Ten Hills of Bath Challenge

With Ten Tors sadly cancelled for another year, the idea for a ‘Ten Hills of Bath challenge’ to replace it came during a MapRun orienteering event at Bath University on Boxing Day…. Why not run a ‘virtual challenge’ of some kind for KES teams? MapRun6 is a versatile smartphone app where an event organiser can upload maps and gpx data so participants can have their visits to specified locations logged and timed, perfect for a socially distanced, covid-19 secure event. Teams can all set off and finish at different times and have a record of their route that can easily be checked afterwards. 

And so it was on Sunday 9th May, that 36 KES students, in eight teams from Years 10 through to 12, had entered to take on the Ten Hills of Bath Challenge – to visit as many as possible of the ten hills of Bath within a six-hour time period. Points would be awarded for visiting the top of each of the hills specified and lost for every minute late returning. Having been around the route to take in all ten hills the previous week, I had a suspicion it was going to be tough for the teams – it took me nearly five hours of running to visit all those hills, covering a distance of 42 kilometers and climbing a height equivalent to Ben Nevis in the process. Teams were going to have to be very selective about their routes to get the maximum number of points without going over time.

On the day, every team chose a different route, some heading straight up to the nearest checkpoint on Bathampton Down, others heading off to the viewpoint on Beechen Cliffe. All teams visited Solsbury Hill, and some even made it all the way out to Hanging Hill, near the Lansdown Battlefield. And all the teams were all back in good time, with no penalty points deducted. The Rose Wanderers (Adrian Moyaedi, Barney Stephenson, Oscar Rudd and Ruwan Dinsmore) were first back having covered a distance of 35 km to visit 8 checkpoints, but had their score equalled by three other teams, notably Alicia Owen and her team who scored the same points but covered a shorter and more efficient route.… It was all in the planning and route finding! Full results are below. Everyone taking part enjoyed their day out – ‘a walk with purpose’ as one described it – and agreed it should become a fixture in the KES calendar. 

The challenge will remain on the MapRun6 app for anyone to have a go, at any time. All you need is a phone, a map and six hours free for a (strenuous!) walk around the lovely hills of Bath – just make sure you’re not late back!

Huge thanks to the amazing KES students who took part with such enthusiasm – it was lovely to see you all getting out there! - as well as the members of staff who came out to support the day at such a busy time!

Tim Laney, Event Organiser & KES Ten Tors Manager
 

TEAM RESULTS

Ten Hills of Bath Map