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Off to Devon next week and looking at Dartmoor routes that include Lustleigh Cleave. Did it last year and it was generally fantastic though what I thought was Nut Crackers felt more along and up overall than the down I was expecting.
Is it definitely this trail [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/grid/276767,81381,120 ]Here[/url]?
Also, any suggestions for good routes to get from Hound Tor back to North Bovey? Lots of downhill tarmac last time which was OK as I was knackered but any other recommendations?
Flip the arrow around! the nutcracker is the trail that runs from hunters tor south east over the moorland before dropping into the woods.
It's a little flat over the moorland section but the wooded section is great, the bit of trail after it down to the bridge to water is fun as well.
I agree on the moorland bit and the first part of the forest, that was great. It was the part where it swung back NW ish ending up in Foxworthy that felt a lot more pedally.
Looks really obvious from the contours now I look at it 😳
Your arrow is pointing at the wrong BW. It's the one that touches the S of Sharpitor you want. Do it NW to SE. The one you pointed at is a passable route (contouring but rocky. Hard to do a lot without a dab if you like that sort of thing) from middle of the cleave to Foxworthy Farm, taking you up to do the Nutcrackers after. An alternative is to hike up the nutcrackers then fork left down from Ravens Tor to Foxworthy. That's another nice descent.
OK, so if I wanted to do Nutcrackers and the descent from Water, is there a better way than going via Foxworthy to reach Water?
Ride down from Sharpitor to the river, up the other side to Water then turn around and go back down?
Where are you starting from?
You could do a loop over Hound Tor* and then do the trail over Bowermans Nose/Hayne Down (great descent!) then turn left up the road into Manaton and pick up the descent to Water, then over the river into the cleave and do the bridleway you originally marked on your map up to Foxworthy and then up to Hunters Tor past Peck Farm, and then down Nut Cracker.
* It's a mild slog up from the bottom of the cleave to get there but there's a couple of challenging rocky bits you could use to get there.
I would do this;
[img] https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PiZ6FZ-M50xNcI2zJAbFWN_6kfHMhJ2zZ3gBicD_v6o1=w986-h616-no [/img]
Follow the red route clockwise- have fun!
Cheers, guys - I was planning to start from North Bovey hence trying to get from Nutcrackers via Foxworthy and Manaton to Water.
Thinking now about starting from Hound Tor instead as per eviljoe's route, as I didn't find the extra to/from North Bovey anything special last time.
I know there's stuff going off towards Grimspound from Hound Tor - is that worth the detour?
Hi BoomBip- yes there is an extra loop you can add via Jay's grave and Hameldown tor around to Bennett's Cross, coming back down Coombe Down. Whether you want to rather depends on your legs; you will definitely need that third weetabix... The quality isn't quite as good as that around Lustleigh.
If you were to add a descent, I would recommend the Salt bin one (from the duck on the map) down Trendlebere down
bookmarked for when I might get time away from the kids :o)
Bookmarked, nice routes there. Nutcracker certainly brings a tear to my eye......
Thanks, eviljoe - I'll stick your route and an extra loop version in the GPS then see how ruined I am after round 1.
Cannot wait to get down there now. The ride I did round there last year has stuck with me like very few others have - something about the combination of landscape and situations with some seriously good techie sections.
It was a ridiculously hot day though - went through my water in no time and took 2 cans of coke and a lolly ice from the van at Hound Tor to get moving again 😀
If the Nutcrackers are your cup of tea consider adding Smallacombe rocks into Joe's route too. Due south of the number 12 on that map^^ and only a small detour. Rocky as the name suggests.