2019 summer solstice microadventure

Back from work for tea, then a quick dash up to the moor to catch the sunset and sunrise on the longest day of the year.

Hay Tor after the snow

It rained all night last night and the snow is beginning to go. The moor is still covered with patches of the white stuff, but it’s melting fast and the walk up to the Tor was very wet and that wet water was very cold. I’m very grateful today for having Gortex socks.

Devon High Point

Despite having lived in Devon for over 15 years now, I have never taken a trip to the county’s high point, so that was today’s mission – a walk from Meldon Reservoir to Yes Tor and High Wilhays the highest point in Devon.

Route up Yes Tor

Yes Tor

High Wilhays

A great little walk and a good work out the for the legs.

Travels with my Panda – a #microadventure

A mid-summer #microadventure

#microadventure – a Haiku

Sun sets late
Father and daughter walk far
Dartmoor solstice adventure

Summer Solstice 2017

The Solstice is approaching, so it must be time for the annual #microadventure.

Summer Solstice 2014

Can’t wait.

Near Bennet’s Cross

Adopting the pose!

A short walk with the children in the rain, yet again, the bothy bag making a great lunch shelter from the elements.

2014 Solstice Microadventure

When I did my first ever micro-adevnture, even though the weather was terrible, I loved it and took lots of pictures and some video clips.

After three years, I have finally worked out how to use Adobe Premiere and put together this little video.

Music – Dave Depper “All The Pieces Come Together” from the Free Music Archive. Licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Thanks to Neemor’s videos which lead me to this excellent music.

Another trip out to Belstone

After the Summer Solstice bivi on the hill with The Lad, I returned for a quick solo trip one very hot summer’s evening.

Leaving home just before everybody else sat down for tea, I was walking out of Belstone within the hour, pleased to find it a lot cooler there than it had been at home where it was touching 30°C.

Atop Belstone Tor, there was a very pleasant cooling breeze making for a beautiful evening with not a soul about. I continued onward, walking until about the sun started to dip below the horizon, then started to look for a spot for the night.

The best thing about bivi bags #1

Finding a comfortable spot took a while due to the boulders, but one of the great things about bivi bags is that they need very little room.

Setting up camp took at least twenty seconds after which it was time to get the stove on for tea.

Time for tea

The meal was a Cashew Nasi from Adventure Foods, which would have been a lot better if I had not misread the instructions in the half-light and added far too much water. Nevertheless, it tasted good and I was well hydrated by bedtime.

During the night, the broth bit back as I awoke desperate for the loo.

The best thing about bivi bags #2

Having no zips means that it is very easy to get in and out of my bivi bag, which was a major help, but the great thing about being woken in the night was what I could see above. Being high on a hill, a long way away from large cities, I was able to drink in the majesty of the night sky in its full glory. A sight I will never tire of.

As the sun rose, so did I; my bivi bag speckled with dew.

The best thing about bivi bags #3

Packing my kit away took minutes, then it was time to climb over the ridge to catch the earliest rays of heat feeling the sun arming my body, the stove went on for a brew with breakfast, then it was time to head back to the car.

Home time

Back to the car and off to the cafe for a fry-up, but today, it is the first day of the holidays and the queue is a big one, so it’s straight home for a day of playing in the sun.

Another microadventure over. Simple in its simplicity, but another good one at that.

Summer Solstice 2014 – A Dad and Lad Microadventure

Saturday had dawned bright and sunny. The bags were packed and ready to go. One for Dad and one for Lad. It was time for a microadventure.

We waited until the end of the afternoon, then headed north to Dartmoor for The Lad’s first experience of microadevnturing.

After walking through the lovely village of Belstone, a gate marks the boundary of open access land

Standard equipment for any microadvanture is, of course, a luxury item.

I opted for a pillow.

The Lad opted for a lightsabre.

The Force is strong in this one as he leads the way.

After some time The Lad decided he needed to be more nimble.

I acquire his bag to carry as well as mine.

All is well. I get to carry the extra weight, but I also get to have a go with the lightsabre.

Great rocks block our path, but The Lad leads us successfully through the boulder field.

The sky shows a lot more blue than it did a year ago.

Eventually, well after normal bed time, The Lad finds his home for the night.

And the sun starts to set

So, the longest day ends and the shortest night begins

Next day, we are up just after 5am. It is time to read while sitting on a rock.

Our bed for the night. PADI SCUBA divers are taught “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles”. We leave nothing but slightly trampled grass.

As the new day dawns, The Lad heads up the next hill