AROUND 2,400 youngsters from across the region will descend on Dartmoor this weekend to take part in this year's Ten Tors and Jubilee challenges. The annual Army run event, now in its 54th year, is one of the biggest and toughest adventure challenges for young people in Britain. The challenge starts bright and early on Saturday from Okehampton camp, where teams of six, ranging in age from 14 to 19, will make the start of their respective journeys. As well as the 2,400 youngsters partaking in the Ten Tors Challenge, a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge. For the first time in more than 30 years the challenge has new routes aimed at improving resilience and enhancing safety of the event. Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade. He said: 'The policy committee and I have implemented changes to reduce the need for participants to cross certain water obstacles and to walk along busy public roads. We have also reduced the dependency of the event on helicopters, for obvious weather implications, and so the location of safety control points have moved closer to road heads rather than on top of the tors, while check points remain on the tors. 'I believe these changes will not compromise the original aims of the event: to develop teamwork and practice navigation. If anything the challenge will be more demanding, with the experience and appreciation of a high moor-land location and the associated weather conditions of a challenging environment.'