Dartmoor Weekend...

[Ivan]

This one will have Martin tutting ,Hi by the way , Ihave just returned from a really enjoyable weekend camp with my 11 year old daughter Katie aka mongoose on here ,we had a brill time . Last night at about 8.00pm she was desperate to go for a wander to check out the performance of her new head torch and osprey rucksack , which were great, but as we got up on the higher moor we heard shouting as if there were a problem, but just in case we switched our lights off and listened , the mist had come down by the way . There were a group of youngsters that had become a bit dissorientated and as they got close we put our lights back on , there was a shout of" Frazer thank god !" Isaid sorry not he ,and asked if everything was ok ,they said yes and asked directions to Ludgate, which we duly showed . Excitement over back to camp slept like babys ,7.00am up full fry up, pack up and home. I think we may have the youngest Dartmoor Rescue volunteer in the making , only with her dad of course . Still, brill weekend and the school chatter may be a bit more interesting than usual !

[Martin]

Brilliant Ivan, great to spend time out with the kids. Me and my daughter slept in the teepee in the garden last night. All great until I had to swap my warm sleeping bag for her smaller, less warm one at 5.00 this morning. lol

Will have to pay you a visit sometime soon mate. Maybe once Ten Tors is finished I'll have time to get to yours.

Martin

[Ivan]

Yeah that would be good , even mother nature was on our side it didnt rain until we had bedded down, and awoke to glorious sunshine what a day ! Get all that serious walking stuff out of the way and hopefully you and the boys can come over and have a shindig ,sorry serious bushcrafting and survival weekend , on me of course you cornwallians got me started, hope all is well with you atb Ivan...

[JonnyP]

Is there many folk who get lost on the Moor every year Ivan..?

[Ivan]

Hi Jonny, not as many in our bit as you would imagine dont have any data of course , but the army, camp just inside the gate at ten tors time, as a precaution and to my knowledge have not been an evacuation for the last 5 years . But never ceases to amaze me the amount of ill equipped or advised people go a wandering up there without suitable kit or even clothing , and i think to myself as they walk past ,oh boy there could be trouble ahead , but seems more luck than judgement they make it home safe. But in saying that they probably dont go very far! You do see the stangest things though people going up there at the stangest times of day and wearing the wierdest clothing , who knows they know better than me ,theres nowt so queer as folk !

[swkieran]

yea sadly jonny, the river dart claims a fair few lifes every year alone a few bodys get washed up down my end of it because it slows down and opens into creeks around stoke gabriel and galmpton,before eventually flowing out into the sea at dartmouth

[JonnyP]

I remember when we stayed there, when we went to see where Martin and Paul had got to, we saw a load of kids out there in trainers and jeans.. Then Martin turns up with his walking sticks, bling and Gucci kit, with enough food for a fortnight in his pack.. lol

The river Dart is a serious river.. I used to be on a local canoe/kayak forum. One of the lads on there had his face smashed up a bit, where he got it wrong on the upper Dart..
I prefer a gentle paddle on the Fowey, me..

[Martin]

I couldn't believe those kids on that day. If you remember, it never got above freezing all day and dropped to minus 5 that night. If one of them had broken an ankle and had to be rescued off the moor, they would have been hypothermic long before help arrived. I never cease to be amazed at how lightly people take moorland safety. Still, I guess it keeps the emergency and rescue services in business.

Martin

[bigzee]

yea sadly jonny, the river dart claims a fair few lifes every year alone a few bodys get washed up down my end of it because it slows down and opens into creeks around stoke gabriel and galmpton,before eventually flowing out into the sea at dartmouth
Well, we were thinking of maybe coming down Devon/Dartmoor way camping this year. So where's the best bit of coast for the kids to avoid swimming with cadavers then? I take it you're not employed by Devon tourist board?

[Martin]

well, we were thinking of maybe coming down devon/dartmoor way camping this year. So where's the best bit of coast for the kids to avoid swimming with cadavers then? i take it you're not employed by devon tourist board?

lol :D

[Adam Savage]

I'll keep my eyes peeling when I'm down there end of the month, if I see any..."light" ramblers, I'll try and get some pics for a wall of shame thread, or a "how not to dress/pack on the moors" article. Least (with any luck) at that time the temp should hover at the +1 to +8 range rather than -1 to -8

Fust it rain'd then it blaw'd

The it 'ail'd then it snaw'd

Then it com'd a shower o' rain

Then it vreez'd an blaw'd agean.

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