grounds of the Four Pillars Hotel will soon be replaced with the empty and bleak landscape of Dartmoor.

Excitment is riding high, but it remains to be seen what the weather will bring and how the teams will cope. Nevertheless, everything is in place now for what looks to be a great event.

Finally, don't forget to keep up with live updates here, Facebook and Twitter as the action unfolds over next weekend.

Brief

Unfortunately, there are no photos from the weekend - because of injury the walk was cancelled.

However, the Challenge briefs have now been sent out to the teams and are massive!

Lots of detail ripe for consumption.

Photos

Could do with brightening up the blog with some pictures.

Will work on that and get some posted for your viewing pleasure.

Fundraising

Fundraising shenanigans have certainly livened up lectures in College this week. A hearty sense of competition is now beginning to emerge as teams have realised the reality of pairing walking boots with a tutu.

Not only that, but the student team craftily used a Challenge announcement to their advantage by asking two of the staff team members to stand up under false pretensions and then using them as a target!

However, it is good fun, as all proceeds will go to the College, and the process is promoting some good bonding. The next training walk is this Saturday, and the hope is that we will proceed on to basic compass work.

The forecast is good and all are eager!

First training walk

A selection of staff and students have just successfully completed their first training walk for the Challenge.

Conditions were warm and sunny which gave us a good opportunity to practice map reading and navigation skills in the east Oxford countryside. On the return leg the students performed well, choosing their path back and leading the party.

The route took us through Cumnor, round Farmoor reservoir and back to Dean Court in just under four fours. A far cry from recent College environs, but it helped pave the way for the real event.

The staff team recently learned that a supporter pledged £10 per tor on the assumption that we (or at least an unnamed member of the team) would not be able to complete the Challenge. However, this will only prove to be a boost to our motivation!

The next hurdle will be to combine navigation with distance walking, or some night navigation in Wytham Wood to spice things up.

The countdown begins

After a few weeks away, preparations and fundraising have begun again with renewed vigour.

The students have had some vital physical and mental preparations recently - will the staff be able to match them?

An upcoming training day will give feet, shoulders and hips a chance to acclimatise to boots and packs. Time will tell which team will capitalise.

On the fundraising front, it seems that the staff team has drawn first blood, having received their first donation. The students have yet to make it off the mark!

Launched

We had fun yesterday launching the Challenge at the Celebration, rucksacks donned and looking rugged.

Publicity preparations are moving steadily, and we'll soon be ready to release all the information en masse to friends, families, churches and more.

It's surprising how quickly things have come together - a little haphazardly - but quite well given the circumstances!

Nevertheless, excitment is building among the students and staff, though some are in disbelief that the Challenge is going ahead...

Momentum is gathering, and next it's on to training!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog!

We look forward to updating you as we progress with planning and progress of events.

Before cracking on with all the details we would like to state the aims of our fundraising efforts:

(i) Raise the College profile

(ii) Contribute to the future development of the College

(iii) Invest in the lives of future students

We hope you enjoy following our efforts and feel prompted to give generously!

The 2009 challenge is go!

The planning team are proud to announce that this year's challenge will be

Ten Tors Challenge

'10 Tors, 10 Grand, 10 Heroes'

Following the theme of mountain-climbing over the past few years, it is fitting that College teams will head to Dartmoor to tackle its tors.

Although not what would be descibed as classic Alpine terrain, the moors offer their own unique charcteristics: bogs, changeable weather and a general lack of features, which makes for tricky navigation. If the mist descends, it will indeed become a true challenge, as teams will have to work together and keep focussed in order to reach the finish.

The plan is that the teams undertake a two-day hike within a 36 hour period, incorporating specified waypoints - ten tors. Honour and reputations will be at stake as the staff compete against the students to post the fastest finish, having visited a specific number of tors in a pre-determined order!

Behind the scenes a support team will endeavour to keep the teams spirits and energy levels up, and they will be key to success.