Part 2 of hiking around #BurratorReservoir in #Dartmoor.
At the top of #Sheepstor, we can see the #granite formations with their #weathered #joints. Unlike limestone, say, granite is not soluble in #water and so it’s the mechanical action of abrasion that wears it down. The resulting formations are very #Craggy.
Here’s a close up of the rough surface of a granite bolder. I really like the feeling of the rock under my #WalkingBoots and also the #mottled appearance, which is due to #lichens which have made their home on the surface.
Now here’s something that made me furious for a moment: a discarded #AluminiumCan. I hate that people are irresponsible and throw their rubbish on the ground, which could be hazardous to animals and also does not biodegrade. My wife pointed out though that it was the only piece of litter and, yes, over the rest of the area and indeed during the whole day, I didn’t see another piece.
After lunch, we descended on the much shallower eastern side of #Sheepstor and up the other side of the valley. It was quite waterlogged here and that’s why #waterproof #boots are a must.
We walked until we were able to intercept a path that was marked on my #OSMap and then it was a matter of following it until we got another path which would take us back towards the #forest around the reservoir.
There are many hazards ready to catch the unwary and unprepared on #Dartmoor, from wild ponies, to bogs, and so on. #TinMining used to be a significant industry in the area and so there are many #DisuedMines around. Most are marked on the map, like this one but some can still catch you out. Luckily, this one is fenced off and I don’t know how deep that shaft goes.
Note the colour of the grass. When I first saw it, many years ago, I thought it was all dead but that’s its natural colour.
One thing I didn’t expect to see on this trip was the #Sea! But here is the #EnglishChannel visible on the horizon, some 30 km or so away south west of the location.
Having got onto the path heading west again, it was quite easy as long as we spotted the right entrance into the forest. When I saw this sign, I knew we were on the right track since I noted on my #Map that #LeatherTorBridge was on our route.
Khurram Wadee ✅
Andy Hort