The challenge: 20 Kilometers across rugged Dartmoor.

Starting at Meldon Reservoir and finishing at the East Dart Hotel in Postbridge, this undulating and challenging trek will take participants over one of the last true wildernesses in England. We’ll be trekking 20 kilometers and reaching heights of over 550m over undulating and challenging terrain.

The Dartmoor Trek Challenge is a new event for 2016. Covering some of Dartmoor National Park's most stunning and wild terrain we’ll be doing all this to raise money to help Penhaligons Friends a Cornish charity supporting bereaved children, young people, parents and
carers throughout the county.  The charity offers children and young people the chance to meet others and share their experiences, as well as practical resources for children and parents.

Trip Safety:  Group safety is our highest priority and the trip has been designed and planned with that in mind. All Trek guides will be equipped medical kits and appropriate safety apparatus to cover every foreseeable eventuality.  The itinerary is also flexible and will respond to conditions on the day. Pre-trip administration – such as compulsory medical questionnaire – is all done with safety in mind.

Group Leader:  We are lucky enough to have Ben James on the Challenge team; in addition to being a police officer, he is also pretty handy with a compass. In his spare time he loves mountaineering and is an experienced expedition guide – so there was no one more fit to lead the team and organise the trek. Ben has lots of experience planning similar hikes and is taking his role very seriously. It is essential that the trek is completed in a single day, has appropriate stop-off points, and of course finish at a pub!

“When planning the walk there are three things I want to make sure we cover; the route, the equipment and the safety.  So i've designed the route using some mapping software combined with OS maps in the 1:25,000 scale, these will all be passed along with the route plan to the local Mountain Rescue – just in case!”

Terrain:   The terrain is very varied and the route will take us through valleys, ancient forest and high passes.  The paths are generally very good.  However, some sections may be challenging and the distance we are trekking should not be underestimated.

Clothing & Equipment:  We are travelling through the remotest sections of the moor where we could be exposed to bad weather at any time members will be prepared for all weathers and temperatures. Weather conditions can change very quickly on Dartmoor. We’ll provide all participants with a detailed packing kit-list on registration.

Fitness Levels:  The challenge will attract people of all levels of experience and fitness. We expect all participants to train hard in advance to achieve this challenge, but we respect everyone’s limits and everyone can go at their own pace: this is not a race. For safety we may need to re-group, so the front-runners will find themselves waiting for the slower ones. This is a team effort that will enable people to achieve their personal goals and to earn sponsorship for this very important charity.