Tuesday, July 22
UKOB Dartmoor Trip - Wash-Up
The Stats:
Day 1: To Meldon Reservoir;
Distance - 1.25 mile;
Day 2: Black-a-Tor Copse-LINTS TOR-GT & Little Kneeset-Fur Tor-Sandy Ford-Amicombe Hill-Green Tor-Nodden Gate;
Distance - 11.3 mile (18.08 km); Ascent - 847m; Average Speed - 2.4 mph
Day 3: Nodden Gate-Great Nodden-Sourton Tors-Meldon Reservoir car park;
Distance - 5.87 mile; Average Speed - 3.3 mph (edited post comment - thanks Gayle)
TOTAL: Well who cares?
Summing Up:
I've already said most of it summing up my last trip Suffice to say track finding on Dartmoor can be 'interesting' at times, and definitely not for those who worry about mud or boggy areas.
Map and compass work is a given, whatever the weather.
As Geoff used a 1:50,000 map we were able to compare the detail provided with my 1:25,000 OS. Suffice to say I'll be sticking with the more detailed version. Even then the tracks on the ground are mostly not reflected on the OS map. Get used to reading the ground and the lie of the land ahead as you move forwards. This is where my winter New Forest bogland walks come in very useful.
The valley around Amicombe Brook was quite challenging, and the crossing of Amicombe Hill itself difficult at times. Whilst not the worst land I've ever crossed it required a fair degree of concentration and will power. Definitely an area which saps the energy out of the legs with the incessant high stepping gait and regular direction changing required to make any reasonable progress onwards. Sunday morning my legs definitely felt like I'd walked much further than the eleven miles recorded.
Lessons learnt, Tips & Tricks:
Gear:
The North Face Hedgehogs turned out to be a liability. Dried out they will remain useful as street shoes, but a new pair will be on order presently. A difficult decision not to ditch them at Nodden Gate and save the dead weight. But you know what its like with that special and oh so faithful piece of gear. They've had a long life but fool on me for not heeding the warning signs of their imminent demise earlier in the month.
Food:
An opportunity to test the
JH Mash against the Asda version. Mine was full of taste, quantity and quality. The ASDA version - rubbish. Definitely worth playing around with some alternative mixes to expand the range, but basically a very quick and easy way to prep cheap instant food. (Orders are being taken BTW -lol)
Labels: dartmoor, UK Outdoors Blogger, walks
Comments:
Are you sure about that Day 3 mileage?
If I draw a dead-straight line between Nodden Gate and Meldon Reservoir Car Park then I come up with a bigger mileage than that.
Please tell me my (i.e. Anquet's) mile counting isn't vastly out... (otherwise our LEJOG could have been much shorter than I'm claiming).
well i was pretty certain Gayle, even with the dog leg route I took
Having just measured myself it looks more like 5 so i may have mixed the 3 & 5 up looking over my scribbeld notes; 5.87m sound more like it?
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The Stats:
Day 1: To Meldon Reservoir;
Distance - 1.25 mile;
Day 2: Black-a-Tor Copse-LINTS TOR-GT & Little Kneeset-Fur Tor-Sandy Ford-Amicombe Hill-Green Tor-Nodden Gate;
Distance - 11.3 mile (18.08 km); Ascent - 847m; Average Speed - 2.4 mph
Day 3: Nodden Gate-Great Nodden-Sourton Tors-Meldon Reservoir car park;
Distance - 5.87 mile; Average Speed - 3.3 mph (edited post comment - thanks Gayle)
TOTAL: Well who cares?
Summing Up:
I've already said most of it summing up my last trip Suffice to say track finding on Dartmoor can be 'interesting' at times, and definitely not for those who worry about mud or boggy areas.
Map and compass work is a given, whatever the weather.
As Geoff used a 1:50,000 map we were able to compare the detail provided with my 1:25,000 OS. Suffice to say I'll be sticking with the more detailed version. Even then the tracks on the ground are mostly not reflected on the OS map. Get used to reading the ground and the lie of the land ahead as you move forwards. This is where my winter New Forest bogland walks come in very useful.
The valley around Amicombe Brook was quite challenging, and the crossing of Amicombe Hill itself difficult at times. Whilst not the worst land I've ever crossed it required a fair degree of concentration and will power. Definitely an area which saps the energy out of the legs with the incessant high stepping gait and regular direction changing required to make any reasonable progress onwards. Sunday morning my legs definitely felt like I'd walked much further than the eleven miles recorded.
Lessons learnt, Tips & Tricks:
Gear:
The North Face Hedgehogs turned out to be a liability. Dried out they will remain useful as street shoes, but a new pair will be on order presently. A difficult decision not to ditch them at Nodden Gate and save the dead weight. But you know what its like with that special and oh so faithful piece of gear. They've had a long life but fool on me for not heeding the warning signs of their imminent demise earlier in the month.
Food:
An opportunity to test the
JH Mash against the Asda version. Mine was full of taste, quantity and quality. The ASDA version - rubbish. Definitely worth playing around with some alternative mixes to expand the range, but basically a very quick and easy way to prep cheap instant food.(Orders are being taken BTW -lol)
Labels: dartmoor, UK Outdoors Blogger, walks
If I draw a dead-straight line between Nodden Gate and Meldon Reservoir Car Park then I come up with a bigger mileage than that.
Please tell me my (i.e. Anquet's) mile counting isn't vastly out... (otherwise our LEJOG could have been much shorter than I'm claiming).
Having just measured myself it looks more like 5 so i may have mixed the 3 & 5 up looking over my scribbeld notes; 5.87m sound more like it?
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