The Moor! The Moor!

Right. Backdate 1 - wandering into the past we go, back more than a week..


With all seeming well with my knee, I decided to get up on t'Moor and properly see if it was indeed better. Everything or nothing, right?


After a little pondering, I went to catch a bit I'd missed in earlier trips - remembering my ongoing 'get it all in one year' madness - which would give a good but not too rough test of my legs, with scope for a decent yomp if all went well and plenty of cuts back if it didn't.

Where was my target? The one that looks like a pudding. You know which one I mean? NE bastion of the Moor? Yes, that one.. Cosdon Beacon. :)


I took a new route up - from the SE, starting at that so handy stop-off point Shilstone Tor.


But. Even before I got there - well before, in fact - the day was already saved by none other than a ringtail Hen Harrier!! Yikes! Flew right across in front of me north of Bovey; looked to be heading towards Trendlebeare. Wooooooooooo!!  :D


Arriving and deciding straight away to stick the waterproof trollies on [over gaiters, too] it was definitely the Moor in winter mode, well wet under foot, winter thrushes in the air about the fringes, and a Snipe from the first wet bit I crossed :) It went up with a hetch! or three, showed wonderfully lit against dark skies, but I didn't have camera in hand.. drat.

Weird light at Shilstone Tor

Look East

I approached Cosdon from the SE, crossing new ground and the odd watercourse, and meeting a few things worth a picture;

Stealth Coobeasties

Not so much with the camo

'Tis always the season

Dung Roundhead

[who comes up with these names?]

The path goes ever on

So, up the big hill I toiled. Oh so out of shape... But hills must be climbed, and sooner or later [about twice as later as once upon a not-so-long-ago..] the summit says 'Hi'

"At last.." says I

"At last!" says the waiting hail...

Yup, get to the top, and no sooner do I than it starts up.. Oh well, this is what waterproofs and a handy cairn are for.

Not the first nor the last of the day

Being on 'getting up early time' [and a bit late of starting..] I decided this would do and plonked down for rations. And well, why walk through the wind and hail [did I mention the hail?], when you can sit more or less out of it, enjoying the view and trying not to smile too widely at the fell runners out in it in shorts... :)

The Wilhay getting the next one..

When it wasn't hailing sideways

You'd think it was August, really you would.

The first fell runner up the hill flushed a nice flock of Golden Plover, but the 'rather brisk' wind blew them out of sight before my camera would even wake up [drat again]. I hoped for more, but of course I couldn't actually stay there all day, no matter how good the view [and the view from Cosdon Beacon is something, really]. Where to go? Silly question. I went South!

White Moor Circle and Stone

Where else? :D  I had the place to myself, and the atmosphere was electric [though not in the imminent lightning sense, you understand.]


My knee had no complaints, the weather seemed in better mood, and so on I splashed to.. Yeah you guessed it.

Gone Wild

After another bout of weather decided to say hello - with even less result than before, thanks to those lovely lumps of granite - I took the old Galaven Way back eastwards, hanging a left up to Buttern Hill, where yet more view admiration ensued [well, this was the first decent walk out in a while, no point in risking too much effort...], before westering sun sent me back around to close the loop.

Looking southish across the Teign towards Fernworthy

Sat on his arse! again

Cosdon seen from Buttern

That one missed!

Firing the rainbow cannon at Fingle

About 15km in all, with no ill effects to the knee [so this is the last it gets mentioned, aren't you glad?], and the odd nice bird to boot.

Oh, but it was so good to be back! :D


Be Seeing You..