Trinity Dartmoor – reset post lockdown.
September 11, 2020 Leave a comment
Dartmoor is a ninety minute drive from me and following the one hundred days of lockdown I have visited it three times. I find the idea of driving for a daily jaunt ignorant and would rather spread my carbon out, maximising the time there. With increased visitors I’ve avoided the weekend and often travel first thing Tuesdays and Thursdays returning at last light.
The Dartmoor 365 project was superb and the Facebook numbers have now swelled over 12 thousand. The framework it develops on completion gives a three dimensional patchwork of understanding. In-between each hit is a vista, a place to revisit in different conditions, a new experience awaiting discovery.
I needed a new project, a different challenge, a reason to the integrate old squares with new places. The concept of Ollis80 was born, sitting in the mess tent at Ten Tors; the AtoZ OS map book has 80 tors indicated in the index, I listed them, produced an Excel file and started ticking.
Have completed the Dartmoor 365 project and also the Ten Tors 55 I had completed a good deal of the list previously; my legacy tors. After a start on Mel and Bel Tor [Bel is private and so was sighted, rather than surmounted] I hooked up with Tom and we wandered to Yar and Corndon. A good deal of the tors fit nicely into small groups either side of the road, and so are suitable as am and pm jaunts. The pubs had just opened.
Holwell revealed much greater sections of the railway than I had visited before, Wind a very level approach and Bell a brush with television.
The next challenge is accommodation. Dartmoor is the only national park encouraging wild camping but with post lockdown silliness the vans had arrived. Bins were full to overflowing and the verges scorched or littered. There is a map of permitted locations, away from roads, small light tents carried in and moved on daily.
Bivouac works and my Land Rover even has a short platform but I am also very fortunate to have friends with houses near by. It is a shame that with lockdown restrictions the army expanded their use and even the quiet environment around Watern was disrupted by late night tramping from Sandhurst cadets.
The area around King and Birch Tor was next. Moretonhampstead is becoming my favourite base. Three groups had been completed and I limped home soon to return.
My next visit included some off piste tors but also a hack across to King’s Tor from Hart and the fabulous coffin. The whole of Foggintor could occupy a day. Suddenly the preoccupation of mask, distance and daily briefings seemed a mile away.
Glorious sunny tops called, roadside hacks and deeper pulls to gnarly granite outcrops. Hours dripped away, the summer burnt my skin.
By the third visit the Ollis80 was almost cooked. I had three visits planned to complete the project. climbing from beside the Dartmoor Inn – Doe, Sharp and Hare beckoned.
The view from .456 down into the Tavy was stupendous and ahead lay Watern Oak, Fur Tor and Cut Hill. I returned via the Willsworthy range, often closed but interesting when open. I dropped to the Lyd, it had swelled and I needed to cross at the road.
It reminded me that two of the 365 boxes required payment, the following day I visited Canonteign falls with Sue.
My final day had two tors left to complete the list but I was keen to finish on a high. Beyond Chagford the road narrows and I explored off road parking spots before heading to Middle tor via Frenchbeer rock. Thornworthy revealed a lovely bivvy spot before finishing on Kestor. Thus is a fabulous high and the rock basins provide a mysterious thousand year old quandary – such as the Devil’s frying pan. The 365 link continued.
My final day before the inevitable gallop of inset was to revisit Bridford, Heltor and Blackinstone, all from the 365 bible. I dipped into Bovey and returned, refreshed.
Dartmoor refreshes, revitalises. The granite scrubs your mind clean. The sharp piqued sunshine cuts cleanly, pairing away tired and exhausted memories. I am renewed and already ready for my next adventure.
Alicemark 