Dartmoor North West Section 3 Day Tour 2019/05/06
A three day tour in Dartmoor north west section. With spring coming
through leaps and bounds it was a treat for the eyes, ears and nose.
From Okehampton you can easily walk to Meldon reservoir and viaduct.
The views looking onto the moor are well worth it from these vantage
points. Descending the gorge via the stairs of this “spider’s web” as
Eden Phillpotts once called the viaduct in The Portreeve. You quickly
come to a patch of woodland which covers the gorge side. This time of
year they are overcome with Bluebells. Perfectly suiting a still warm
day with their aroma sticky in the air.
Meldon reservoir as a starting point presents you with many options
from day hikes to 5 day expeditions. Perhaps even longer if you are
venturing outside the national park.
Dartmoor North West
Walking onto the moors is a special moment as the atmosphere is thick
with potential for wild experience. Something about the landscape,
especially during times where the national park is quieter really gives
the hiker something authentic.
As the forecast was for warm and dry
conditions I decided on a bivi and tarp setup. A weight saving bonus as
well as allowing for a quick shelter to be pitched to escape the wind
when resting. Waking up under a tarp surrounded by the landscape instead
of cocooned in a tent just adds to the experience.
The Dartmoor north west section offers
some great walking with the chance to stride out on high ground and take
in the views. There is a spring I visit in this section and look forward
to filling my Camelback every time. I only get water high up from
springs on Dartmoor and have not encountered any problems. I use a MSR
Sweetwater filter system.
