All The Tors Book Review

All The Tors was one of my Christmas books this year, I must say it’s a perfect read for a chilly January, when one is feeling a few mince pies short of ultralight. It’s a time when, for some subjects, reading is better than doing, or at least a drier substitute.

All the Tors describes Emily Woodhouse’s self-invented, self-supported and self-inflicted challenge to visit 119 of Dartmoor’s Tors consecutively. It has the spirit of an Alastair Humbreys micro adventure, albeit somewhat elongated at 10 days. It certainly does make the reader want to grab a pack and head into the wilds - safely. I say safely because Emily is a member of Dartmoor Rescue, something evident in the decisions in the book as the weather becomes...undesirable. Its interesting to see this sort of knowledge built into the story. The walk itself was timed to commemorate 50 years of their generous and brave work.

It's a short, engaging often witty book that deserves to be read carefully. It mixes in some interesting Dartmoor facts and some evocative descriptions, but there were two aspects that stood out for me.

Firstly it feels like an authentic account of the highs and lows of solo wild camping, including unwanted bovine attention, camp chores and the effects of fatigue and weather on motivation. It nicely mixes story and practical elements, containing useful details about navigating in difficult conditions, and dealing with temperamental tents in a pragmatic rather than dramatic way. A few walking books I’ve read just gloss over these elements, preferring things like “I walked through the fog to reach the village of Nowhere-in-the-Vale, bumped into Bob again at the Raspberry and Pitchfork and waited a long time for a mediocre pie”. This book is a glimpse into what it’s actually like, with potential to pick up some tips. It would appear for instance that hair ties are vital for improvisation in the field.

The second stand out is little moments of poignant reflection, these are brief but really connected with me. Starting out with her heritage and sense of belonging; “I don't have always and there’s nothing I can do about it”. Emily talks fondly about absent friends and the volunteer walking group The Dartmoor Plodders.

Be warned, for some ultralight hikers and gear junkies this will read like a horror story. The kit list includes a much repaired 60 litre rucksack, old leather hiking boots, a gas stove and then a line straight out of a psychological thriller…”I didn’t even weigh it”.

All in all, especially for those of us who aren't as able or close to wild spaces, the book is a fine read. It is as much an ode to Dartmoor and the ethereal way it holds people in thrall as it is a hiking story. I think it would be of particular interest to anyone attempting Ten Tors or considering responsible leave no trace wild camping. It’s also a great inspiration to get outdoors and find a challenge that's meaningful to you on your terms, just don’t use sheep for bearings.

Note that it’s pretty easy to miss the map and order of the tors in a crisp new book, I can assure it's there, just after the table of contents. Also noteworthy is that the expedition has since spawned a challenge site and book.

Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 Tarp Tent Review

Trekkertent pitched on Dartmoor, not entirely blending in. As I walked along it occurred to me that I should sing the praises of the Trekkertent Stealth 1.5 , a lightweight double wall tent hand made by a small outfit in Perth, Scotland. I brought the Trekkertent to replace another fine British tent, the Terra Nova Solar Photon . The Solar Photon was ludicrously light for a free standing tent, and incredibly easy to pitch. I was always conscious that the materials were both very expensive and very thin, not that I actually had any problems or damage, even after a sketchy moment when the outer transformed itself into an expensive kite one particularly breezy evening in the Pentland Hills. Primarily I wanted a simple, robust shelter that took advantage of the fact that I was already carrying poles.

The Abbots Way Walk. Possibly.

The Abbots Way winds from East to West across Dartmoor from the small village of Buckfast to the small town of Tavistock. It starts and ends with quiet country lanes, bookends for the longer part of the walk across open undulating, and somewhat soggy moorland.

The Lych (Wrong) Way Walk

As I walked along I considered the rather high proportion of dead to alive that had, over long centuries, completed this forlorn path across Dartmoor. For some it was their last journey. This path is the Lych Way, a corpse road along which bodies were carried from all across the ancient Dartmoor forest, ready to be buried on consecrated ground in Lydford Church yard. The Lych Way is a day long, twelve mile taste of the magic, and occasional misery, Dartmoor has to offer. In between gorgeous views it passes through ancient woods, scrubby moorland, army ranges, soggy bogs, prehistoric and modern relics, fords and stepping stones. A keen eye will notice boundary stones, hidden crosses, wild flowers and wildlife. It doesn’t need a keen ear to realise how quiet and tranquil some stretches are. All this is strung between two quintessential Devon villages replete with pubs, coffee and conveniences.

Speedster Spirit Stove and Pot Stand Review

Simmer ring, burner, lid, simples. This isn’t so much a review as an honourable mention. The simple, reliable things in life are often taken for granted, especially when they work well and do exactly what they are intended to do every time. I term these ‘door handle products’. Not necessarily exciting, but rather important and only likely to be noticed when they don't work or get snagged on a coat. The Speedster spirit stove is one such product. Brought four years ago for the princely sum of £5.40 it’s proven to be a reliable practical burner. Speedster Backpacking Products are a UK company who offer all sorts of useful gear for UK hiking, from tick removers to spirit refill bottles, their stock is clearly based on experience.

Lightweight camp coffee, how to get a decent brew on the go.

No coffee, no walkee as they say. How then do you get a good coffee in the middle of nowhere? Is it worth a five mile detour to get a lovingly crafted flat white or is there something you can carry to satiate cravings until you throw yourself upon the sympathy and dubious charm of the local barista? I’ve pondered these questions over long drudgerous miles, when all that keeps me going is imagining the most exquisite coffee known to humankind waiting for me at the end. What follows is a few solo coffee options for ultralight hiking and wild camping.

What on earth is re-wetting?

Isn't Dartmoor wet enough already? As I walked along I pondered the term I’d just heard, “they are re-wetting over there”. What on earth was that? A local version of hair of the dog? A second excuse to celebrate a new born’s arrival? I thought I was getting quite good at Dartmoor vernacular. Although it’s taken years I can just about deal with sentences like “I was at the Ringleshutes Mine Gert near the adit, in all that pixie wool, at first I thought it was clitter but it turned out to be a buddle”. Re-wetting was a new one on me.

The Dartmoor Two Tramways Hike: Section 1 - Ivybridge to Redlake

As I walked along the tramway stretched out for miles, I was walking for fun, pack lightened by decades of innovation, a stark contrast to the tough people who built and worked line, facing fickle Dartmoor conditions in heavy layers of cotton, wool and leather. This post is an overview of a point to point weekend route I tried between lock-downs. It was designed to be accessible by train, take in two of Dartmoor’s more substantial disused Tramways, a couple of nights wild camping and a brace of bracing wild swims.

As I Walked Along

Search This Blog