Crossing Dartmoor North/South and letterboxing

I would be interested in hearing what routes you would take to cross dartmoor from north to south (excact description) and also if it is dangerous on your own (getting stuck in bogg) ... I would travel on my own, with mobile phone, compass and GPS ... is it also possible in one day.

If done in two days is it possible to find letterboxing whilst walking along the route (is there a route with many letterboxing on the way?). The walk I plan would be to cross north to south, do letterboxes and also go via cranmere pool and ducks pool ...

Would appreciate help ... also info on how long (many hours) it takes.

blue danube family from Austria

www.letterboxing.at

I do not think anyone can give a detailed answer to your request as there are too many variances that can be given even against a limited itinerary as promoted.
Questions:

Where do you propose to start from
Where do you wish to end up at.
How long have you to undertake the walk.
Just how long do you wish to box - the clues available in a straight line (with some slight detours to the Pools ) from Belstone to Ivybridge are well into the hundreds and would take more than a few days to complete!

A few years ago I did Belstone to Princetown (with some boxing on the way) and was exhausted after a 9 hour walk!

If you plan to do it in more than one day where do you intend to stay overnight (Princetown is a good bet!)

Can you carry all your needs in one rucksack to cover the complete journey including camping out ?

Do you have any 'backup' help just in casethings go wrong?

Too many questions to answer for me to help.

TWA

Here the answers:

Where do you propose to start from
==> When people talk about crossing North to South is it Beston to Ivybridge or the lake to the North/West to Ivybridge ...
Also how boggy does it get?

Where do you wish to end up at.
>>> Ivybridge

How long have you to undertake the walk.
>>> Two days.

Just how long do you wish to box -
>>> Just pick up the one or other box directly on the way.

If you plan to do it in more than one day where do you intend to stay overnight (Princetown is a good bet!)
>>> I would stay at Princetown.

Can you carry all your needs in one rucksack to cover the complete journey including camping out ?
>>> no camping, only a small rucksack. 24 Liters

Do you have any 'backup' help just in casethings go wrong?
>>> no ... only my iphone, compass and GPS

Hello. Sounds like a great challenge, but don't under estimate how long this would take.

If you look on Google Earth, the straight line distance from Belstone, Okehampton to Ivybridge is approx 37km (23miles). Over two days it doesn't seem that far, but it will take you much longer than you think, especially if you're hunting for letter boxes along the way. Do you intend walking via "paths" or accross open moorland?

I walked East to West on the South Moor, approx 15km (9 miles), without hunting for boxes and it was a good solid days walk, without too many breaks, but this was accross open moorland, through boggy areas and the weather was dreadful, very windy and rainy..

With regards to your ruck sack, you'll need more kit than you think as well. Food, Water, waterproofs, first aid kit, survival kit (just in case).

Hope this helps and would be interested to see how you get on.

Doing this on your own is not a brilliant idea, but if you are determined to do this.... I would recommend you have a safety number at home whom you contact every hour to give them your position and direction. If something were to go wrong then they would have a reference point to start the search.
Better still try to go with a friend who can keep up with you.

Some years back I did Postbridge to Oakhampton which took me (and my friends) about 9 hours to complete in good weather... we were lucky - but don't overestimate your abilities... the moor can bite when you least expect it, I have lost friends out on the moor who were in groups

Thought I would put my pennyworth in on this.
If you want to walk North to South across the moor and need starting and finishing points etcc, have you thought about doing the Perambulation of Dartmoor Walk??? This walk covers quite a large area of the moors and takes you around the Dartmoor Forest Boundary from North to South and back again. Full details can be had from the Dartmoor Bounders website at www.ian.kirkpatrick2.btinternet.co.uk/

You can start at any point of the Perambulation and the site will give you a map of the walk and the points that you must visit to complete the Challenge.

I completed it with 2 other friends last year in 8 sections. Others have done it all in one day, some do it in 2 days and camp out overnight on the moor. I did it by plotting 'escape' routes so that I could do it in shorter lengths but still covered over 70 miles.
At least by doing something like this you would have plenty of 'escape' routes on the way should you feel the need to get off the moors.

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks ... OK I will not do it on my own ... convinced me ...
Could I do OP22 (I think it is OP22 where the ring road is) and go to Cranmere Pool and back alone (sticking to the road most of the time) or is that dangerous aswell,... i heard there are big holes and very deep and boggy and dangerous?

The link www.ian.kirkpatrick2.btinternet.co.uk/ does not show me the Perambulation walk, where is it exactly?!?

To Magic Harry ... I would walk on paths only.

Perhaps I will have to find someone to walk with me Belstone to Princetown ... and not on my own ... What would the way be from Belstone to Princetown, or would I need to go to postbridge?

blue danube family wrote:Hi Everyone,

The link www.ian.kirkpatrick2.btinternet.co.uk/ does not show me the Perambulation walk, where is it exactly?!?

Its on the above site - click on Ancient Boundary walk of Dartmoor and all the details will be on there.

The link is available but you cannot click on it ..

Oh perhaps something is wrong your end - I've just clicked on it and it has opened. Make sure you click on the silver dot and the curser changes to a hand.

I'm really interested to see how you get on - please let us know all about your trip - when are you going?

Will do so ... I will be going somewhere between 9.th of July and 30th of July