MARRAKECH

MEHDI, OUR HOST AT RIAD CASA SOPHIA

INSIDE THE PALAIS DE BADII

LUNCHTIME SNACK

JEMAA EL FNA

EXPLORING THE SOUKS

SIDI BEN SALAH MOSQUE

THREE BEASTS OF BURDON

I managed to keep the destination for Rubi's birthday treat a secret for a while, but it was necessary to tell her when it came to getting the relevant immunisations. Morroco is certainly not rife with infectious diseases, but it is advisable to have jabs for Hepatitis A and Typhoid, and make sure your Tetanus is up to date.

Our flight from London Gatwick was at 6.25 am on Wednesday 31st May, so we left Waltham Chase at 1.00am and drove to Gatwick through the night. After parking the car in a secure compound, we were shuttled to the airport in good time.

It was cool and drizzly on the drive to Gatwick, but after a three and a half hour flight we exited the plane into the warm heat of a Moroccan morning. After patiently working our way through the interminably slow security measures at Marrakech's Menara airport, the taxi I had pre-booked to take us to our hotel was nowhere in sight. A kindly airport security guard phoned the taxi company for us.

Within a short while a rather clueless individual turned up to take us. He didn't know where the hotel was so we waited at Jemaa el Fna (the central city square) while he called for someone from the hotel to fetch us. Along came Mehdi, who I had previously corresponded with by email. He was scathing of the taxi company's poor performance, but guided us through the maze of dusty lanes that led us to the inconspicuous front door to his hotel.

Inside, however, was full of eastern promise, with guest rooms surrounding an open courtyard in typical riad style and the usual range of African Arab furnishings. We chatted to Mehdi for a while as we completed booking-in formalities (passport info., etc) and then chose one of the rooms offered.

After depositing our bags we went out for a couple of hours to visit the Fna and join the hustle bustle of the souks. We then walked down to El Badi Palace to explore this mud-built walled complex. From the terrace we could see the storks nesting on the tops of the walls.

It was very hot at over 30 degrees C, so we walked back to the Riad for an afternoon rest before heading out to the Fna again for an evening meal - which comprised delicious traditional tagines.

Next morning we packed our bags and left them with Mehdi in reception while we took a longer walk around the Medina (Old City). As well as the chaotic and rowdy souks we saw the working areas (their version of industrial estates) and the residential areas.

In the early afternoon we headed back to the Riad to collect our bags and walked down to the Grand Taxi rank where we would negotiate a price to take us to Tamatert in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. We said farewell to Mehdi but would be returning in a week.

BACK TO BUCKFAST

FARM JUST OUTSIDE OF OKEHAMPTON

BY MELDON VIADUCT

TURNING OFF THE GRANITE WAY AT SOURTON

THE QUIRKY HIGHWAYMAN INN IN SOURTON

SIDE VIEW OF HIGHWAYMAN INN

SERVICE AT THE HIGHWAYMAN INN WAS DEAD SLOW

TAVISTOCK'S PANNIER MARKET

THE PLUME OF FEATHERS IN PRINCETOWN

OUR MOORLAND HOTEL

AHHHHH!

LOOKING ALONG DART RIVER FROM DARTMOUTH CASTLE

Alan, the landlord of the Fountain Inn, prepared us an excellent breakfast. We departed Okehampton, refreshed after our comfortable night, and proceeded in a south-westerly direction. Our first port-of-call was Meldon Viaduct, which we reached by leaving the official Dartmoor Way route and climbing through a wood beautifully carpeted with bluebells.

The intricate steel framework of Meldon Viaduct was impressive. We walked across it, effectively joining a cycling route called the Granite Way. We decided to stay on this easy-going tarmacked path for a couple of miles until we reached Sourton to rejoin the Dartmoor Way. At Sourton we came across this incredibly quirky pub called The Highwayman Inn. The front entrance was like a horse-drawn coach and the side of the building looked like a huge shoe. Indoors, one room was decorated like a wooden ship and the other rooms were stuffed with all manner of strange objects. The bars were made of driftwood with coins stuffed into the cracks. The only disappointment was that they charged a whopping £3 for a pint of lime and soda, three times what other pubs had charged us, and they didn't put enough lime in it either.

From Sourton we continued to Lydford where we had hoped to walk through the famous gorge. We hadn't realised that it was run by the National Trust though, and we weren't going to pay £9.80 each just to stroll through. We did get glimpses of what it was like from Lydford Bridge though.

Shortly after, we reached Gibbet Hill, just north of Mary Tavy, and after a brief search of the southern slopes found a suitable place to camp. The location was excellent but it was cold again and Rubi didn't get much sleep.

In the morning we picked up some supplies from the friendly people in Mary Tavy's Post Office and General Store, and continued south to Tavistock. Rubi was walking noticeably more slowly after, what was now, our seventh consecutive day of walking. Thus, on reaching Tavistock at around 1.00pm, we agreed that it was time for a break and we booked into The Queen's Head, the local Wetherspoon's pub, for the night. This meant that we could wander around pretty Tavistock in the afternoon without heavy rucksacks on our backs. We particularly liked the so called Pannier Market and Rubi, as usual, couldn't pass a charity shop without going in.

Our room in the Queen's Head was superb and we had one of our most comfortable and restful nights so far.

Next morning we made our way out of Tavistock via the cricket ground and golf course. We followed the Dartmoor Way through Sampford Spiney onto the moorland of Walkhampton Common beyond. By crossing open moorland and following the route of a dismantled railway, we eventually reached Princetown, home of the infamous Dartmoor Prison and the famous Dartmoor Brewery. Naturally, I felt it my duty to visit the Plume of Feathers Inn and partake of a pint of Dartmoor Brewery's Jail Ale.

To reach a suitable wildcamping site we needed to continue our walk eastwards for a couple more hours. After crossing the River Swanscombe we once again left the official Dartmoor Way to go 'off piste' again. With no path, we were forced to step over rough tussocks of grass as we climbed up Down Ridge. On the eastern flank we found a suitable site to place our tent by an old stone cross and a cairn. Apparently, these stone crosses are ancient navigational aids to help folk cross the bleak moor.

Yet another cold night was ahead of us, but at least this would be the last one on this trek. In the morning, I decided that to minimise climbing we should initially head south to Skir Hill before continuing east across the moor to meet with the Sandy Way track. This was really barren moorland, almost featureless, and walking across the rough pathless terrain was slow going. However my navigation was good and eventually we descended into the village of Michelcombe without incident or injury.

From there, we quickly regained the Dartmoor Way just south of Holne and repeated a section of the walk that we had previously shared with our Hampshire Walking Group pals. This took is all the way back to Buckfast Abbey. The car was still there.

Shedding our rucksacks, we had a last look around the Abbey and purchased a bottle of the famous Buckfast Tonic Wine before driving down to Dartmouth for a weekend of rest. This was particularly well-deserved in Rubi's case as she had never attempted a long distance walk like the Dartmoor Way before.She said that her feet were still aching when we visited Dartmouth Castle on the Saturday.

DOING THE DARTMOOR WAY

FOLLOW THE BLUE LINE (ROUGHLY)

BURNT OUT CHURCH NEAR CHURCHILL'S FARM

BY HAYTOR ROCK

BRIDGE OVER BECKA BROOK

FARMER WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR

OXENHAM ARMS IN SOUTH ZEAL

TOUGH WALKING - ONE OF US MIGHT NEED THIS SOON

RUBY MAKES FRIENDS EASILY

Just outside the gate of Churchill's Farm is the burnt out shell of the Church of the Holy Trinity, apparently destroyed by an arsonist. Stories of evil and devil worship are associated with the church, which may explain why it was attacked. Only the tower and spire have been restored, but the church is still consecrated and useable for open-air services.

Leaving Churchill's Farm, we drove down to Northgate House car park. The hotel had kindly agreed that we could leave the car here for a week as we walked the Dartmoor Way.

The Dartmoor Way is a 90 mile long-distance circular walking route that visits many of the towns on the edge of Dartmoor National Park as well as passing through many moorland areas. Rubi and I would undertake this route in an anticlockwise direction over a period of a week, taking a tent and wildcamping on some nights.

We started our walk by passing through the grounds of Buckfast Abbey, crossing the Dartmoor Bridge and heading north to Ashburton. Near to Ashburton we met a couple who were navigationally displaced so we guided them to the town centre where we took our first break.

The route of the Dartmoor Way assumes that you will need a B&B at the end of each day, and the next stop was Bovey Tracey. Rubi, however, suggested that since we would not be staying there we could perhaps improve upon the route by going somewhere more interesting. Thus, we changed our direction somewhere around Sigford and headed straight for Haytor Rocks. I was pleased to be off the roads, farm tracks and footpaths and into open moorland at last.

It was starting to get late by the time we reached Haytor Rocks, but we continued on past Haytor Quarries to reach the north side of Haytor Down where we were permitted to wildcamp. Rubi found a nice flat spot protected from the wind by gorse bushes.

It was rather cool overnight so we were pleased to be greeted by the sun streaming into the tent in the morning.

We had departed from the 'official' Dartmoor Way and now had to rejoin it, which involved a difficult trek down Black Hill and through the scrub of Trendlebere Down until we found a linking path in Houndtor Wood that took us to a bridge over Becka Brook.

Lunch was enjoyed on the village green North Bovey, but were unable to replenish our water. We continued on to Moretonhampstead before deciding that suitable camping sites near Chagford, our target for the day, would be unreachable in daylight. Thus, we decided to forego the section of the Dartmoor Way that took us past Castle Drogo and instead walk more directly to Nattadon Common, just south of Chagford, where we were able to settle down for the reasonably comfortable night.

In the morning we took the short walk into Chagford to replenish our food stocks, then followed the Dartmoor Way north-west to charming South Zeal, famous for the 840 year old Oxenham Arms and the Methodist Chapel located in the middle of the road, and on the Sticklepath where we ate lunch and enjoyed a pint each of lime and soda at the Taw River Inn.

The afternoon walk between Sticklepath and Okehampton via Belstone was particularly pleasant, especially since we were under no pressure, having booked a night in Okehampton's Fountain Inn. Absolute luxury after two nights in the tent! Also, having existed on cold food for two nights, we were pleased for the opportunity to pig out at the local Wetherspoon's. Rubi had a large mixed grill (but she did share much of it with me).

HAMPSHIRE WALKING GROUP IN DEVON

WHOOPS!

AMAZING BUCKFAST ABBEY

INSIDE BUCKFAST ABBEY

HAMPSHIRE WALKING GROUP

TREE NYMPH

TREE MONSTER

HAMPSHIRE WALKING GROUP ON SHARP TOR

THIS ONE MUST HAVE JUMPED OVER THE FENCE

The week didn't start that well. I gave the car some cosmetic surgery by scraping the passenger side doors against a post. Sadly, the procedure was unsuccessful as it didn't improve the car's looks. On the positive side, the car is still fully functional and safe to drive, and the chances of anyone wanting to steal it had diminished somewhat.

Anyway, having got over that little trauma, on Thursday (the day before Good Friday) Rubi and I headed down to Buckfastleigh to join other members of the Hampshire Walking Group who were gathering there for an Easter long-weekend of walking. Many were staying at 'Churchill's Farm', the local campsite, and Rubi assumed we would be camping there too. As a surprise, however, I had booked our first night at Northgate House, a superb hotel located in the grounds of Buckfast Abbey.

We arrived just after 10.00am, giving us time to look around the Abbey before the first group walk at 1.00pm. The Abbey is suburb, and the story of it having been built on the foundations of an earlier one by 6 monks who dedicated 30 years of their lives to the task is incredible, especially when only one had any previous building experience.

At around midday we strolled down to Buckfastleigh village centre where we joined the other walkers at The Globe Inn. The walk itself was a little over 8 miles and took as alongside the River Dart before heading West to Holne. Our return route followed a part of the Dartmoor Way, which was coincidental because this was the long distance path which we were planning to commence on Saturday. I'll explain more about that in the next post. Anyway, after a shower and supper (the latter prepared and eaten in Buckfastleigh village car park) we rejoined the walking group in the Globe.

The following day, after enjoying Buckfast Abbey's excellent breakfast, we paid our bill and drove to a car park at New Bridge, just north of Holne, to join another group walk of nearly 10 miles. The route followed the River Dart north as far as Dartmeet, then looped back across Yartor Down and Sharp Tor before returning to the car park via the Two Moors Way.

On our second night we car-camped at Churchill's Farm. Richard, one of our fellow walkers, invited us and another walker, Fiona, to join him for a barbecue, which was definitely a superior option to spending the evening in the local pub. Richard's generous G&T's provided excellent lubrication for the evening's conversation.

In the morning we arose in time to bid farewell to our friends as they departed for their third day of walking. We, however, had our own plans.

SNOWDON 'ERE

PLAS CURIG HOSTEL

SNOW NEAR FOEL-GOCH

ME & TOM ROUTE-FINDING AROUND THE OGWEN VALLEY

PAUL (ASSESSOR) & TOM: A BREAK ON OUR SCRAMBLE UP TO LLECHOG

TOM HAD TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN MY ROPEWORK

LLYN COWLYD

WILDCAMP NEAR FFYNNON LLYFFANT

REMAINS OF CRASHED BOMBER NEAR FFYNNON LLYFFANT

COMMON FROG SEEN ON NIGHT NAVIGATION EXERCISE

SUPPER OUT OF THE DRIZZLE NEAR AFON ANAFON

ALL OVER: ME, PETE (ASSESSOR) & TOM

This is an adventure for me only while Rubi was busy at work. The dates 13th to 17th March have been prominent in my mind for a while, because these are the dates I booked for my 'long time coming' Mountain Leader (ML) assessment. This is the culmination of about a decade of thinking about it, then five years ago signing up with Mountain Training (the awarding body for qualifications in walking, climbing and mountaineering). Two years ago I took a week-long training course in Snowdonia with Paul Poole Mountaineering and now I have returned to Paul for the Assessment Course.

The course assesses the skills required to lead groups in the mountains, including planning, understanding weather forecasts, navigation, safety & risk assessment, use of a rope, environmental knowledge and group management. There was only one other candidate on the course: Tom from nearby Conwy. Thus, the pair of us had the almost undivided attention of Paul and his co-assessor Pete - not much chance of our mistakes going unnoticed then!

I arrived at Capel Curig in Snowdonia on Sunday 12th, and stayed for three nights at the very smart Plas Curig Hostel. On Monday, after examining our pre-course 'homework' in the warm confines of Moel Siabod Cafe next door, Paul drove us to the Ogwen Valley for some navigation exercises. Though foggy at times, it was a surprisingly pleasant day for this time of year. Tuesday involved some scrambling practice and the assessment of our skills with a rope. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were spent with Pete on a two-night expedition in the eastern Carneddau. This initially involved using 1:25K OS maps to navigate ourselves to a wildcamp near Ffynnon Llyffant, a lake just below Carnedd Llewelyn. After a hot supper, Pete tested our ability to navigate in the dark before we settled down for the night.

Thursday saw us navigating with less detailed 1:50K maps across some Carneddau peaks to a sheep-fold near Afon Anafon. It drizzled for a substantial part of the day and the droplets of water on my glasses made it extremely difficult to read the map at all, let alone see some of the finer details. Pete was very tolerant of my constant attempts to wipe my glasses (invariably unsuccessfully as they simply smeared) and my struggle to maintain precision. Fortunately my distance vision is fine, so I could still avoid us getting lost by simply looking over the top of my glasses whilst walking.

After a cold night wildcamping in the sheep-fold, the three of us walked out of the hills to be picked up by Paul in his car and taken back to Moel Siabod Cafe. After Pete and Paul had their pow-wow about our performance, I was pleased that both Tom and I were invited to receive our feedback together as this implied that we had both either passed or failed. Since I had seen how well Tom had performed, I guessed the news would be good for both of us. Thus, we were both congratulated on having successfully completed our Mountain Leader assessment. Handshakes all round! I thanked Pete and Paul for their excellent guidance and advice, and Tom for his good company, before departing.

It would have been a five hour drive home had I not discovered that my smartphone was missing. I normally 'check the ground, and my pockets' before leaving a campsite, but assumed that I had somehow left it in the sheep-fold. However, on driving back to where Paul had picked us up I immediately saw it on the ground where his car boot had been. It had clearly fallen out of my pocket whilst loading the rucksacks into his car. Finding it had cost me an extra hour but the phone was undamaged. Thus, having attained my ML and been happily reunited with my smartphone, I drove the rest of the way home with a broad grin across my face.

OVER THE HILLS & FARO WAY

AN OLD WELL

SPRING WATER

CLIMBING TO ROCHA DA PENA

VIEW FROM THE TOP

MORE CLIMBING IN ALBUFEIRA

SOMEONE HAS WORN A HOLE IN THIS CLIFF

REWARD FOR THE DAY

SCULPTURE IN ALEMEDA JOAO DE DEUS GARDEN, FARO

FARO RESIDENT

KING AFONSO III (ON RIGHT)

For our last day with the car, we drove to the valley of the Ribiera (River) de Benemola, to the north east of Albufeira. We walked along one side of the river to its source, the Fonte da Benemola, where we ate our usual picnic at stone tables. We then crossed over the river where it was shallow and walked back on the opposite bank. Alongside the route we saw evidence of the farming communities that used to live in the valley - ruined dwellings, water pumps and sluices (levadas) to channel water to the fields.

On returning to the car, we next drove west a few miles to see a long rocky ridge called Rocha da Pena. We could see the ridge from some way off so it wasn't hard to find. Parking near its base, we set off walking towards it. To make the walk more interesting, we left the main path after a short while and soon found ourselves scrambling up the rough grey limestone rocks. After about half an hour we arrived at a point where we could enjoy the view before walking back down by an easier route. There was a bar near to where we parked the car so we enjoyed a drink in the day's remaining sun before moving on.

Our return to the hotel took us through Sao Bartolemeu de Messines where we picked up a pizza for supper at the Intermarche supermarket

Next morning we handed back the keys to the car. We planned to take a bus to Faro early the following day so we initially checked where Albufeira's bus terminal was before heading down to the beach to walk the cliffs again, much as we had done on our first day, but this time in the other direction. 

Clambering over the cliffs was just as much fun as it had been the first time. We came across lots of sink-holes, caves and rock arches, all shaped by sea action. The weather was sunny again and it was a great last day in Albufeira.

The following morning we caught the 8.40am bus to Faro. It travelled a very circuitous route and stopped many times before arriving in Faro at 10.10am. We had assumed Faro would be an interesting and historic place with lots to see, but were rather disappointed. For a start, it was much smaller than we had expected the principal city in the Algarve to be. There was a pretty garden with peacocks wandering about in it, a pedestrianised shopping area, the old city walls and the harbour. However, it did not take us more than a few hours to see all this. Perhaps we would have learned more about the place had the museum been open.

There weren't even any picturesque walks nearby so, once we had run out of things to do, we caught the 'Proximo' bus to the airport. This meant that we would have roughly 4 hours to wait before our 8.45pm flight, but we managed to amuse ourselves.

In spite of Faro being disappointing, our week in Portugal had been a great success and the weather had been brilliant. We were not looking forward to the much cooler weather in the UK.