Saturday, April 13
Dartmoor NIGHT 3/5 Sat 1/7/23 COX TOR-MIDDLE STAPLE TOR-GREAT STAPLE TOR-ROOS TOR-LYNCH TOR-WHITE TOR (8.7m)
Time to finally get properly exploring. Dry and clear, but with the ever persistent wind. But thankfully the rain has cleared and visibility is good.
COX TOR to MIDDLE STAPLE TOR (540 576) onto GREAT STAPLE TOR (542 759)
Great Staple Tor..I thinkQuickly over ROOS TOR (543 765) and then heading for the stone circle (556 782)
I didn't manage to stay very long. Hearing a noise behind I turned to find a herd of curious ponies, with their foals, had snuck up behind me ... ninja quiet. And like ninjas, due to the young foals, they were potentially a risk. It didn't help that nearby curious cattle had spotted a chance for fun and were working their way across towards me.
So that's the way it was going to be then - one of those days avoiding the locals.
I don't mind livestock, but big and bouncy animals are always a challenge when carrying a full pack, and there isn't a wall or tree for shelter within miles.
Bugger off and leave me alone.
Harsh words may have been aimed their way as a deterrent. Whatever - it seemed to work as I yomped off leaving them to return to their daily cud chewing. Spoilsport that I am.
I was aiming for a meander to take a look at LYNCH TOR (564 806) but needed to take on water for tonight's wildcamp.
Not so easy across relatively featureless moorland.
A detour then down to the stream south of COCKS HILL (555 783), but a pleasant sheltered spot for lunch, and it made the diversion worth the effort.
A typical waterside spot found on so many of my trips. Nothing but the sound of nature, and nil phone signal. It doesn't really take that much effort to get far far away from "civilisation", but I suspect few have ever bothered to come this way.
It's not particularly on-the-way to anywhere, so largely unvisited judging by the lack of tracks. Their loss. There is more to walking than Tor bagging and tromping long distance footpaths.
I find my meandering and response to changing circumstances seem to bring me far more satisfaction.
I contoured along the valley, the usual obstruction strewn going, following upstream until I could safely cross over and then the typical uphill clamber through long tussocks/no obvious tracks until finally crowning Cocks Hill and making my way to LYNCH TOR (564 806)
This tor is a bit of an anti-climax. Less a tor, more a pile of rocks strewn on moorland. My end of day notes read "not very inspiring". Not a place I'll be using for any future wildcamp.
The weather had remained clear, but by now the westerly wind had been picking up, so not a spot for hanging about. Little real shelter, and not much to say for itself except as a stop on the way to elsewhere.
Lynch Tor
From the tor there was a strong track heading southwards to pick up the track aiming for the stone wall crossing White Barrow, and then westwards. Its clearly a well used route, the path wide and increasingly obvious the further I travelled southwards.
Using the standing stone as a guidepost I swung up onto WHITE TOR (542 787)
White Tor
It felt enough for the day. Probably around 9 miles, but with a water load on for the latter half.By now the wind had strengthened to Bloody Annoying, so R&R for the rest of the day.
Labels: dartmoor, wild camping
Time to finally get properly exploring. Dry and clear, but with the ever persistent wind. But thankfully the rain has cleared and visibility is good.
COX TOR to MIDDLE STAPLE TOR (540 576) onto GREAT STAPLE TOR (542 759)
Great Staple Tor..I thinkQuickly over ROOS TOR (543 765) and then heading for the stone circle (556 782)
I didn't manage to stay very long. Hearing a noise behind I turned to find a herd of curious ponies, with their foals, had snuck up behind me ... ninja quiet. And like ninjas, due to the young foals, they were potentially a risk. It didn't help that nearby curious cattle had spotted a chance for fun and were working their way across towards me.
So that's the way it was going to be then - one of those days avoiding the locals.
I don't mind livestock, but big and bouncy animals are always a challenge when carrying a full pack, and there isn't a wall or tree for shelter within miles.
Bugger off and leave me alone.
Harsh words may have been aimed their way as a deterrent. Whatever - it seemed to work as I yomped off leaving them to return to their daily cud chewing. Spoilsport that I am.
I was aiming for a meander to take a look at LYNCH TOR (564 806) but needed to take on water for tonight's wildcamp.
Not so easy across relatively featureless moorland.
A detour then down to the stream south of COCKS HILL (555 783), but a pleasant sheltered spot for lunch, and it made the diversion worth the effort.
A typical waterside spot found on so many of my trips. Nothing but the sound of nature, and nil phone signal. It doesn't really take that much effort to get far far away from "civilisation", but I suspect few have ever bothered to come this way.
It's not particularly on-the-way to anywhere, so largely unvisited judging by the lack of tracks. Their loss. There is more to walking than Tor bagging and tromping long distance footpaths.
I find my meandering and response to changing circumstances seem to bring me far more satisfaction.
I contoured along the valley, the usual obstruction strewn going, following upstream until I could safely cross over and then the typical uphill clamber through long tussocks/no obvious tracks until finally crowning Cocks Hill and making my way to LYNCH TOR (564 806)
This tor is a bit of an anti-climax. Less a tor, more a pile of rocks strewn on moorland. My end of day notes read "not very inspiring". Not a place I'll be using for any future wildcamp.
The weather had remained clear, but by now the westerly wind had been picking up, so not a spot for hanging about. Little real shelter, and not much to say for itself except as a stop on the way to elsewhere.
Lynch Tor
Using the standing stone as a guidepost I swung up onto WHITE TOR (542 787)
White Tor
Labels: dartmoor, wild camping
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