[Closed] yunki and trailmonkey's excellent adventure (lots of pics 'n' stuff)

you big gaylord. if you'd done 78km on your back wheel only i might have been impressed.

Looks like you had fun. Where was your starting point, often think about riding up from Exeter, its the riding back thats a problem!!

denbury south devon. into n.a then onto the cycle route to bovey.

Nice caterpillar. looks like a cool ride!

he's a funky fella isn't he ? it was both cool and staggeringly hot. i can take the heat but have to admit that it affected me yesterday.

yunki = buff.

Not bad, train to Plymouth and home across the moor next then. 😉

Epic fail on forgetting the monkey fuel though, your lucky there was a well positioned chimp friendly establishment en route!

nice one chimp!!! Need to get down your way again and meet up with you and Tim, outshines my local gnarlfest last night, a mere 62km and a whopping 392m of climbing 😀

hmmmm, plymouth to denbury sounds like a challenge.

votchy, would be great to see you again. lots of new stuff to show 8)

looks great. I'm jealous.I need dartmoor trail newness in my life

Arse, shame i missed out on that wee jaunt, got your message and invite last night 🙁

I'm currently still held hostage at Jambo's attempting to revive his kitchen and put it back together.

Seemed like a lovely day out there yesterday, but normal West Devon weather has returned which should dampen the ground nicely again.
See you soon on the next one when i return to sort out Tims place.

And a nice fat and juicy fella that, the grub is also quite cool.

Nice, not at all jealous.

Plymouth - Denbury eh... could start at mine.

hmmmmmmmm, i sense a plan emerging, ending with beer and food obviously 8)

hurry up then and I'll unlock your bike from the shed... 🙂

In work now, mail me your monkey musings.

🙁

And i'll put up those pics of your Lycra and carbon road bike.. 😈

Brilliant photos. I'm missing those lovely trails!

if you are starting at plymouth I'd be interested in coming along....

ok we'll keep you in the loop if anything materialises.

On the subject of Dartmoor loops, we did a nice 42km loop route riding from Buckfastleigh on Saturday.
Buckfastleight to Kings Wood [surely we should get a group together and build some cheeky trails in there???]
KW to Cross Furzes.
Then follow the Abbots way up to Pupers Hill.
Descend to Lud gate, descend to Chalk ford, follow track to scorriton.
Via Holne to Venford. Out to Bench tor, descend down into valley on non OS map trail which loops under Bench Tor back up to Venford.
Climb to Combestone Tor
Descend to stepping stones on west dart near hexworthy
Climb up Dartmeet on road
Down Dr B.
Home via Hembury woods....
Took 4 hours, seemed to be a lot of climbing though, but some nice riding.

Its 100k from Plymouth station to Exeter, get to ride Haldon aswell...

Del could do the food and beverages 😆

i'm in either way.

@ julioflo: sounds good. i really like the steep dart valley stuff...........

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and the more extreme of the descents down from bench tor is outstanding.

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done some exploring in that general area recently and found a cool way down to spitchwick from buckland beacon and a lovely descent from the end of dr. b's down into spitchwick, going past leigh tor.

the area that i really want to unlock though is ausewell wood and holne chase.

Its 100k from Plymouth station to Exeter, get to ride Haldon aswell...

have to say, plymouth - exeter has more cache than plymouth - denbury and we get haldon too 8)

i suppose you've already got the route planned too ?

Looks like you had fun. Where was your starting point, often think about riding up from Exeter, its the riding back thats a problem!!

I've done it by getting a train down to Newton Abbot, riding a loop from there, train back. Cuts down the miles slightly, although it's not a particularly nice ride from Newton Abbot - too busy and too lumpy. Haven't done the ride out from Exeter to Dartmoor on the mtb, only the road bike, but it's pretty hilly.

Great pics TM, looks like a nice route. Can't wait to be back.

Sort it whilst i'm about and i'll bring the trailer loaded with cake and bananas.

i'll bring the trailer

*quickly phones burchy1 to ammend route to include dart valley switchbacks and nutcracker*

No monkey grub for you then. 😉

that was a grand day out TM... thanks for that.. flippin' hot though weren't it..!

I don't know how you managed to miss [i]all[/i] the one handed 360 tailwhips in those photo's though.. bring on the next one

@trailmonkey the zig zag path, is that the one from the track under Bench tor that drops to the river, down to a nice big pool and slab arrangement? Have walked it but never ridden it yet. I did enjoy the single track and rock chute on that path! I haven't riddent the Leigh Tor to Spitch descent, have walked it with the dog, we always peel right off Dr B and follow the single track down to the path from newbridge, love that bit of singletrack. Where is Auswell wood?
We should get together soon and explore. There are a 3 of us [me and 2 mates] who hail from Buckfastleigh that are trying to get together to ride weekly on a tue or wed evening...

you must of had a real nightmare cleaning your bikes 😉

can someone enlighten me on Dr B ?

Ive done a bit of walking/bouldering/climbing ages ago around the bench tor side, never really thought of making it into a loop though..will scour my tracklogs and see if a route can be made.... does anyone ride the steepness the other side of the valley (lucky tor/eagle rock side) (ace bivvy spot there too)

@julioflo.

ausewell wood is the high ground the sticks up behind holne chase on the western side of the dart.

i'm intrigued that you've found some singletrack that runs from dr b's to newbridge. we've been on the lookout for something on that side of the river valley. i think we should try to hook up and swap trails 8)

@ carlphillips.

dr b's is dr blackalls drive. it's a victorian carraige track built to carry the well heeled across the spectacular dart valley. look on your map just south west of dartmeet. it's nothing special but offers great views and could be a way of getting from a to b.

with regard to eagle rock, if it's what i'm thinking of, then i'm keen to explore that whole holne chase/ausewell area. fantastic steep contours.

I'll be up for a bit of exploration around holne, newbridge and dartmeet. It's on my way home from work and a damn sight easier to get to than the cleave.

TM found it, cheers,
FYI eagle rock/lucky tor is roughly OS 684722 really steep side directly opposite bench tor side, nothing legal there and havent been there for ages and ages not sure if any rideable sheep trails but would like to find out!!
we used to walk in from clapper bridge to bivvy/climb the 40ft outcrop there. that bit isn't really rideable but not sure what the footpath downstream is like.?
after you do the zig zag track from bench tor where do you cross over the dart to the north side for DrB leigh tor etc..?

@TM and julio if either of you fancy wasting time riding aimlessly around looking for new stuff then bear me in mind, I'm fairly busy working on my extension at the moment but in case i am free I'd love to hook up and do some exploring for sweet new singlybob.
I'd be grateful if you could drop me a mail (in profile) if you plan to go out.
free for evening rides after work too..!!

after you do the zig zag track from bench tor where do you cross over the dart to the north side for DrB leigh tor etc..?

this is where it starts getting tricky. as a rule we start at dartmeet, cross the river, do bench tor then climb back out and drop back to dartmeet then venture out towards bellever and make it a figure of 8.

i've yet to weave bench tor and spitchwick into the same ride.

ooh on the back of this thread im literally just scanning over bellever routes now, i haven't done the rock garden in yonks!!
...will look at that fig 8...cheers

no problem. in order to make the long haul out to the rock garden worthwhile, climb up to bellever tor then find one of the singletrack bits that run off westwards off the summit and join onto the top of the rock garden

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i suppose you've already got the route planned too ?

Aplogies boring work stuff got in the way...

Old railway up the Plym valley to Burrator/Princetown (Although Bagpuss may know of a better route with more Singlybob) then the worlds your lobster across the moor until you get down into Bovey, round the road to Chudleigh Knighton, up the teign valley, turn right, up past Trushham and onto Haldon, St Andrews, Dels. Beer.

this thread is turning out to be quite inspirational.. I'd love to tag along on some of these rides if I may..

I put it all down to our eye-watering good looks and blistering gnar..

cheers, would it be possible to have your email?(your b/dartmoor one doesnt work?), i may try to fire you over a proposed route i have in mind for an all dayer in east dartmoor im planning with a buddy who hasn't done much there, I need to find a way of knitting together easdon tor descent AND bowermans/bridge too far/nutcrackers without it being too convoluted...so need to pick your brains!
oh and pic of FP just up from eagle rock unfortunately it goes like this then into rock gardens which are not rideable then back into this type of lovely singletrack along most of the length of the river, if i bother to ride it one day i'll let you know what it is like.. [img] [/img]

yunki - i think we can take that as read.

burchy1 - route sounds good - is teign valley an easier way up the hill than through chudleigh ?

carlphillips - that singlybob looks sweet. are the rock gardens worth a try or are they impossible ? - email - ivyhouse7ATyahooDOTcoDOTuk

if you are doing boring cycle path up plym valley then peel off left at os534625 roughly then up over bridge then onto the singletrack through the golfcourse that'll take you straight to the pub at clearbrook, its not amazing but better than cycle path.
TM yhm

burchy1 - route sounds good - is teign valley an easier way up the hill than through chudleigh ?

I've never been up the Chudleigh way TBH, the Trusham route is pretty steady and brings you out at the top of the good Haldon cheeky cheeky singlybob.

sounds good dave. can't do this weekend as i'm busy saturday and i guess most people would rather do this on a saturday.

can we leave it with you to arrange ?

Ah excellent timing. I was going to post and ask for some routes around this area!

I'm staying near Ashburton (on the Denbury side of the A38 if you follow me) in a couple of weeks. Bringing the bike and riding Haldon on the way down, and I'll slip out for a few rides during the week as well. I'm planning to ride Lustleigh, and I have the routes from the Good MTB Guide, but can anyone point me towards anything worth riding in the Denbury/Ashburton area. I'm thinking of the odd hours escape from the family.

(I used to live in various places in S Devon - Haytor, Liverton, nr Denbury, Highweek - but left in 93 just before I bought my MTB. I know my way around the area when driving or walking, but obviously don't know where the locals ride, so any pointers would be great!)

That looks ace lads! Dead jealous.

idle john, post up here when you're down/just before and i'll hook you up with a route or a guide.

@trailmonkey, Junki, Carlphilips & Jambo - i'd love to get together and pool resources to make some new loops around this area, [as it is easy to ride out to for me and easy to return home to buckfastleigh via Hembury woods!] just looked at the OS and didn't realise how big Ausewell wood was, i'm intrigued!
Not free for riding this weekend, but most weeks i'm trying to put tuesday and wednesday nights aside. my email to arrange things is floydjt@hotmail.com

the pic below is a teaser of the the Dr B single track. TM I can not believe you guys haven'tridden this before. Peel right of the Dr B bridleway at approx 704713, there are a few path splits where you can go wrong, but when you know it it is faaaast.

[img] [/img]

forgot to say for orientation purposes in that photo I am looking north towards the dart valley and Dr B from a field on the two moors way footpath from Holne to Newbridge

@julioflo. thanks for that. does your trail start as doubletrack by any chance ? i think i've seen the start of that.

TM - nope. I think from the main road you can get onto it on double track.

The way we ride it is to come down Dr B, then you come round the last long bend of the bridleway, the bridleway gets a little steeper then on the RHS you can pull of, almost doubling back on yourself. There is a clear track/route that would be at about 90°, but the one you want is almost doubling back on yourself and it leads down to and through the 'quarry' area where people sometimes camp...

i'll show you when / if we meet up. drop me a line

that would be great, i'll be in touch.

Haven't read the whole thread, just the OP but nice pics yunki and tm. Looked like a thoroughly miserable day 🙂

it was tough but someone had to do it.

Thanks very much, trailmonkey.

I'm travelling down on the 16th, will be staying until Sat 23rd. I'll post closer to the date.

OT Is the Union in Denbury any good for food these days?

yes, good food, good beer.

was planning on going for an explore in the dart valley on saturday AM if anyone is about.

Never mind Plymouth to Exeter, Plymouth to Taunton is the route for real men, Dartmoor, Exmoor and the Quantocks 😉

We're using road bikes, right? Having a cup of tea and some cake in Exeter then riding back?
😈

i will treat that with the contempt it deserves.

in fact i've given it more than it deserves by answering it.

I was near Bovey yesterday.
Had a drive up onto the moor to have a look round. I think i might take my bike with me when i'm down again next month.Looks like fun.
Be great if someone could point me in the right direction of some good stuff/guide me?

This looks good. Is anyone around between the 17th of july and the 7th of august that could show me around?

to singlespeedstu and sambob

no problem. just post on here closer to the time and we'll sort it out

Cheers.

Cheers, will do.

sambob i think im free then (will check though)
jambo I'm not free on saturday im tiling my bathroom floor 🙁

We'll be free most days in that period, on holiday in Salcombe so need to get out to some decent riding at some point.

I'm pretty free in the first week of August and a bewildering variety of random other days.. if I can help in any way I will.. 🙂

It should be the first week of August i'll be down on the tuesday or wednesday.

Nice one stu. Do you think i could try one of your many fatbikes if we meet up?

I might have trouble getting the fatbike in the car along with all my work stuff.

You're more than welcome to have a go if you're in the west mids at any time though.

I can imagine that could be an issue. To be honest i only ever pass through when going to the west country, but i might make an effort to get down to the FoD at some point this summer.

Tidy day fellahs!

where did you start from?

Im in exeter, and have wondered more than once if "a dartmoor ride" is do-able from home.

i too would be interested in a tagalong ride, but am away till the back end of july touring, so wont want to even look at a bike till mid august i imagine. (that or be monsterously fit)

sambob.

You're from the Peak kind of area aren't you? ( I think we may have met on a peaks pootle)

If you are next time i'm up that way i'll bring it with me.

Yep, in Whaley Bridge. About 10 mins ride from the meeting point of that pootle.

@olly, i started the ride in denbury and yunki started in liverton, with a meeting point at bovey.

no reason why not to start from exeter.

yeah, if you did it right you could get in a quick 500m of climbing before you get anywhere near the moor. 8) 😯

i think you'd have to go via morton' to avoid that sort of leg work.

OLLY, im in Exeter and also thinking of trying to fix up dartmoor ride without car if your interested? Also thinking of getting a bivvy/ride in at some point later in the year wife/kids/work permitting!