No Sunrise, Almost Sunset: Dartmoor Tors and a Couple of Mishaps

Tors, tea and two minor mishaps

An overcast, damp morning put paid to my sunrise plans, so I swapped an early start for an afternoon on Dartmoor. What followed was nearly eight miles of granite tors, old railway tracks and autumn scenery, accompanied by a bitter wind—and a couple of reminders that even regular hikers don’t always get everything right.

Leeden Tor—and an early lesson

Leaving Sharpitor car park at around 2.30 pm, I followed the rising track towards Leeden Tor. A strong, cold wind quickly made itself known, but it was good to be out on the moor after the unpromising morning.

At the tor, I reached for a drink of water. There was just one small problem: I hadn’t put any in my rucksack.

Having regularly reminded fellow hikers about the importance of carrying water, I could hardly justify pressing on without my own. A detour back to the car followed. Consider it an extra warm-up—and a reminder to practise what I preach.

Ingra Tor and a sheltered cuppa

With water finally packed, I returned to the trail and joined the disused railway track. Around ten minutes later, I climbed to Ingra Tor, making my way over the rocks and pausing for photographs before descending to the track again.

I then veered right towards another rocky outcrop. It looked like a tor, although I couldn’t identify its name. More immediately, I needed somewhere out of the wind for a cuppa and a bite to eat.

Finding shelter took a little searching, but a gap between the rocks eventually provided a welcome refuge. For the next fifteen minutes, the priority was simple: sit down, warm up and enjoy the break.

A tracker mishap, Swelltor Quarry and King’s Tor

Back on the move towards the next collection of rocks, technology decided it had contributed enough for the day. My tracker stopped working, prompting a short session of button pressing before I managed to get it running again.

First the water, now the tracker. The afternoon was keeping me on my toes.

Continuing along the railway track, I eventually turned onto the old quarry track at Swelltor Quarry, then headed onwards to King’s Tor.

The summit was fiercely cold and windy. Taking photographs became a balancing act, with remaining upright rather more important than finding the perfect angle. After a brief stop, I began the return towards the car via Leeden Tor.

Sharpitor had the final say

Reaching the car park should have marked the end of the walk. Sharpitor, however, was sitting there looking far too tempting. Naturally, I carried on.

Picking my way upwards over the rocks, I reached the summit to find another blast of howling wind. The views stretched towards Burrator Reservoir, where the water level looked noticeably low from my vantage point.

Sunset was still around thirty-five minutes away. I considered waiting, but the bitter wind made the prospect considerably less appealing. I’ll call it a sensible retreat; others may call it taking the easy way out.

I arrived back at the car at 6.05 pm, with 7.87 miles covered and a renewed appreciation for shelter.