07 A Taste of the Tors A truly testing route in Dartmoor’s north-east corner will give even experienced adventure riders a run for their money
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here is a time for riding and wild camping on the exposed plains of Dartmoor, and the short days and temperamental conditions of late autumn are probably not it. Yet the very nature of exploring and discovering the British wilderness, I have found, involves immersing yourself in the terrain, exposing yourself to the elements and experiencing the land around you with each and every sense, even if that involves the feeling of lashing rain on your face or muddy water seeping through your shoes... A friend and I came ready for the rain, donning numerous layers capped with waterproof shells,
but it was a ferocious wind that caused us the most immediate problems, whipping our hoods and snapping at cuffs. My friend’s compact little camper van had never looked so inviting as we left it parked and ventured out onto Headland Warren on our bikes. We made certain of our position before heading too far, so faint were the trails and so vast the moorland before us. We were on the north-east fringe of Dartmoor, and civilization, in the form of Tavistock and Okehampton, lay far to the west over huge swathes of remote moor used solely for military exercises.
Info: START/FINISH : Bennett’s Cross car park, Chagford Common PL20 6TA, 50.619883, -3.866134 DISTANCE: 34.7 miles/55.8km
AS C ENT: 5547ft/1691m
O FF- R O A D : 75%
TERRAIN: Peaty moorland tracks, riverside forest trails and country lanes. The ride starts at its highest point, so three of the four significant climbs are left until near the end.
NAVIGATION: Challenging, particularly on the southwestern part of the ride. The bridleway from the car park on Bush Down is not signposted; neither are the network of paths around Grimspound. On the outward journey stay left around Shapley Tor, and returning via Grimspound keep right on Hameldown Tor. A compass and OS Landranger 191 are recommended for this ride.
EAT AND DR INK:
S LEEP:
PROVISIONS:
Bridford Inn, Bridford, Exeter, Devon EX6 7HT, 01647 252250, www.bridfordinn.co.uk The Cleave, Lustleigh, Devon TQ13 9TJ, 01647 277223, www.thecleavelustleigh.uk.com
Royal Oak Inn, Dunsford, Exeter, Devon EX6 7DA, 01647 252256, www.royaloakd.com Bivvy: Edge of Bridford Woods, 50.683916, -3.680114
Michael Howard Butcher & Delicatessen, 7 Court Street, Moretonhampstead, Devon TQ13 8NE, 01647 440267, www.michael-howard-butchers.co.uk The Bike Fixer, Unit A4, Cranafords Industrial Park, Chagford, Devon TQ13 8DR, 07717 046064, www.chagfordbikefixer.com
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