Date: Sunday 28th November 2010
Route: Belstone, Belstone Common, East Okement Farm, Military track past Oke Tor to Oakment Hill, Cresta Run, Cullever Steps, Belstone.
Riders: David, Stephen & Nick
Depart: Belstone 10.15 am
Arrive: Belstone 12.15 pm
Distance: Not long enough
Weather: Freezing and Bright.

Cresta Run

W.P. 9.30 am - 4°C.
Waved off by Paddy in his PJ’s we set off on David’s planned jaunt north. Heading to Okehampton, the dark side of the moor (although we remark they do have a Waitrose), we arrive at snow covered and icy Belstone.

Belstone - a cooling -5°C
After each applying at least 15 layers of clothing we set off, upwards and onwards toward Belstone Common. A rather strange phenomenon took place as the liquid contents in my nose started to freeze. It was difficult to breathe but soon thawed as we headed south with the sun in our eyes, the brightness magnified by the snow all around us. Beautiful.

In the depths of the moors are found vast bogs and we were off to Hangingstone Hill with it’s southerly views to the bogs of Cranmere Pool - this is remote Dartmoor. Best not tumble into a bog. To fall into one is easy, to get out is a more difficult matter. We remind ourselves that the thing to do is to spread our arms out to prevent sinking, don’t struggle, warming our toes in the bog water until assistance comes.
Oh ... and avoid getting your feet wet in the icy flows.

As mad dogs and Englishmen remain in bed, we cycle on with the sound track of crackling snow and ice under tyre. But as we headed down into the valley the conditions became treacherous, black ice sending back wheels in opposite directions, but we skillfully remained arses on saddles - that reminds me. David had clearly just benefitting from a ‘back, sac and crack’, and as such decided to wear his tracksuit bottoms rather low on his hips. The result was that when riding in his wake his bear arse would continuously wink at those behind. Not beautiful. Suffice to say that for the rest of the ride the riding positions remained Stephen followed by Nick followed by David.

We continued to climb up the valley, the snow covered track passing Oke Tor and up further to Okement Hill. This is military training territory and at the top of a long climb we took shelter from the icy wind behind a stone army shelter. Here the the track splits. Turn left and it’s a cold looking slog to Hangingstone Hill and Cranmere Pool beyond. Turn right and we head back. Cold toes, fingers, noses and a freezing arse dictated a right turn. We’ll return to Cranmere on a warmer day.

What followed was a wonderful decent, our own Cresta Run below Dartmoor’s highest peaks of High Willhays and Yes Tor. No peddling, no breaking (David didn’t have any brake pads left at this stage anyway) we coasted down for miles, our two wheeled toboggans cutting through the snow and ice. All too soon, as this was such good fun, we were back at Belstone - warm and safe - and each of us with a great big smile on our face. Sunday mornings don’t get much better than this.

Reporter: Nick