Actually I'm not entirely sure it was 12, but the road sign said 6 miles each way. Granted I was only on the road for part of the way, but I'm saying 12 just the same.
We started out on Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Remember
the last time I attempted this walk? Well, the weather on this occasion was marginally better. At least it wasn't raining. But the visibility was pretty dire at first nonetheless.
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| There is meant to be a moor in that fog somewhere |
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| Maija ready for her hike |
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| A long, steep climb up onto the moor |
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| The views were *supposed* to be wonderful along this walk |
Somewhere in the guidebook between
"follow the directions carefully because the path is not well marked" and
"head for the earthworks you can see on the far hill" I decided to abandon the planned walk. It seemed like a good idea not to try and follow a route that was dependent on the view. So I picked a path that was well marked and followed it to where it ended at a road. Then I followed the road for another hour or so until I reached
Postbridge, at which point I turned about-face and retraced my steps all the way back to Widecombe.
The weather was an improving picture as I went.
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| A definite improvement |
Eventually the fog burned off, the clouds cleared and the incredibly blue Dartmoor sky
finally appeared. And when it did, the views were indeed far-reaching and pretty damn fine.
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| Hard to believe it's the same day |
It was a great walk, although it was getting pretty warm for the dogs by the time the sky completely cleared and my rucksack full of water bottles was getting pretty heavy.
Along the way we found an unexpected
stone circle, of the sort Dartmoor is famous for. This one is the Ringastan (Soussons cairn circle).
There were cows and wild ponies a-plenty and oodles of sheep and their tiny newborn lambs.
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| Maija with a curious & friendly Dartmoor pony |
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| Eating gorse - pregnant ladies really will eat anything |
I even had the opportunity to rescue a tiny lamb who had somehow managed to get on the wrong side of the gate. She was frantically crying for her mother who was on the other side frantically bleating to her. I managed to open the gate wide enough for her to squeeze through and the sweet purring sounds the ewe made when reunited with her baby I won't forget in a hurry.
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| Mama & baby reunited |
Of course there was the obligatory river and old stone bridge, not to mention one or two really wonderful stone houses.
When we made it back to the car, the girls were happy to rest in the shade for a while before we headed home.
