Our visit is all set (well nearly)

This is my first trip to England and although we're headed all over, I have been adamant about having at least a day in Dartmoor.

We should be driving into the Dartmoor area on Saturday, May 30. We chose to stay at Lydford House. I will have all day on Sunday May 31, to letterbox in Dartmoor. As my hubby want to visit the Plymouth Naval Museum (is it open on weekends?), I am looking for an experienced letterboxer(s) who would be willing to take me out on the moor. I absolutely want to go to Cranmere Pool, all other letterboxes found getting there and back will be great bonuses to my trip.

I can hardly wait!

(Editted to correct dates)

Hi and welcome back to the site.
I hope you are fit and your walking boots are well broken in - the hike to Cranmere pool is a fair distance. But well worth the walk.

I am sorry I cannot help you with being a guide as I am not anywhere near Dartmoor at the present - but loitering around in London. Though I am planning on siting a few boxes around some of the areas around London - just to see what happens. This wont be happening just yet but in the not too distant future.

Where are you from, if you are from the Netherlands I am your man

Have a look in the profile - I think you find it is Chicago

Yes, we're from Chicago.

I have also sent in for a cluesheet for the Rescue the Laboradors 2009 charity walk. As we will be staying at Lydford House, that will hopefully be a good starting point.

After reading many of the warnings about not going out on the Moors alone as an inexperienced Dartmoor letterboxer, I am not sure how feasible it is for me to think I can find my way to Cranmere Pool and back on my own. Any thoughts?

Hi, hope you enjoy your trip to Dartmoor, but I have to say it is not a good idea to try and go to Cranmere Pool on your own if you are an inexperienced Dartmoor walker/Letterboxer. You must also check the firing notices to make sure you go on a non live firing day or you could be in great danger!!!!! May 31st is a Sunday, so I might be around that day will let you know.

I did check the firing times and that whole weekend in May has no firing times.

I really hope you or another experienced letterboxer will be out that day as I really really really want to get to Cranmere Pool.

I have picked up a couple of charity walks for the Lydford area, so I can also do those as well and hopefully not get lost.

Re Navigation - I agree with Sowerby Streaker, all you need is the 1:25000 Dartmoor Map and a good compass (a sighting compass is best but more expensive). A GPS will help you more, but all you need is basic model to show your current 8 or 10 figure grid ref.
Preparing the walk - if you have the Book of Clues it has an index by grid square. What I do is to number the box refs in the index, then look up the clues, then mark them on the map with a pencil. you can then plan your walk around the marks on the map If you ask me nicely, I can send you an example of some clues for a grid square.

Re Cranmere Pool - typical American - Dartmoor in 1 day !! The walk to Cranmere from Okehampton camp is 6 miles each way. Will you have a car on Sunday 31st and is it a 4x4 - if yes, you could do your charity walk in the morning and drive the military road (it has some serious potholes) to within 1 mile of Cranmere in the afternoon.

I may be on the moor that weekend - spouse permitting - I'll keep you posted

sorry I'm away that week, have a great time, but don't be to ambitious just enjoy yourself

Thanks again to Gary from Fraser's-on-Tor for taking us out for an adventurous day out on Dartmoor. He had planned out a very full day of finding boxes all the way from Row Tor to Cranmere Pool with a loop back to our cars (he had 66 planned boxes, plus those we found along the way). We (Ed and I) had already walked our legs off during our trip through Hethel-York-Edinburgh-Inverness-Bath before even getting to Dartmoor. It was a perfect day for being out letterboxing, and we took quite a bit of time exploring. But we ended up scouring Row Tor and deciding to detour over to Winter Tor rather than continue on to Cranmere Pool. Once he got the hang of what hiding spots, Ed was amazing at finding boxes! We ended up logging nearly 40 finds by the end of the day! I had a great time, even though I was thoroughly exhausted by the end of the day, and my knee still wasn't recovered by the time we left London for home yesterday. I hope to be back in a couple of years, after getting into much better condition, to tackle Dartmoor again!

-- Gibson Girl - and introducing Lotusdriver (my hubby)