As a walk leader, I let the group I am walking with have a bit of a play - so today meant "hide and seek", "challenges" and a bit of help from son to assist Mum over the rocks of Pil Tor. The walk was varied and we covered a massive amount of bracken and gorse as well as the inevitable bog! Yes, it was not on the map of course! We only arrived at bog after we were merrily following along a clear track and came across a "private" sign. Some other walkers were having a "nice cup of tea" from a flask contemplating what they would do in the situation. So we asked them and they said they were going to "go over" so we decided to do the same. We never saw them again......Off we plodded up a hill covered in bracken, along the fence, looking for a way to get across. Finding a suitably simple route through, we stepped into what was the next stage of our adventure......
Large amounts of bracken! With great joy we walked high enough to be able to see Haytor in the distance so knew we could see our way out of the maze. We soldiered on with sticks and gusto to find a way through to a gate onto Bagtor Down. From the road this looks very harmless- bracken and gorse and pretty heather - however, when you are merrily trying to find a way back to the car, that you can tauntingly see on the hill in the horizon, it is not so simple. We found marsh. Wherever you see a blue line on Dartmoor, you can be pretty sure that there will be lots of marsh around the area. We found it. At this stage we had gone into team control. It was a "find your own way as best you can" through the marsh. I mopped up at the back just in case there was a "dip in the bog" incident! But we made it with no incidents! Only to find some more very wet ground further along but hey ho, we were masters at dealing with it by then.
When walking with a group, even when I am leading, I always seek team views on what we should do next. Walking to confidence is about helping others to find their confidence in walking in the UK without being part of an official group. Many people are happy to give it a go and off they wander and have a lovely time. However, there are many people also who start off with good intentions and then fall at the first hurdle as they do not know how to deal with getting lost or other obstacles.
I saw this on facebook and feel the need to share it with you....
"Let's get lost....I know the way!"
And a few more pictures of the area we covered today...
When walking with a group, even when I am leading, I always seek team views on what we should do next. Walking to confidence is about helping others to find their confidence in walking in the UK without being part of an official group. Many people are happy to give it a go and off they wander and have a lovely time. However, there are many people also who start off with good intentions and then fall at the first hurdle as they do not know how to deal with getting lost or other obstacles.
I saw this on facebook and feel the need to share it with you....
"Let's get lost....I know the way!"
And a few more pictures of the area we covered today...
Have fun walking!