A 3-day trek around the south-eastern part of Dartmoor, taking in several tors and fragments of the Two Moors Way (TMW) and Abbot’s Way (AW). The outward arc is via Great Mis Tor across the Merrivale heartland to Higher White Tor and Bellever Tor, crossing the West Dart Valley to Ryder’s Hill. The TMW heads west along the wild Avon Valley for an out-and-back along the south moor to Sharp Tor, and the AW makes a fine walk along the remote Erme valley to pick up an easy return by a traverse of South Hessary Tor.
A high pressure area established itself over southern Britain and signalled a fine weather slot for my second backpack on Dartmoor, but this time the views were very thick and hazy despite the fresh chilly wind on the high moor, the photos needing much processing to bring out the desaturated colour and detail captured in the raw images. This would be a trip to appreciate the local detail and wild atmosphere of the moor rather than the broad vistas.
12 Comments
Good stuff, Geoff. I shall be there in just over a week’s time to walk from Ivybridge to Okehampton and my route overlaps from Sharp Tor to Bellever Tor. I was hoping there might be somewhere to pitch at Leftlake. Now you’ve confirmed it! I hope the weather is OK. The forecast is mixed but I never believe it until nearer the time.
Where the track passes over a tunnel by the pool at Leftlake, I dropped down the embankment on the opposite side from the pool and found good grassy pitching maybe 100 yards away, a shallow depression out of sight.
Here’s hoping for clear weather for your trip, I know some parts of my route would not be pleasant to navigate in mist!.
Great writing Geoff. From a readers perspective it’s a bit of a shame about the haze. I’d have loved to see the expansive views. However you and Mr James Boulter have convinced me that Dartmoor is somewhere I really need to take a trip to.
Thanks Charlie. My Dartmoor Tops Tour of last year has a few better views. There is certainly plenty of good backpacking there.
Great place to walk in my view. I to need to go back soon. Thanks for that Geoff.
It certainly is, plenty of good route potential when I get stuck for a new trek.
Some nice photos there Geoff despite the haze. One day I’ll have to get my act together and do some walking on Dartmoor, unfortunately it is a bloody long drive away. Still I’ll have to do it if I want to complete the English Nuttalls.
Thanks Matt. It would be a disproportionate effort to drive down there just for the two Nuttalls, that’s what we did back in 1995 and regretted it all the way home. Better to do at least a 3-dayer: the two tops are quickly reached and then the whole northern moor is laid out ahead.
I know what you mean about the driving, it’s the M6/M5 through the Midlands that really puts me off, otherwise I might go more often.
I think what I’ll probably do is wait a couple of years until I’m sure my daughter can handle the car journey and then take the family down for an extended visit. Mind you at some point I’ll probably want to do the Deweys as well
A lovely wild looking backpack there Geoff. I also am not keen when my walks coincide with long crocodile lines of ramblers, do you hold back and hope they disappear or try and get ahead? You certainly don’t want to get caught up in the middle!
Thanks James.
I judge my comfortable speed relative to theirs and try to pass them if I think they are fairly slow, which is not as easy as it once was!. Their routes seldom coincide with mine for long anyway, and it’s quite rare to encounter them at all.
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