Dartmoor 2 ½ Expedition
27 hardy students set off for South Dartmoor a couple of weeks ago, keen to test their navigation, campcraft and river-crossing skills on Dartmoor.
The weeks of heavy rain had led to swollen rivers, increased marsh and bog and the forecast suggested it was also going to be very cold.
We pitched up at the campsite to find our usual camping spot was a total quagmire. The ground was slightly firmer in ana alternative field, but it was still exceptionally muddy, and the students were forced to endure the torrential rain and sleet on top of the darkness as they set up camp for the weekend.
In the morning, the rain continued and breakfasts were cooked on stoves in which shelter could be found. However, as we followed our routes, the weather improved, and we had patches of fog, rain, hail alongside lovely sunny spells. The routes took in some of South Dartmoor's most iconic landmarks - Childe's Tomb (where a hunter had perished after sheltering inside his dead horse), the "bottomless" Crazy Well Pool and the Neolithic stone rows and man-made rabbit warrens of Ditsworthy.
A good day of hiking was had by all - the 35s managing to keep walking for 11 hours and finishing their hike near Princetown prison under the moonlight. Dinners were cooked, and a tired bunch fell asleep under a cold starry night.
The forecast for Sunday had always been terrible and although the gentle drizzle of the morning seemed highly inoffensive, the yellow rain warning issued overnight (95% chance torrential, all-day), temperatures staying around zero and ongoing poor visibility helped justify our decision to bring the students straight home after breakfast on Sunday. This was vindicated by the weather as we left - thick fog, strong winds and sideways rain lashing the minibus. A good learning weekend was had by all (including staff).
Many thanks to volunteers Iain Richards, Smoky Bill Smith, Jazzy Smith, Imogen Wood, Reuben Wood and Mrs Brooks. We are also very grateful to the wardens of the Chapel of St. Raphael in Huccaby for their hospitality and warmth.
For more photos of this expedition, please click here.
