 hello
I want to spend a long weekend on Dartmoor hopefully taking in Yes Tor. It will be from Friday afternoon till Monday evening. I will be travelling by public transport from the south east of England and hope to walk from my drop-off point. I have camping experience. Are there any things that could help me plan a route. I have GPS.
thankyou
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.gif) I've literally just got back from a 3 day camping trip in Dartmoor, also came on the train from Herts. Train from Paddington to Exeter then there is a regular bus to Okehampton.
Where are you planning to start from and how long/far do you want to walk each day?
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 There is a good website here for route suggestions. Also, get OS map OL28 for an excellent, detailed view of the moor.
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 The most impressive of the Tors at the Okehampton end is Great Links Tor. Make sure you get to see Tavy Cleave too. You'll find it hard getting suitable camping pitches, there is a good one at Sandy Ford: probably one for your last night before going up High Willhays & then Yes Tor on your way back to Oakhampton. Pitch at Sandy Ford Tavy Cleave
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| Edited: 25/07/11 21:23 |
Swam in Tavy Sat eve then bivid on Hare Tor - tho got tarp out when hill fog descended at dusk. Glad of tarp in morning as it was rather wet! There's a lot of whortleberries around - we pigged out on them, bear-like. Lovely. Note, if anyone plans to swim here, the best pool loses the evening sun rather early. And SR - enjoy!
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 Ivybridge railway station is right on the edge of the southern Moor, so that might be a good place to start or finish. A few years ago I did an Ivybridge to Meldon Reservoir traverse in 24 hours, taking in a lot of the tors along the way, so your schedule should allow you to cover quite a lot of ground. Last time I checked, wild-camping was officially tolerated on Dartmoor. If you haven't already got it, OS sell a double-sided 1:25000 map that covers the whole of Dartmoor. It's worthwhile checking that the firing ranges won't be in use when you visit on this website: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/MicroSite/DIO/OurPublications/DTE/DartmoorFiringNotice.htm They are very rarely (never?) used at weekends.
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They don't fire in August, either. When are you going, SR?
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Regarding routes, there don't seem to be a lot of established paths on Dartmoor. Also, there isn't a lot of steep ground that can't be just walked across. During periods of dry weather, when the bogs and rivers are not a serious problem, I sometimes just plan routes as a series of straight lines between summits. Seems to work OK for me, although sometimes adjustments have to be made for river crossings.
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Very sorry to everybody for posting new first message and not following up straight away. Work is cracking the whip and am lucky to have job.
Thankyou for all the great replies.
Have done some internet research and found that a bus goes from Exeter railway station to Oakehampton called the X9. the last one leaves at 4.15 but I will miss this. Taxi is too expensive. Silly AND expensive to pay for hotel in Exeter for Friday night. Leaving Saturday morning means I lose lots of precious time. Is there an answer to this problem?
I am looking to walk a bit but not 30 miles a day. Starting at Meldon reservoir is my aim. I want to set up tent early and leave late. Am worried about general public putting head in tent is this a problem?. Have GPS but want to get my map reading skills with compass back up to scratch.
I will answer any replies promptly.
Thanyou
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 Well, you could always get the train to Plymouth and then catch the bus to Yelverton or Princetown. Its on the Moor, but then you'll have a faire way to Yes Tor from there... like most of Dartmoor  Bu=ut you would be able to start Friday. There is easy camping around there and some nice tors too. Easy to string together a bunch
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 Hi San Depends on how remote you are comfortable with You mentioned Yes Tor, and Great Links has been mentioned - Just below Great links is Nodden Gate, 533864 (near the ford) I used to use it a lot a few years ago. short walk to the pub on the main road. I also think the bus runs from Tavistock to Oakhampton runs along this road. On the way up to Black a tor copse from Meldon car park there are a couple nice areas to pitch Within 45 mins of the resevoir car park and you could go from there up High Willhays and on to Yes Tor from there. Or from Meldon - Up Yes Tor, High Willhays Kitty Tor, bleak house ruin, Great Links (already suggested) then down to Nodden Gate. about 7/8 miles dependingrout taken Slightly further on in the centre(ish) of the moor, there is Nuns Cross Farm and Whiteworks - both reasonable sites. There are sites in Princetown at the back of the pubs as well - but cant get a bit hectic. Never had a problem with people poking heads into tents - that I am aware of. Hope this helps,
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Western Greyhound also run buses from Exeter to Okehampton (510, 599), although annoyingly a couple of the afternoon buses don't go via St Davids. There's a 5.45 from the Bus Station that runs through to Meldon and a 6.35 from St Davids to Okehampton. Timetable
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 A few more route/transport ideas here that may help.... Dartmoor - Ivyrbridge Railway Station Check the various post around these dates here & herefor past trip reports & tips
I found the trek from the old mine workings at Quickbeam hill to Ivybridge station to be a very dreary one. A combination of being chilly and hungry and the weather being quite overcast didn't help, but that stretch of the moors is by far my least favourite bit of the moors. I much prefer the steep rocky tors to the gently rolling bits in the middle.
In future, I think I'll finish elsewhere and bus out.
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 A boring stretch - yep if you follow the track. I divert via the tor tops for a bit of variation. But whichever way I cut it I'd agree it still remains a slog 
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You could leave Sunday afternoon/evening on the Dartmoor Railway from Okehampton, it runs into Exeter St Davids. A great volunteer run station with really friendly staff. Just a shame the train to Exeter only runs on Sundays, would be much more sensible to have it in the week, but it's run by FirstGreatWestern and they seem reluctant to do this according to the staff. This is how I got back to Exeter. The last train runs at 6pm. I stayed mostly on the northern moor, from Okehampton to Yes Tor/High Willhays, then to Dinger Tor and Great Kneeset. I had gone just after a lot of rain I think and wouldn't recommend going from here to Higher White Tor as it was terribly boggy but may have dried out. However I did camp just below Longaford Tor on a great pitch by the river. From there to Beardown Tor down to Two Bridges. Unfortunately the next half of the day was a bit of road walking or dull bridleway to Hexworthy and Huccaby Tor. Then Bellever Tor and Postbridge. Managed to find another fantastic pitch about an hour out of Postbridge where the river turns west. Next day again floundered in bog trying to find Grey Wethers circle, was very misty so just used the stone fence to guide to Sittaford and up to Whitehorse Hill. Past Hangingstone Hill is all military tracks, which in dull weather and fog are very much a trudge. But was pretty fast back to Okehampton from there. Not sure I'll be back to Dartmoor anytime soon, I don't think I saw it in it's best light, but it definetly made me use my map and compass skills, which is the whole reason I chose to go anyway!
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