New clues: The Heights of Summer

A series of boxes on and around the 'Roof of Devon' - the ridge with the county's highest peaks crowning it.  

Yes Tor Road  (Contains visitors book)  

Yes Tor  

Fordsland Ledge 

High Willhays (Contains visitors book)  

Datum D   

Redaven head (Contains visitors book)

All boxes have been removed from the moor.

Hitting the highs

It has been a blisteringly hot week, with record temperatures across the South of England.  Dartcom suggests that thermometers peaked at 26.1 degrees on Dartmoor last weekend.  With little, or no wind, it made for a hot, hot, hot walk up to the roof of Devon.

WITC was not alone of course, and there were many people looking to enjoy the sunshine, the views and the opportunity to look down on most of the Nation.

Our route started close to the Target Railway below West Mill Tor.  As I was not driving my car (yes, I had permission!!), I was pleased that the MOD had at least resurfaced this stretch of metalled track.  Smooth (yet un-melted) tarmac to the top.  From here a walk along the gravel paths and trails led me up to Yes Tor.  Appreciating the breeze from on high, I had boxes to search for on this ridge, and then headed over to Fordsland Ledge.  The West Okement valley stretched out before us - the view never fails to impress.  Turning for the highest spot of all, and lunch just below it's cairn, in what little shade could be found.  The cairn on High Willhays appears to have grown since my last visit...  

After eating, it was a descent to the Red-a-ven Brook - the highest water-course on the moor.  Cotton grass hardly swayed in the hot, stillness of the blanket bog at Red-a-ven Head.  We rejoined the military track close to the ruin of Observation Post (OP)2.  Of the 22 Military Observation Posts built in the Okehampton range, only 7 remain intact.  OP2, now demolished, recognisable only by pieces of wall, and a barely visible grassy former access track.

The sweltering walk back to the car used up the last of my 1.5 litres of drinking water, and a very welcome refreshment stop in Okehampton was called for!

Devon Stamps review

Following February's surprise news about Tanda Stamps' closure, I was forced to look elsewhere for the creation of this year's new stamps.  Following the design and submission of 2 new series, I have been very impressed by the service provided by www.devonstamps.co.uk.  They provided advice about my stamps before they took payment.  They warned me about a potential delay to manufacture them, though it only took them 8 days in total, which is very reasonable.  It is a pity the largest size sheet they can create is A5, but on this occasion, this suited my stamp request.  Also, at £22 plus P&P per A5 sheet, it is a bit pricey.  As the picture shows, the rubber is self adhesive, backed with the coloured sheet, and overall, I'm very happy.

Health dependant, I'm hoping to back these stamps and have the first set sited in mid July.  Standby for more news!

All quiet

Its the start of Summer.  Peak season.  Yet WITC asks just one question.

Where is everyone?

Letterbox forums are quiet.   We have had two very quiet consecutive Meets.  Commoners are complaining about stock levels decreasing, and scrub levels increasing, restricting access to on the moor.

The National Park Management Plan on the DNPA website currently reports that visitor numbers are falling.  "Falling tourist numbers, particularly in serviced accommodation (hotels, b&bs, etc) are leading to reduced employment."

One of the joys of Dartmoor is the ability to escape the crowds even on the busiest Bank Holiday, and walk all day without seeing another soul.  Haytor car park will still be busy, as will Burrator and Postbridge.  These 'honeypot' sites on the moor have been developed by the National Park Authority, benefiting from investment in services and maintenance.

Images such as the one above of Yes Tor appear positively impossible to replicate, even on the busiest Summer days.

The economic conditions clearly are not helping - high petrol prices and cost of living make trips to the moor a luxury for some.  Whilst this was meant to bring about a boom in UK holidays - the 'Stay-cations', perhaps Dartmoor is not attracting big crowds.  Maybe the National Park's intentions to attract a younger, more diverse visitors is a long term plan.

Historically, Dartmoor is a popular National Park.  The OS Explorer Map OL28 featured in the top 10 best selling maps regularly.  Maybe other parks are attracting bigger crowds, seeking bigger things.  Let us hope that the National Park Authority have the right ideas and the clout to turn the situation around.

Dartmoor National Park Management Plan: http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/337536/Draft-NPMP-for-consultation-May-2013.pdf

Yes Tor image: Source: The Dartmoor Quiz Book.  Barber, Chips; 1990.

Hemerdon Tungsten Mine & Crownhill Down

WITC notes news breaking just South of Dartmoor this week:  Australian mining firm Wolf Minerals have confirmed they have successfully secured funding to start work on the £130 million Tungsten project at Hemerdon Mine.  The mine lies close to  Dartmoor Zoo, South of Crownhill Tor and Lee Moor.  Though the story is hardly a surprise, and even the relief road has been completed in expectation of this news.  

The villagers of Hemerdon have also been waiting a long time for this news. Wolf Minerals first stated their intentions nearly 30 years ago! The village lies in an area of Devon - a region of Britain - with a long history of mining. Hemerdon Tungsten Mine originally opened in the early 20th century, and after closing after WW2, the area was subject to further exploratory work in the 1950s and 1980s.

Crownhill Down looking South and North, towards Penn Beacon 

The mine is now expected to commence extraction of tin and tungsten in 2015. Demand for tungsten  is rising, and supplies are becoming limited to more and more difficult locations, mainly in China. The rare metal's unique properties make it essential in the manufacture of everything from cruise missiles to drill bits.  Estimates stand that approximately 3500 tonnes of tungsten could be extracted in the next 2 decades from the Hemerdon Ball site.

The planning permission sought by the mining company included the following elements:

• an open pit of eventual dimensions 36 ha in area by 200m in depth

• a plant area of 29.4ha

• tipping of approximately 100 million tonnes of mining waste over 175 ha of Crownhill Down

Thats nearly 2 sq km of spoil heap on the open moorland.  Such a shame considering the wealth of historic monuments and ancient artifacts in the area.  Hut circles, boundary stones and field systems.  There may not be many letterboxes (although a visit just before the last Meet confirms there are some), but it is a shame, and a concern, that lacking National Park protection will cost us this open space.

References:

http://www.devon.gov.uk/loadtrimdocument?url=&filename=EEC/09/147/HQ.CMR&rn=10/WD1932&dg=Public

Ten Tors & Jubilee Challenge 2013

Its that time of the year again!  Ten Tors 2013 takes place this weekend.

Please take care using your camp stoves now!  This after the recent headline:
100 firefighters attend massive blaze near Chat Tor.  Ten Tor's Director Brigadier Piers Hankinson has concluded that the fire risk is 'Red' despite this week's rain.  The green shoots are yet to appear, leaving tinder dry dead grass moor-wide.

This weekend we should also consider the 300-or-so participants of the Jubilee Challenge.  Celebrating it's 35th anniversary this year, the Jubilee Challenge is open to teenagers with physical or educational disabilities.  Entrants take on one of 4 routes of between 7.5 miles and 15 miles across North Dartmoor over a single day, dealing with the same pressure and conditions as the Ten Tor'ers.

This is a truly incredible event: offering a test for groups and individuals who face challenges every day of their lives.  The objectives of the Jubilee Challenge are to develop personal skills such as self reliance, personal responsibility and leadership, whilst also providing expedition skills, improved fitness and a tremendous sense of achievement.

So lets hope for good weather, no injuries and a successful event for all concerned - in both the Ten Tors and Jubilee Challenge.

The good, the bad, and the downright nonsensical!

Lone skyward pointing rock 000° 

Cow in line with trees 200°

Rock that looks like honeycomb filled acorn hat on it's side 300°

Gate not in wall 100°

Isolated stile 360°    

I love a challenge, but as I sit here, planning my next walk, my mind has drifted to the tricky letterbox clues.  The bearings of 132.25 degrees, the 'tucked back and to left' sites, the visible, and 'not-quite-visible'  '2nd highest holly'.  The 'logan-type', 'Africa-shaped' rocks.  The catalogue is chocked full with imaginatively descriptive and more unconventional clues.

A genuine clue taken from the catalogue a few years back reads, in it's entirety: "FREEDOM ??? ???  On a knife edge.  Check out an old site."  We're all in favour of getting back to basics, without GPS and all, but give us a clue!

If we face a future without GPS to assist us (or at least the 10 figure grid references), decent bearings will make all the difference.  Wherever possible, siting a letterbox on a calm day helps.  For when a clues states "(Windy)" at the end, its very hard to know how to act on the moor.  You can either only search on a similarly windy day yourself, or, perhaps, stand on one leg, or shake violently whilst taking bearings - attempting to replicate the owner's experience.

Other terms I suggest banning from clues include "Irregular shaped boulder" - which suggests that other rocks are formed neatly by something other than nature.  "Lichen covered" - As this fails to narrow down any search on Dartmoor, which, by and large, is entirely lichen covered.  And finally, anything ending in "-ish".  Roundish, for example.  Leftish, rightish, smallish, pointyish.  If it be described - don't describe it!

Rant over.  Back to my walk planning.  I'm hoping to be back on the moor in mid May.