Auxerre Based on my vast experience of about half a dozen days in the region, mostly in transit, I have to say that Burgundy is one of my favourite regions of France. It’s hard to say exactly why. The countryside is a solid seven out of ten throughout. It is usually nice, occasionally drab, and … Continue reading Bourgogne
Family Walks
Paris-Nice Day Five: Into the Mountains
Vonnes to Annecy, 165km. A tough day. Today’s ride took Rich and Graeme into the foothills of the Alps. It was a grumpy start, a challenging ride and it took all our mental and physical strength to push through to Annecy - where all the campsites were full.
Waun Fach and the Dragon’s Back
Earlier this year, we talked about taking on a big challenge this summer and, while my initial ideas of backpacking around west Wales or taking on the South Downs Way haven’t come off yet, yesterday we tackled something I’ve wanted to do for a while - the Dragon’s Back. I adore the Brecon Beacons - … Continue reading Waun Fach and the Dragon’s Back
The Great Eastern Pingo Trail
On camping trips, I usually enjoy planning days out walking from the campsite. In most places, there will be a couple of footpaths or bridlepaths leading out into the unknown, whether just to the next village or pub or linking into networks to take me far further afield. Our Norfolk campsite is disappointing in this … Continue reading The Great Eastern Pingo Trail
Fox Tor and Plym Ford
On a day like today, there's nowhere I'd rather be than in the hills and nobody I'd rather be with than my family. We were up holiday early and filling ourselves with porridge and glucose syrup ready for what appeared to be a cold day ahead. The sky was clear and for once we were … Continue reading Fox Tor and Plym Ford
Moonrakers and Sunseekers 2025
Beautiful dawn at Bournemouth It's 5.30am on a Saturday. The air is cold and crisp, bitingly sharp on the lungs. My fingers and toes are satisfyingly numb with the cold. Behind us, away to the east, the sky is starting to crimson below a thin line of grey clouds, and the warming air will soon … Continue reading Moonrakers and Sunseekers 2025
Tour of Brittany 2025 Day One: Roscoff to Brest
Distance 149.3km, 2117m ascent 'Monkey Tennis': an audio summary of the day's ride, recorded from Plouider later in the trip (3:42). Friday night and it was raining in Brest. It was only about 9 pm, but the heavy atmosphere made it seem later. The streets were deserted and anyone with an ounce of sense was … Continue reading Tour of Brittany 2025 Day One: Roscoff to Brest
Cloddfa Gwanas Quarries and Waun-oer
This weekend we had a bit of a mission to go to Snowdonia for some mountain walks. I’m planning to go for Summer Mountain Leader assessment in the next 12-18 months, and as part of that journey I need to log a total of 40 ‘quality mountain days’ during the consolidation period between training and … Continue reading Cloddfa Gwanas Quarries and Waun-oer
Mini tour of Brittany day 3 – Huelgoat to Roscoff
After yesterdays magnificent feast, breakfast today was bound to be a disappointment. With no food at the B&B and most of the town square closed, I only had a café au lait and some freshly squeezed orange juice to get me going. It was more than enough. Despite my host’s assertion that ‘it’s all uphill … Continue reading Mini tour of Brittany day 3 – Huelgoat to Roscoff
White Tor
Looking north towards Hare Tor from White Tor The far west of the moor is an area I get to fairly infrequently. It's the longest drive from Torbay and, as I'm always striving to find a balance between early starts for long days on the moor and a solid lie in and brunch, we usually … Continue reading White Tor
Grey Wethers and Sittaford Tor
The last walk of 2021 was a short walk with two friends and their dogs up to Bellever Tor to see the views, a impeccable plan if it weren't for the fact that it was so foggy on the day that we couldn't even see the bottom of the tor from the top. Still, we … Continue reading Grey Wethers and Sittaford Tor
Saddle Tor
Saddle Tor, with Hay Tor peeping over its shoulder. Dwarfed by its more famous neighbour and appearing as a mere pimple from the nearby road, it’s a wonder anyone visits Saddle Tor at all. It rates poorly by comparison to its neighbours. It doesn’t look like much, from the main road to the south at … Continue reading Saddle Tor
Sourton Tors and Great Links Tor
Since leaving the hospitality industry, I've found Bank Holidays to be a real luxury. They used to be a source of dread, stress and overwork, but now they are a fabulous opportunity to spread two days of busyness over three days. This weekend, we managed to allocate a day look at new cars, one to … Continue reading Sourton Tors and Great Links Tor
Scorhill and Kestor Rocks
I can't overstate just how much we have missed Dartmoor during the last lockdown. For most of 2020, we were still allowed to go to Dartmoor for our exercise and just being able to do that had such a positive effect on our collective mental state. It allowed us to break out of home and … Continue reading Scorhill and Kestor Rocks
Swincombe
It’s hard to believe it’s been over three months since our last family walk on Dartmoor. We’ve found the last lockdown to be tough. Days out on the moor have been at least a fortnightly event for the last year or so, but the January closure put an end to that as we live just … Continue reading Swincombe
Siward’s Cross and Nun’s Cross Farm
Siward's or Nun's Cross, with Nun's Cross Farm in the background Any regular Dartmoor walker knows Nun's Cross Farm. Depending on your perspective and direction of travel, it's the target for a good leg-stretch before settling down to a pint in the Plume, a crossroads on a longer exploration, a checkpoint on your mountain bike … Continue reading Siward’s Cross and Nun’s Cross Farm
Bowerman’s Nose
Bowerman the Hunter on the slopes of Hayne Down, with Easdon Tor in the middle distance Last week we took a short winter's walk up to Bowerman's Nose, one of the most iconic locations on the moor. There are a handful of photos that every self-respecting Dartmoor guide and website should feature - the church … Continue reading Bowerman’s Nose
Butterdon Hill and Western Beacon
Self-portrait! The southern side of Dartmoor can be a forbidding and lonely place. Largely bereft of the spectacular tors found in the central and northern areas, and with no roads crossing it, this is very much the preserve of the long-distance walker. Hikers taking on the Two Moors Way often start at Ivybridge and follow … Continue reading Butterdon Hill and Western Beacon
Belstone Tor and Irishman’s Wall
Stroll around Belstone on a summers day and it's a perfect edge-of-the-moor village. Thatched cottages hewn from the local granite are sprinkled round the village green, where you can also find a set of stocks and a small enclosure where lost animals use to be kept until their owners were found. Just off the green … Continue reading Belstone Tor and Irishman’s Wall
Cox Tor
Weather-wise, the last couple of weekends have been pretty horrible. In theory I'm happy to go for a walk or bike ride in any weather, but with a long list of little jobs to do at home I have been known to spend a weekend 'getting a few things done' rather than going out and … Continue reading Cox Tor
Dewerstone
Just before lockdown began in March, our eldest son went on his first school residential. He only spent one night away but for him it was a massive adventure. His class went down to the Dewerstone and stayed in the cottage doing all kinds of cool outdoor activities. He loved every minute. Apart from losing … Continue reading Dewerstone
Fingle Bridge and Cranbrook Castle
After yesterday's ridge top views of autumnal Dartmoor valleys, I wanted to spend more time in the woods. We're at the tail end of the vibrant spectacle of autumn now, and it won't be long before the reds, yellows and everything in between are gone for another year. So with my wife at work, I … Continue reading Fingle Bridge and Cranbrook Castle
Honeybag Tor
I always have mixed feelings about the clocks going back. I love the hope and optimism that spring seems to bring, summer is for camping and being outdoors, and I love the residual warmth and colours of early autumn. The clocks going back represents the end of most of those things and a desire to … Continue reading Honeybag Tor
Hartland Tor
Rainbow over Hartland Tor Hartland Tor is one that has a distinct appeal for those lucky few of us who work with young people on the moor. For most, it's a fairly insignificant place; a small pile of rocks in a smallish font on the map, not quite on a bridlepath and only a couple … Continue reading Hartland Tor
Black Tor
I feel quite lucky that I grew up walking on Dartmoor from quite an early age. I took part in Ten Tors, I camp there regularly, I’m into walking and ancient remains and good beer. If you’re a holidaymaker, a kayaker or teetotal, then you’ll have a different experience to me and so Dartmoor will … Continue reading Black Tor
Rippon Tor
A combination of summer camping trips and post-holiday quarantining meant that we had an unexpected hiatus from Dartmoor. Last weekend we finally made it back, for the short walk up Rippon Tor. Rippon Tor seen from the path near Hemsworthy Gate. Rippon Tor is just a kilometre or so up the road from Haytor but, … Continue reading Rippon Tor
Wicken Fen
The ongoing travel restrictions have left us, like many people, looking for alternative plans for the school holidays. We couldn’t hop over the Channel with our trusty bell tent this year, but instead have taken the opportunity to visit a few old haunts and relatives around the country whom we haven’t seen for a while. … Continue reading Wicken Fen
Wistman’s Wood
Photos from Wistmans Wood, 24th October 2019 “Fairy-like, self-involved, rich in secrets … such inturned peace, such profound harmlessness, otherness, such unusing … all words miss, I know I cannot describe it.”John Fowles, 'The Tree'. This section is quoted from the final chapter, which was written about Wistmans Wood. Wistmans Wood seen from lower down … Continue reading Wistman’s Wood
Sharp Tor and Yar Tor
Photos from Sharp Tor and Yar Tor The Sharp Tor Tree is one of my favourite trees. As long as I've been to Dartmoor it's been there, clinging on improbably to a saddle among the clitter in the middle of the tor, where the soil and roots must be just deep enough to hold it … Continue reading Sharp Tor and Yar Tor
Avon Dam
Photos from the Avon Dam It had been a long time since I had been to the Avon Dam; so long, actually, that I couldn't quite convince myself that I had ever actually been there at all. I have rarely worked on the south moor with groups and most of my solo adventures would start … Continue reading Avon Dam
Bellever Tor
Photos from Bellever Tor Bellever Tor is one of my favourite tors on Dartmoor. This is a bit odd, because if I was making a list of requirements for a perfect tor, it doesn't meet any of them. It isn't remote, and in fact can be climbed in less than half an hour from either … Continue reading Bellever Tor