Out There On Dartmoor

29/08/2024

24/08/2024

Heavy rain, high winds and hot sun. All part of Dartmoor day out. A walk around the North West moor celebrating Sylvia Sayer and her work to preserve Dartmoor.

24/08/2024

Fuelling up for a day on the high moor.

20/08/2024

I was discussing this with people just yesterday. Lots of analysis to look forward to.

The excavation took place at one of the remotest hills on Dartmoor.

19/08/2024

A day of contrasts, leaving the car in Holne I led my clients through Michelcombe and Holne ridge, down the Venford brook and then to the Dart which we followed back to Holne. A smashing day out.

15/07/2024

More Duke of Edinburgh supervision this week, in Oxfordshire

06/07/2024

A cracking day out guiding these guys for a long day on the Moor.

03/07/2024

Having heroes is a funny old business. In general I don’t approve, but this lady is amazing. Free thinker and trailblazer!

Happy 100th Birthday to the formidable Miss Moffat! A lady who needs no introduction, Gwen is a climbing pioneer, author, and a legend in British climbing and beyond. As the first female British mountain guide and a leading figure in post-war climbing, her adventures have inspired generations. We are incredibly grateful to Cumbria and Lakeland Walker magazine for allowing us to share this fascinating interview with Gwen.

www.mountain-heritage.org/blog/the-formidable-miss-moffat-a-rare-interview-on-her-100th-birthday

16/06/2024

DofE expedition in East Sussex. Better weather today than yesterday!

29/05/2024

I set a navigation course for the rescue team
Last night and had time for a run in the process. Mostly cloudy and rain but a few bits of view slipped through the net. And then saw this wee chap at Belstone.

12/05/2024

The most fantastic evening and sunset walk last night. A regular client had organised a networking event so we explored the Dart Gorge and heard the legend of Jan Coo amongst other things. A fleeting glimpse of a cuckoo on Bel Tor, Bluebells a’plenty and then away to the incomparable Rugglestone for a drink and more chat. Thanks to Richard for the images!

10/05/2024

Super session with Meavy Promary school today for Moorland Guides. The class are studying the Bronze Age so we went to Merrivale. Tin and bronze production, rituals and beliefs as well as Bronze Age domesticity filled the time. The children asked domesticity really insightful questions and had a great time.

02/05/2024

41 years of volunteering and leading rescues on the Moor. Rob exemplifies rescue on Dartmoor to me.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you Rob Illman BEM.
Rob is an active team member and has been for an incredible 41 years. Today he received the British Empire Medal for services to Mountain Rescue from the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, on behalf of the King and we couldn't be more proud.
He's a bit shy (🤣) so please send your congratulations and I will be sure to pass them on.

25/04/2024

Jo’s work has a real sense of the spirit of the moor. Well worth a look !

18/04/2024

I’m leading a walk for Moorland Guides next Wednesday, please feel free to comment and share the MG post.

We thought we'd take some time today to introduce another of our fantastic guides, Keith Lambeth. Keith has over 35 years of backpacking and mountaineering experience with over 25 years active service in Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Ashburton.

Keith grew up in Sussex and moved to Dartmoor in 1992 where he now leads and guides small groups and individuals on a variety of public and bespoke hikes and walks. Keith is a passionate explorer of the links between history, legend and landscape of the British Isles and Dartmoor in Particular.

Keith is running the next Wednesday Walk on 24th April, meeting at 10am outside Haytor Visitor Centre (£15pp and under 16's free!) There are still spaces available so please do get in touch (message us or email [email protected]) if you'd like to book a space and join us! We'd love to see you there for what is guaranteed to be a unique insight into a well trodden area of the moors!

01/04/2024

Nice to see Ashburton pushing the boundaries of search techniques.

20/03/2024

A nice morning trip with a French Language school for Moorland Guides.

19/03/2024

For those heading North, this worth reading.

16/03/2024

Great week of Mountain Leader training. No pictures from the overnight trip in the Moelwyns on account of the 100mm of rain that fell. But on the bright side it added a really good level water for the river crossings.😂💦 Assessment next!

15/12/2023

Dartmoor Hill Pony Association Recognised by DEFRA

Defra has recognised the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association for the Semi-wild Dartmoor Hill Pony. This is the equivalent of a Breed Society for a Semi-wild Equine Population. The breed will now appear on the Native Breed at Risk register and was also referenced in the recent Fursdon Report on Protected Site Management on Dartmoor.

30/11/2023

Looking forward to reading more about Alan’s petroglyphs!

17/11/2023

Dog Walkers, Runners & Ramblers we need your help! Last night during a swift water rescue training exercise at Parke in Bovey Tracey one of our team radios was lost, last seen floating down the River Bovey in a transparent waterproof aquapac case, and we need your help to find it!
If you're in the area along the river please (SAFELY AND WITHOUT PUTTING YOURSELVES IN DANGER) keep your eyes peeled. If you do find it, we'd really appreciate it if you could drop us a message on here so we can arrange to get it returned.
Many thanks everyone.
DSRT Ashburton.

13/11/2023

29/10/2023

Second night out running for night walks by moonlight. Great group and great moonlight! We saw a white rabbit, burial cist, moon dog and eclipse. A great evening out!

28/10/2023

Night Walk Networking last night. A fantastic group who joined me to walk away from the working week and into the weekend, followed by a drink at the fantastic Tors Inn at Belstone.

27/10/2023

Took a group of younger adventurers out to explore yesterday. Heavy rain cut the route a bit shorter than planned but fun was had!

06/10/2023

It’s National Poetry day today and the theme this year is Refuge.

Yesterday I was with a client, high above the river Dart in dense ancient woodland it called to mind a line from Alice Oswald’s Epic poem Dart.

“Such deep woods it feels like indoors…”

So many of the place names on the moor speak of shelter and safety, of farmsteads and cotts, roosts and rests. Of hillsides free of wind where deer gather.

May all who need refuge today find it, be that in the landscape or in lines of verse.

30/09/2023

A great day for guiding #2.
My second booking of the day was night navigation training for 4 walkers. While visiting 4 ancient stone circles under a full moon.
Nightfall on Dartmoor reminds us of the need for preparation and focus.
Thanks Richard and Clare for photographs.

17/01/2023

Some great news for Dartmoor!

**** BIG NEWS ****

We are now proud to welcome two new team members, brother and sister Mountain Rescue Search Dogs Amber and Binnie (aka Bill). They passed rigorous assessment, searching five areas on mountains in the Lake District over the last three days.

Throughout their intensive training they have shown what a huge asset they will be on call-outs, and it is the first time we have had dogs on our team in over fifteen years.

Congratulations to their handlers Paula Holbrook and Chris Tuckett, who have continued with their other team responsibilities in addition to the demands of search dog training locally on three times a week and nationally in UK mountainous regions for three days a month.

Thank you to team members and other volunteers, in particular Pete Sherman, for countless hours hiding waiting to be found. In reality, it is these brave 'bodies' that train and motivate the dogs to find.