Just past New Year

The much publicised run of poor weather battering the South West kept me off the moor and away from the Fur Tor pilgrimage on new year's day.  The weather on January 2nd, was considerably better.  I haven't set foot on the moor since siting my Christmas walk on Bench Tor, and I've received a bunch of festive sets to find.  I plotted to complete two of these walks and another independent Christmas box.  

I have decided to go back to basics in 2014, and ditch the GPS for the purpose of finding letterboxes.  I'll keep it deep in my bag for emergency purposes, and when I site my own boxes.  These routes would test my skills, since all the boxes on my list had 10 figure grid references.

Off to Hollow Tor near Princetown to start.  Early gloom lifted, and the light was incredible.  A short Christmas walk which was found without fuss (and my Garmin).  It was interesting to be able to view Yellowmeade Farm's ongoing renovation.  In October, the National Park's Planning Officer recommended that planning permission to construct camping barn holiday accommodation be refused on the grounds that a. It was completely at odds with the NPA core strategy on development and b. The scale, appearance and design of the plan was detrimental to the wider environment.  Back to the drawing board then.

After lunch at the Plume of Doom, it was on to Littaford Tors for my second Christmas series.  This one posed a slightly tougher challenge, not least as it was pouring with rain.  Frustratingly, yet unsurprisingly, the day's best weather had been spent in the pub.  The combination of poor visibility in the heavy showers, an over-ambitious list of boxes to find, and the failing light meant I did not complete the set here.  It was clear that "don't bite off more than you can chew" would be a lesson learnt for the new post-GPS regime.  

On another house point, the property immediately below Crockern Tor on the Two Bridges to Postbridge road - Parsons Cottage - is up for sale.  Details here.  It is telling perhaps how planning regulations have changed in the past 100 years as this 3 bed house was built here in the late 1920s.  Although you'll need £275,000 to purchase Parsons Cottage, it is a Duchy Leasehold which can be a bit of a drawback.  You'll have to pay the Duchy 50% of any projected profit the property will make in the period of your lease up front.  You'll also have to pay the Duchy rent, which is subject to regular review.  It also makes the house non-mortgageable.  Still tempted?

2013 resolutions - the results

As the sun sets on another year, it must be time to review how I got on with the resolutions I set myself a exactly 12 months ago...

1.  Drink more water.  DONE!  I was even bought a shiny Sigg water bottle this year!

2.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to not sit at the computer as much. DONE!  I have a 'smart phone' now, rendering my laptop almost superfluous.

3.  Eat more local.  NOT DONE!  Well and truly missed on this one.  

4.  Get out on the Moor more often.  NOT DONE!  It pains me to consider that I have only completed 10 letterbox walks this year, and I'm only edging slowly to the end of a stamp album. 

5.  Distant and lofty peaks, outcrops and points must feature higher up my walk schedule.  DONE!  More than one trip up to High Willhays, treks out to Flat Tor and Lints Tor too.

6.  Decide on my actual letterboxing name: DONE!  whoisthechallenger.  There.

7.  Keep siting some nice boxes. NOT DONE!  Nice boxes, but not enough sited.  Just 2 new series in 2013.  More to come in 2014.

8.  Do the Ancient Dartmoor Perambulation walk.  NOT DONE!  I've got my sights set on the South West Coast Path now...

9.  Finally, to continue blogging my Dartmoor Letterboxing adventures.  DONE!

Happy 2014 everyone!!

New clues: Christmas walk 2013

Merry Christmas to all my blog readers!

Gifts 

Decorations  

Snow 

Santa Claws!   

Merry Christmas  

This series has now been removed from the moor.

Wooded walks

In the last two weeks, I've been to two tors with two great views into two beautiful wooded valleys. 

Close to Ashbury Tor, looking North

Since August, experts have been quoted in the media preparing us for dramatic Autumnal scenes in our woods and forests.  A bumper season or 'mast year' for forest fruits, promised the Forestry Commision.  The dry, calm Summer was also set to provide us with intense colours in the tree leaves in a show unmatched in years.

Heading West from Fatherford

And so it was with great anticipation that WITC headed up into the trees.

Ashbury Tor overlooks the West Okement just before the river leaves the National Park, and turns to thread through Okehampton.  The scattered outcrops don't hide many boxes, but make an interesting diversion from the normal routes in the area.  I parked at Fatherford Viaduct, and never strayed too far from the noise of the A30.  This was a route with a specific target, and I had no time to cross the adjoining East Hill.  I met Richard Barry (Barry Bogwalker) whilst searching for one box.  I left with a haul of 4 stamps.

View down Bench Tor with Sharp Tor in distance

On a very different, and also the more recent route, the trees belonged to the Devon WIldlife trust's Dart Valley Nature Reserve and the view was from Bench Tor.  This is a predominantly oak woodland on famously steep slopes dropping to the fast flowing, paddling favourite river.

Track around Venford Reservoir

Bench Tor is a ridge - a prominatary - into the river valley, with incredible views in every direction.  Sitting atop the furthest outcrop, I was able to watch other walkers explore Mel Tor opposite, no more than 500 metres away, yet so completely out of reach.  Letterboxing is tough on Bench Tor, and although we had a few on our list to find, we found more Geocaches than boxes on the tor.

I returned to the car via Venford Reservoir.  One of Dartmoor's oldest reservoirs set in a small plantation of evergreen Spruce.  A tranquil spot on a weekday afternoon.  But certainly no letterboxes.

From the top, down.

As promised, the Summer set - the Heights of Summer - needed retrieving.  The weather on Tuesday was superb.  The early cloud drifted off, and the sunshine warmed the moor up.  Following in our August footsteps, I stomped up to Yes Tor, High Willhays and Fordsland Ledge, but instead, descended South to Lints Tor.  Its been ages since I've been here.  The last time, it had been a long return trip up the river from Meldon boxing the true left bank on the way up, right on the way down.

Lints Tor is a prominent and reconisable rock pile.  Its the iconic peak in the centre of the valley.  Many breaks have been taken in the shelter its sheer walls provided.  On my list was a selection of boxes called Clapping Over Dartmoor, and I was keen to find the set.

From Lints I paced off to Brim Brook.  I had to hurry up as the light was beginning to fail.  I say fail, but the late afternoon light was actually getting more dramatic.  The sky turned purple, red, the hillsides below turned orange.  The skyline of Northern Dartmoor a bold silhouette.

To Dinger Tor next, and the security of the military track.  If darkness fell, at least I had a handrail to follow home.
It was at Dinger Tor that I met the only other person out on the moor.  A non letterboxer, heading in the direction of Fur Tor.  A risky proposition for 4pm in Autumn.

As the sun continued to set, I scooped up the last of the Heights set from Bog Hill, passing the Okehampton Parish Bound-stone pictured.

9 miles walked and 13 boxes (plus our own 6) found.

The end of Summer

Next week, I'll be back on the moor to bring in my Heights of Summer series from the High Willhays area.  If you haven't already, its your last chance to collect the set (New clues - Heights of Summer, July 2013).  It seems an age since the height of Summer.  The October letterbox Meet on clock change day appeared well attended, and theres a heap of new charity walks sited.  Meanwhile the October weather seemed typically Autumnal.  The Environment Agency tell us it was the eighth wettest October since records began in the South West, with about double the average rainfall, and high river levels reported during the latter half of the month.

The days are notably shorter, and the first frosts are forecast.  Its a time for thermals on the moor, and good waterproofs too.  Dicey river crossings, low cloud and tricky bearings.  Dark green of heather, dark grey skies.  Windswept car parks devoid of visitors.  Steamed up windows on Fox Tor Cafe.  Then there'll be the cold, crisp mornings.  Frosted grass crunching underfoot.  It is the end of Summer, but it is the beginning of another great letterboxing season.

The upper River Meavy

WITC spotted a recent gap in the weather to complete a word-of-mouth letterbox walk around Black Tor and Hart Tor between Burrator and Princetown.  The last couple of months of searching for a new house have been very stressful, and it was unbelievably good to get out on the moors, blowing away the cobwebs, and relaxing.

The four-mile stroll took in Black Tor Blowing House and the old rifle range.  The last time I walked here, I was adopted by a particularly yappy and friendly Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  He bounded over to me from out of nowhere, frequently barking and sticking loyally to my side.  After spending the proceeding 2 hours attempting to find his owners, I decided he must have been alone on the moor sometime, wrapped up my walk, returned to the car and drove him to the nearest Animal Shelter.  I understand that he was reunited with his owners the next day.  The benefits of animal chipping right there!

No such drama this time around.  With scarcely any other people out walking, I could explore the valley and tors untroubled.  Apart from the set I was searching for, there were no surprise finds, bar a couple of very obvious geocaches...  Are these getting easier to find??

The tally for the day was 4 miles and 9 letterboxes, which was satisfying enough.  Its been 2 months since my last letterbox walk, and I felt out of practice.  I need to work on my fitness!  Which reminds me: I still have a Heights of Summer series out.  With Scottish hill snow forecast for later this week, Summer seems but a distant memory and this set is looking overdue for retrieval!  Thanks for everyone's updates on this set.  All are on site and in good condition according to the most recent report.