Dartmoor 4 day Wild Camp
5 people attending
3 places left
PLEASE READ ALL SECTIONS, INCLUDING WHAT TO BRING AND FOOD+DRINK
You need to have mountain walking experience, good equipment and a high level of fitness to carry your food, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and bivvy bag or small tent for around 90km. Sometimes it will be easy walking, other times we’ll be crossing the remotest areas of Dartmoor, where there are no trails, rivers with no easy crossing points and the infamous Dartmoor bogs. Our route will be partially determined by the water levels when we are on the moor; we may need to walk late into the evenings if water levels increase. We may need to camp on exposed, wet, uneven ground. I expect that we’ll walk about 20km on Friday, 25km on Saturday, 25km on Sunday and 20km on Monday.
I will send a pre-event message 3 weeks before the event, asking participants to confirm that they will be attending. Ten days before the event I will remove people who have not confirmed, so that other people have the opportunity to participate, rather than having empty places as well as a waiting list.
We will meet in the car park opposite the Village Hall in Belstone at 9:15am on Friday 28th June, so that we can depart by 9:30am, with the aim of getting to the Warren House pub in the early evening, so that those who want to, can have a pub meal. We'll then find somewhere discreet nearby to sleep for the night.
On Saturday, we’ll be up early and follow the road for a couple of miles to get to Postbridge, then over Bellever Tor, past Dunnabridge and Hexworthy, then across rugged Moorland (with no trails) to the summit of Ryder's Hill (the highest point on Southern Dartmoor). Then we'll head South and around Avon Dam Reservoir, then North West, finding somewhere remote to sleep before we get to Buckland Ford. On Sunday up to Buckland Ford, touching the Two Moors Way, then following the Abbots way for a while, before heading West to Lower Hartor, then North over Higher Hartor to Pricetown. We’ll then head North across very remote moorland, with lots of bogs and no trails or bridges and sleep there. Up early again on Monday, to continue over very remote and difficult terrain, then summit the two highest Tors and back to Belstone.
We will spend a lot of time in the firing ranges and may have to change our route if the firing range areas are closed. However it is rare for the ranges to be shut on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in mid-summer. However if firing is happening on Monday, it will force us to substantially change our plans for Sunday and Monday.
Thursday Night – Because it will be holiday season, if you plan to stay near Belstone on the night before the event, I suggest you book well in advance. Both YHA Okehanpton hostels often fill well in advance. There is also some accommodation in Belstone , people have also camped nearby. If you have difficulties with travel or accommodation, please talk to me well before the event.
Please contact me with any questions.
What to bring
Please review the Outdoorlads kit lists for a general guide, but essential on this walk are previously used good hiking boots, waterproof cagoule and overtrousers, small DISCREET tent or bivvy bag, head torch with adequate battery life and low light output, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, personal hygiene materials, any medication, sun protection, adequate warm clothing, rucksack and enough food and drink and cooking equipment. See the comments about water in food and drink. I suggest that your full rucksack (including water) should weigh less than 16kg and less than ¼ of your weight; if it risks being heavier, then try to share tents or cooking equipment with other members of the group. Bring money if you will be buying food in the pub. I strongly recommend walking poles, so that you can test for bogs and to aid balance when crossing rivers (fording or stepping stones). I also strongly recommend carrying a change of socks.
Food & drink
Bring enough food to cover your needs for the duration of the event; except for Friday dinner if you plan to dine in the pub. It will be possible to buy some food in Princetown, if we get there early enough.
We will quite often encounter streams, so it will be possible to top up water from time to time, YOU NEED TO MAKE APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS TO RENDER THE WATER FIT FOR YOUR CONSUMPTION. On Sunday evening we may be 90 minutes from water, so it will be best if you can carry enough water for Sunday evening and dinner and Monday breakfast.
(I will be carrying two 1 litre water bottles, one to drink from and the other with a purification tablet at work. I will re-fill the bottles with stream water passed through a filter).