Walking on Dartmoor. Earle John
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Название: Walking on Dartmoor
Автор: Earle John
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Книги о Путешествиях
isbn: 9781849655118
isbn:
For full details a free booklet called Dartmoor Discovery Guide gives the timetables of all the bus routes running across or onto Dartmoor with a lot of other useful information. You can get the details of these services from Parke or local bus companies (see Appendix B). But I must assume that most of you will come to Dartmoor by car.
Where to stay
As you drive across or around Dartmoor you will often see farms and small guesthouses advertising bed and breakfast and you may be the sort of person who likes to try places on the off-chance that they will have vacancies, but at the peak holiday periods you would probably be better off booking. There are many excellent hotels in the area ranging from the large and expensive to the small and not so expensive. There are youth hostels at Steps Bridge on the Teign and at Bellever near Postbridge. The Dartmoor Expedition Centre near Widecombe-in-the-Moor offers full board or self-catering bunkhouse accommodation.
As I have mentioned all Dartmoor is privately owned and permission must be obtained from landowners before pitching tents or caravans. Some farmers will allow you to camp on their land for short periods; a few have recognised sites. The National Park Authority has a leaflet that gives you further details about camping and also lists the various sites on or near the moor.
The most comprehensive guide to accommodation in the Dartmoor area is the Dartmoor Tourist Association's Annual Guide. (See Appendix B for address.) The Dartmoor National Park Authority's excellent free information newspaper Dartmoor Visitor also has details of accommodation, camping barns, hostels and a wealth of other really useful information.
The Tradesman's Arms, Scorriton
Dartmoor weather
As with many upland regions on the west of Britain you can expect a high rainfall on Dartmoor. The prevailing westerly winds come in from the Atlantic loaded with moisture and as Dartmoor is situated on a peninsula between the English Channel on one side and the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel on the other, the rainfall of over 80 inches a year at Princetown and much of the surrounding moor is only to be expected.
This oceanic climate coupled with the fact that much of Dartmoor is between 200m and 600m (650–2000ft) high means that there will be strong winds as well as heavy rain and of course the notorious mists which can blow up in minutes. All walkers on Dartmoor must be prepared both physically and mentally for mist and bad weather with hard frosts and snow in winter.
You can get recorded telephone forecasts for the south west including Dartmoor on 0891 500404. The newspaper Western Morning News prints comprehensive local weather forecasts (see Appendix B).
One final word about flooding rivers. Dartmoor is like a great sponge which retains water until saturation point is reached and then it releases huge quantities with amazing suddenness. The rivers can come up several feet within an hour or less. The power and weight of the water of a river in flood is something you would never imagine unless you try to cross. The rule is, don't! It is far better to walk extra miles to an easier crossing place or a bridge rather than attempt to wade across, especially with young people. Hopping from boulder to boulder is also to be discouraged at all times, even more so with a river is in spate; it usually ends with wet clothing or, worse, a sprained ankle or broken bone. If you have a light rope, then in a real emergency you might feel you could cross using one of the correct safe-guarding methods found in Langmuir's book (see Appendix C).
Clothing
Let me start at the top. You lose an enormous amount of heat from your head and therefore some form of headgear is extremely important all the year round for, even in summer, warm sunny days can quickly become wet and cold on Dartmoor. In winter a balaclava is well worth carrying. It is also worth mentioning that a broad-brimmed hat is a good thing to have on hot summer days for with a slight wind, sunburn is another hazard coupled with heat exhaustion and even heat stroke.
For winter walks thermal underwear is excellent, but not essential, and a woollen shirt is valuable. For summer lighter shirts will be sufficient. The rule is that several light layers of pullovers are better than one large, chunky sweater. It means that you have more control of your body heat and can shed one layer at a time when you are wearing several. Thermal, fleece jackets are very popular and to wear a light sweater with one of these jackets to put on or take off seems a good combination.
I like to wear breeches with a pair of long socks but you may prefer trousers. Whichever you choose, for winter walking they should be made of a thick material such as a woollen mixture and loose enough to allow easy leg movement; jeans are too thin and usually too tight to be ideal walking clothing but for summer they will do. There are plenty of excellent lightweight trousers designed for walking on the market.
Next, thick socks; loop stitch are very comfortable. Now perhaps most important, boots. The choice here is vast and nearly everyone has their own preference. Lightweight boots are very popular and for long days of walking they are far less tiring. However, the boots that are partly made of fabric cannot be said to be really waterproof unless you wear them with the type of gaiter that has a rubber rand that fits into a special groove round the welt of the boot. So probably I would suggest a lightweight, leather boot with a cleated rubber sole to be worn with gaiters, especially those with the rand. The sole should be flexible so that it bends with your foot as you walk.
Clappper Bridge over the River Avon, Walk 6
If the boots are well treated with waterproofing wax and you wear gaiters you should then be dry to the knees and I hope you do not go any deeper than that! I see no need for the heavy leather mountaineering boots for Dartmoor. You should get adequate ankle protection with lighter boots and there are no long scree slopes to descend.
I shall probably incur the wrath of some experts, but to be honest a good pair of wellingtons are excellent for a lot of Dartmoor and there are quite a few types of rubber boot on the market made with studs that can be taken out when not needed. Obviously it depends on your feet and whether you feel that you can walk comfortably all day in wellingtons.
Then you will need an outer layer of waterproof clothing. I am afraid that you will certainly need both jacket and trousers if you are going to walk a lot on Dartmoor in summer and winter. For summer walking a jacket only will be sufficient, but I do feel that a good hood is essential to stop the wind and rain going down your neck.
There are many breathable fabrics on the market but it seems that whatever you wear you will be very lucky to remain completely dry if you are out for several hours on Dartmoor on a wet and windy day. Either the garment will leak or you will get wet with sweat! In any case water will seep up your sleeves and down the neck! But do not be tempted to leave your waterproof and windproof garments behind as they are a life-saving and essential part of your equipment. The choice of which one to buy must rest with you: Gortex, Entrant, Ventile, waxed cotton, nylon proofed with rubber or PVC. The best answer is to visit a good equipment shop and look at the various makes available.
Finally, gloves or mittens. I prefer wool for inner gloves and indeed for most of my outer clothing such as shirts, sweaters and breeches; wool stays warm when wet. Again it is useful to have a waterproof СКАЧАТЬ