hike | camp | paint
No day's walking on Dartmoor is complete without a visit to the Fox Tor Cafe, and especially so when you're staying next door. Being on winter opening hours, it didn't open until 10am and Cath and I were first in the queue at the front door for when it opened. Looking through the window we … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 2: The Far West
The New Year walking trip has now been going since the 2013/14 trip to the Lakes (so the rule says it's now a tradition), but after that first midwinter foray north, each one has seen me head to Dartmoor. The combination of socialising and easy walks whatever the weather seems to fit the festive lethargy … Continue reading Another New Year on Dartmoor – Part 1: Butterdon Hill and Uppacott Down
Drewsteignton to Ivybridge - 38 miles, 2½ days Paul's feet seemed to have got a second wind, and he was back in the lead as we climbed up out of Drewsteignton onto the Castle Drogo estate. Familiar territory now, and I'd visited all of these tors earlier in the year, so it wasn't a long … Continue reading A Different Coast to Coast – Part 3: Dartmoor
The forecast seemed OK and diaries were lining up like soldiers on parade, so I headed down to the Moor on the Friday to squeeze in a solo walk and camp before the Saturday meetup. Parking in Lydford, the plan was to do a walk linking up two patches of unbagged tors - 5 on Sourton … Continue reading The Weather Window
Looking down from Lynch Tor, I see the valley spread below, lush, green and beckoning us onward. Legs tired, water running low, and still a fair way to walk. The map shows a well-defined path leading down a valley between two ridges, and seeing the same on the ground we take it. Some way down the path, … Continue reading A Nemesis and the Noble and Ancient Art of Tor-sitting
There's really not much to tell about this walk. It simply involved lots of trees. Ducking, diving and twisting around them trying to find odd bits of rock secreted in the depths of the forest. Some of them may even have been a touch naughty to visit. The Tavy was crossed a few times before … Continue reading A Spot of Bushwhacking
I sit in the car awaiting developments: Jim is on the last stretch from Exeter, Paul is due a little later. The rest of my flask of tea is sipped while the car doors are pressed into service as a makeshift clothes horse - a mishap with my Camelbak having dumped 3 litres of water … Continue reading A Camp above Belstone
There's a nasty rumour making the rounds that I like bagging Dartmoor tors from the comfort of the car - so much so that tors very close to a road have been dubbed "hillplodder tors". Obviously there is no truth in this vile accusation at all. But I have been known to visit tors requiring … Continue reading A spot of Dartmoor “Carbagging”
Yet again a crappy forecast. But it's Dartmoor, so it comes with the territory. If there's one thing Dartmoor's done for me, it's to improve my tolerance for walking in uncomfortable weather. Today looked like a day for further "training" in that area. Jim has gone home and Paul has domestic stuff to do, so … Continue reading The Tors and Rocks of Chagford Common and Gidleigh
The forecast isn't good and I resign myself to a grey and wet day. It takes a while for the gang (@paulgbuck, @jimwonder, @wellycath and me) to get up and get going, but eventually we park in Belstone. Across a patch of grass and then we are into wooded land to the north of the River … Continue reading A Walk in Belstone Cleave
Once again the Moor beckons. I just can't keep away. For the second year running, I'm off to Dartmoor for a New Year walking trip, but a couple of days early this time - to actually see the New Year in. The drive down is pretty much as it always is, with the usual stops … Continue reading The Moor Beckons
It feels weird heading into London at the end of the day, destined for a walking trip. The usual stressed and miserable faces passing me are replaced by somewhat more relaxed, and somewhat less sober ones. I arrive at Paddington and settle down for a beer to wait for Rich (@FlintyRich) to turn up. I … Continue reading Sleep Walking and A Less Than Manly Beverage
I pulled up in the car park at Lane End and spotted Paul (@paulgbuck) and Col (@colinastbury) over to the right, so hobbled over to meet them. Quite a bit of time was spent milling around while we tried to decide whether Phil (@daylightGambler) had actually already turned up or not. He'd got a new … Continue reading A Misty Meet
East Hill was a riot of purple and yellow as I climbed up and contoured around to find the first tor of the day – Ashbury Tor. I managed to overshoot it and doubled back through the gorse fringing the edge of the hill to find it. Unsure at first, I managed to find … Continue reading Clitter and Clotted Cream
Every year close to Easter, we get together with a group of old university friends - a tradition that's been going on for 20 years now. Consequently we're running out of new places to go, and as we've evolved into family groups and acquired children and dogs, additional criteria that further restrict our choice of location … Continue reading Tors and Beaches – A week in Devon