dartmoor trip in december

[bennymk]

Hello

I'm in need of some knowledge and really much feeling the urge/need to go somewhere wild..

With that in mind,I'm going to Dartmoor (starting at Princeton area,I'm not rigid though and open to suggestions/ideas) and was wondering if anyone has first hand knowledge of the weather in December, I'm going to be ready for anything and if things get to bad are just hunker down.

Is it mainly wet and cold? I've checked the averages and its coming out the wettest month. I'm not bothered about what she throws at me.

Any tips on where to visit would be good as well

Cheers.

 

[Robbi]

Will this be your first time out wild camping ?

 

[bennymk]

Hello Robbi, no camped out all over. had some really cold nights out in January..haven't been to Dartmoor yet.

Trying to best utilize the time of.

 

[mick91]

Dartmoor is cold and exposed, but worth it. Wrap up warm and get out there!

 

[mutineer]

I stayed at the Plume of feathers pub a few months back. Excellent place. Turned up late, got a Friday night pitch no probs. And a cheap fry up. From there I went south and saw barely anyone for 2 days.
Weather is predictably unpredictable.
Its a beautiful place but I would say be careful with your navigation. Dartmoor can be a subtle place to navigate so trust your compass and learn pacing and your speed and time over the terrain. The contours can be confusing and hard to relate to the ground. When I went a few months back it was my first time in ages. Day 1 was clear, I could see the sea and Nav was easy. Day 2 was very low visibility. A lot of people on their own would flap and make poor decisions.
I hope im not teaching you to suck eggs but have simple escape plans if ou run into trouble and trust them. Eg- if lost, head due west until you hit nearest road.

Have fun!

 

[bennymk]

cheers mick/mutineer

shall do going 4 3 nights around princetown area, a tad of Tor bagging but mainly taking in the ambiance, good spot of reading planed.

not at all mutineer,never been lost only not known where i was a few times i shall be popping in there before i set sail for my grans.

looking forward to it. just ordered my merino base layer top/bottoms.

 

[bennymk]

Had a brill time in Dartmoor, i went boxing day, stayed for 2 nights, took a bit home and left a bit of me their.

i started at 2 bridges because of storm Eva, yomped to Beardown Tor, stayed there the night. It was a mental night as the storm hit, thought my tarp was going to disappear in the night but she didnt, was a rough night though. when i woke up in the morning it was a complete white out (10 metres tops) so i decided to hang around a bit to see if was going to clear but it didnt so i set of for white tor around 12pm. I got to white tor at 16.10, was a hard hard days walk through the bog that is Dartmoor but i had a brilliant time and it made it all the more special when id had some grub and the mist cleared to reveal both sides of the firing range. really special place is white tor, its a neolithic fort and im not a religious fella but theres something about that place can feel a kinda energy.

On the last day i yomped for white to great mis tor as i wanted to get home as i found what i wanted (in myself). Great Mis Tor is quite expansive, I'm going to wild camp there one day.All off track as the ones that hadnt been washed away were now little streams.

I did 6 river/leat crossing, two were quite treacherous i had to go out my way to find a suitable spot and the one that on the west side off Great Mis Tor was around 4 metres wide.

All in all it was a excellent trip, learnt so much (myself/kit/clothing an dartmoor) which was the plan all along.

Just my two pennys worth on some of the kit i used, i took my US bivvy bag which performs as she always has, at white tor i literary slept in a 3" bog, thats really worth the money guys. I took my single layer ventile and my tera peak gore tex jacket and i much prefer ventile all day long, with ventile you get wet from the outside in and the opposite with gore, which is exactly what you dont want , the day i did where the gore i got cold quickly every time i stopped an not so with the ventile. For my trousers i wore my 5:11 kodiak 11oz canvas, i slipped in one leat with my right leg as i was trying to find a crossing and they still kept the chill out even though theyd got wet through on my right leg/damp all over. And lastly my mighty mountain jumper that is the Austrian military boiled wool jumper which is quite frankly the dogs.

When i figure out how to upload pictures i shall do.

Are be going back next year.

 

[MonsieurDig]

I was thinking of camping up around Bellever Tor. Anybody stayed round there?

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[bennymk]

looks like a good spot to me MonsieurDig, the bigger the stone outcrop the better more choices to find a spot to hunker down. Just remember the sheep frequent all the best spots = lots sheep pooh but its unavoidable i came home smelling of sheep wee/pooh,lol. I used a thermalite neoair either under my bivvy or in it but under my bag depending on what i was sleeping upon.

Looks like a interesting place with all the field systems around it, you get the sense of ancient man everywhere when your walking around Dartmoor, well at least i did.

Go for it,are be paying Bellever Tor a visit now ive seen the field systems around it and its a viewpoint....

 

[MonsieurDig]

I went there yesterday. Hiked from Wistmans wood to Langford tor down to Bellever Tor then back. It's a nice area. I know you aren't supposed to but I would rather camp in the actual forest

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[bennymk]

 

[bennymk]

 

[bennymk]

 

[Richard Francis Burton]

Wicked set of Photo's, mate. Getting me all warmed up for the Brecons. That's pretty nifty, the way you've put them Pics up... I'll have to find out how you done it. That's reminded me, I need to get the Harvey's Maps.

 

[bennymk]

I had to sign up as a full member to put photos up, but it was only 15 nicker so a bargain for the year... Its quite a laborious job as i was having to put them up one at a time, i could of grouped them together in one post though just didnt know what i was at and it was pretty darn late(brain not working), so if anyone reads this and knows how i can put them up in one go id be grateful?

 

[Richard Francis Burton]

I've put Photo's up in the last Month, with not being a Full paid up member, I used Photo-bucket. 'Spose there's different ways and platforms to do it. Wonder if what your doing is better than using Photo-bucket.

 

[bennymk]

I dont like the thought of another corp having all my personal pics... hence signing up.