Wednesday, June 11
Dartmoor Planning - Let the Train take the Strain
"I must go out to the hills again, to the lonely moor and the sky,
And all I ask is a lightish pack and a map to get me by,
And the outdoor kick and the wind's song and the grassy tussocks moving,
And a grey mist on the far away hills and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down out to the hills again, for the call of the running streams
Its a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied ……….. “
(With apologies to John Masefield/ I Must Go Down to the Sea)
In a sudden surge of Monday energy I finally booked the Train ticket with the result that come next Monday I'll be camped up for Night #1 somewhere north of Ivybridge on t'Moor several hours after my boot hits the platform.
Once I spotted that the train price was identical, whether I used Ivybridge or Plymouth stations, I fell upon the increased flexibility of a South-North trip across Dartmoor like a ravenous wolf.
The plan - to follow a couple of the established routes up to Okehampton. Resupply. And make the decision whether to return to Plymouth or Exeter via one of their better served bus options. Or to turn around and take a different route back southwards.
The finally clincher was the recent update on the Army Range closure schedule giving me a ten day respite from possible military assault on the Okehampton range (It’s worth monitoring the on-line firing schedule by the way. I’ve noticed it changes without any indication that its been updated)
Time to get a packingLabels: dartmoor
Comments:
Your plans reminded me to start work on a Dartmoor backpack route. We've only been there once and it was very enjoyable, but that was 13 years ago: definitely overdue for a return.
The only offputting thing is the M6/M5 journey via Birmingham.
#
posted by 
: 11/6/08 6:58 pm
Hi mate - as you're starting from Ivybridge, you might want to look at this spot for your first night:
50.480091,-3.89423
Just bang the co-ordinates into google maps. Great spot, by water and pretty sheltered.
Bah - you'd have left by now!
I know it's a nice spot - it's where I usually spend my first night when I start out from Ivybridge :)
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And all I ask is a lightish pack and a map to get me by,
And the outdoor kick and the wind's song and the grassy tussocks moving,
And a grey mist on the far away hills and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down out to the hills again, for the call of the running streams
Its a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied ……….. “
(With apologies to John Masefield/ I Must Go Down to the Sea)
In a sudden surge of Monday energy I finally booked the Train ticket with the result that come next Monday I'll be camped up for Night #1 somewhere north of Ivybridge on t'Moor several hours after my boot hits the platform.
Once I spotted that the train price was identical, whether I used Ivybridge or Plymouth stations, I fell upon the increased flexibility of a South-North trip across Dartmoor like a ravenous wolf.
The plan - to follow a couple of the established routes up to Okehampton. Resupply. And make the decision whether to return to Plymouth or Exeter via one of their better served bus options. Or to turn around and take a different route back southwards.
The finally clincher was the recent update on the Army Range closure schedule giving me a ten day respite from possible military assault on the Okehampton range (It’s worth monitoring the on-line firing schedule by the way. I’ve noticed it changes without any indication that its been updated)
Time to get a packing
Labels: dartmoor
Your plans reminded me to start work on a Dartmoor backpack route. We've only been there once and it was very enjoyable, but that was 13 years ago: definitely overdue for a return.
The only offputting thing is the M6/M5 journey via Birmingham.
The only offputting thing is the M6/M5 journey via Birmingham.
#
posted by : 11/6/08 6:58 pm
: 11/6/08 6:58 pm
Hi mate - as you're starting from Ivybridge, you might want to look at this spot for your first night:
50.480091,-3.89423
Just bang the co-ordinates into google maps. Great spot, by water and pretty sheltered.
50.480091,-3.89423
Just bang the co-ordinates into google maps. Great spot, by water and pretty sheltered.
Bah - you'd have left by now!
I know it's a nice spot - it's where I usually spend my first night when I start out from Ivybridge :)
Post a Comment
I know it's a nice spot - it's where I usually spend my first night when I start out from Ivybridge :)
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