Challenge 119
119 Tors on Dartmoor in one go. That's the basis for Challenge 119.
In the absence of Expeditions for 2021 due to the pandemic, I looked closer to home for an Endurance Challenge to complete. Dartmoor has always felt like home and was the ground for a lot of my training for various expeditions and Ultra Races. A backpacking trip there in-between lockdowns with a friend sprouted the idea of bagging all the tors on Dartmoor in one round. The seed was planted and the idea grew, what if I could run it?
With a quick bit of research I came across the "All the Tors Challenge" started by Emily Woodhouse in September 2018. Emily completed an unsupported round of the 119 Tors over 10 days, racking up 300km whilst carrying everything with her. The number of actual "Tors" on Dartmoor is a contentious issue, with so many being disagreed over by those frequenting the moor. Emily narrowed this down to the "Woodhouse" round and classified it as "every tor within the connected component of Open Access Land that is marked on OL28 as “something” space “tor.” This makes the single round achievable and meant no traipsing across farmland or back gardens to get to the unconnected parts. 300km is enough anyway!
The Plan
The round will begin in Princetown and I plan to run/hike/crawl my way around the 119 Tors and 300ish km with the help of a support team at various locations. The goal is to bag it under three days if my legs (and weather) allow. I will carry the basic amount of kit with me including a tracker so my progress can be followed throughout.
Charity
In undertaking this challenge I hope to raise funds for Man Down Cornwall. Man Down is a Cornwall based Non Profit organisation running safe talking and listening spaces to help meet the current emotional and mental health needs of men who struggle to cope with the pressures facing them in our modern society.
Suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 45 and accounts for three quarters of all suicides in the UK. Something has to change.
The funds raised from this challenge will help Man Down supports and provide services to Men struggling with Mental Health issues.
You can find out more about them here; www.mandown-cornwall.co.uk/
