Living in Plymouth means that we are only about 30 minutes away from the excellent walking terrain provided by the wide open expanse of Dartmoor. This ought to mean that we go walking there a lot but that 30 minute barrier seems to be enough to make it quite an unusual occurrence. Yet every time I get out on the moor I think how great it is and how we should be making the effort to get ourselves out there. I think there are two keys to overcoming the psychological barrier that the short drive poses. First, it’s obviously a good idea to have good quality kit so that when you do actually go for a walk and inevitably (on Dartmoor) end up walking through a bog, your feet stay dry and comfortable. Secondly, I think it is really important to plan and have made the decision to go for a walk well in advance. We took care of the first of these last weekend when we bought new walking boots (Scarpa Terra GTX with Vibram soles, Goretex lining and simple leather design) together with some new walking trousers (I gave all my previous ones away to charity shops because, after losing over 20 pounds in weight and 2 inches off my waist in the last few years, they didn’t fit me anymore). And then earlier in the week we decided that with no rain forecast we would take ourselves out for a walk today deciding last night that it would be a 5.5 mile route from Postbridge to Bellever, towards Laughter Tor and then back through the forest.
The weather was cloudy, so we weren’t blessed with the best views but there was little wind and no rain so the conditions were pleasant enough. The route we were following got a bit confused around the mid-way point and I ended up using the map to pick out a route back from Laughter Tor following forest tracks that may not have been the way that was intended. It was all easy enough, the new boots seem to have done their job well.
Here are a few photos that I took along the way…
View back towards Postbridge
The East Dart river at Bellever, looking south
View towards Yar Tor
Rock outcrop on northern side of Laughter Tor
Moody skies (classic Dartmoor)
Tim O'Hare 