A quiet month…

Blimey, has it really been nearly a month since I last blogged? Well, as I have been up to pretty much nothing, it is hardly surprising!

I say nothing; there was a trip up to Edale on that windy weekend in November (can’t recall the date, but you know the one!), which resulted in a couple of nights sampling the 1677 in the Nags Head, and a half hearted stroll up Grindsbrook Clough.

Then there was early December; I made the most of my final month of 20% discount at Cotswold Outdoors, courtesy of the MLTA, by purchasing a new sleeping bag. Whilst I am happy with my Vango Viper 1000 4 season, it does seem to be a little over the top for the climes I tend to inhabit, and at 1600g, the heaviest item I carry. As I continue the task of shedding weight from my rucksack (it is proving far easier than tackling my waistline), enter the slim, trim and quite delicious RAB NEUTRINO 400! Weighing in at around 800g, this is a 3 season bag, reputed to have a comfort level limit of -4c. That’ll do me fine, with the aid of a silk liner and merino base layer. Should it still be a bit nippy, I can simply stick on more clothes or break out the bivvy.

My first introduction was on the internet; I wouldn’t say I was smitten at first sight, but my attention was certainly grabbed. The price left me feeling the need to be totally convinced, so I shopped around for the lowest deal and scoured the online world for reviews. Most were favourable, but the one that swung my decision was Terrybnd's Review.

Off to Covent Garden the very next day with my trusty plastic! My first look in real life did not disappoint. The weight was negligible, and the fabric wonderful to the touch. I eagerly forked out the discounted price of £228.

Now I am itching to test it out, but I have had to wait a few weeks with a Christmas escape planned to break it in.

Talking of Christmas; for the past few weeks I have been contemplating a way of avoiding the pitfalls of the festive period (over indulgence, compulsory “fun” and Christmas TV specials to name a few), and I think I may have come up with a solution!

The route profile on the Long Distance Walkers Association website has The Dartmoor Way as 133.8km (83.1 miles) long, with 3,231m (10,600ft) of ascent. For those not in the know, The Dartmoor Way is, to quote the LDWA again; “A route around Dartmoor linking hamlets, villages and towns with a variety of scenery including wild upland, sheltered valleys and quiet lanes.”

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I have, potentially, 8 days over the Christmas and New Year break to play with, so, in theory, it is possible to complete it. Throw in a spot of mucky weather, though, and it might be a tall ask. But hey, it isn’t a particularly remote walk, it has plenty of escape opportunities, so, dependant on a favourable forecast, I’ll get out on the trail and see how far my feet take me!

With the plan being to wild camp where I can, thanks to the aid of The Dartmoor National Park Authority Interactive Camping Map, I have begun the task of route planning, starting from Okehampton on Christmas Day.

So, despite it being pretty quiet on the actual walking front, there are plans afoot to get out soon!