A TEAM from West Devon has been praised for its incredible achievement on being the first 55-mile Ten Tors team to cross the finishing line of this year's gruelling moorland challenge.

The Tavistock and District Youth Forum was the first 55-mile team home on all routes by more than an hour at 10.45am.

But the forum was not the only West Devon Ten Tors team congratulated on their efforts — Okehampton College's 35-mile team was the first group from their section over the finishing line at 9.56am.

Both groups were part of the 400 self-sufficient teams, who in groups of six tackled the 35, 45 and 55-mile routes, ticking off the ten tors along the way.

Peter Challis, team manager for Tavistock District Youth Forum, said how pleased he was that all three of the forum's teams managed to make it through to the end.

'The teams are really pleased with completing the challenge as they had all done lots of training,' he said.

Arron Wilson, Ten Tors manager for Okehampton College, said: 'There is always such a great spirit surrounding the Ten Tors event and for all of the 18 team members to complete the challenge is a testimony to their hard work and commitment over the many weekends of training on Dartmoor.

'The weather was also very favourable over the weekend which really helped to keep them going.'

Around 2,400 youngsters from across the country, aged between 14 and 20 years old gathered at Okehampton Camp on Friday to begin their two-day trek across Dartmoor in the Ten Tors Challenge 2009.

The 49th annual event saw a mass of teenagers line up on Dartmoor at 7am on Saturday, May 9. Military guns sounded across the moor as teams set off on their journey — cheered on by parents, friends and well-wishers.

The Saturday also saw around 250 youngsters take part in the Jubilee Challenge, a one day event for youngsters with a physical or educational disability.

The challenge is organised by Regular and Territorial Army officers and soldiers and Ministry of Defence civilians from 43 Wessex Brigade. They are supported by a number of army units and by service personnel from both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

Lieutenant Colonel Tony Clark, commandant Dartmoor Training, said: '43 Wessex Brigade Army headquarters is delighted to host Ten Tors for the 49th year. It provides the brigade and the soldiers with the opportunity to work together in preparation for the intense operations that are going on and to be preparing to assist the local authorities.

'They are also delighted to help the 2,400 youngsters take part in Ten Tors and the 250 less-abled people in the Jubilee Challenge.

'The Ten Tors exhibit is about team work and learning about the great outdoors.

'It is not a race, it is a team event and teams that have been training are best prepared at what is thrown at them.'