This was not quite what I was hoping to do this weekend....but with student step son home and his inability to get out of bed before lunchtime meant that this was a much later start than planned and not the intended route...as i was hoping to do something new! Hey ho...best laid plans and all that.
I won't say too much about this walk as much of this i have covered in a walk report earlier this year:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=17350
The main difference with this route was the starting point at SX750762 and taking in Rippon Tor. From the car park it is more or less a straight up and down to the summit and worth taking in as you get some really good views back to Haytor and across Buckland Moor and Pil Tor as well.
It is then a question of trying to avoid the crowds! You can simply do this by heading towards Saddle Tor and the Holwell Tor and drop down through the quarries at Holwell Tor and across the river valley (you can see the path on a good day). Follow the path up the other side of the valley and it is also waymarked for those who are navigationally challenged (like me!) onto to Greator and you can then pick your path on to Hound Tor. There is the cafe/caravan/takeaway, the Hound of the basketmeals, (baskervilles for the hard of thinking!) at the layby by Hound Tor so you can always pick up a tea/coffee and a burger if you are desperate!!
You then follow your route back through Hound Tor but this time go down through the medeival village and take the path that leads to the Northern Side of Greator. Back down into the valley on the well made up path, over the clapper bridge and up onto Haytor Common. We made for the quarry as its quite a nice route through the quarry although on this occasion it was full of Grockles with BBQ's, slabs of Fosters and High heels!?! We went from the eastern side of the quarries and followed the path out to the western end onto Haytor itself. We decided not to go to the summit proper as there was no room for any more people!
At this point enough was enough and we traipsed back to the car over Saddle Tor once more!
Tom has prmoised me he'll get up earlier this coming weekend!
Some pictures of the day:
- Saddle Tor & Haytor from Rippon Tor
- Tom on Trig Point of Rippon Tor
- Saddle Tor
- Haytor from Saddle Tor
- Greator (fore) and Hound Tor from Holwell Tor
- Haytor from Holwell Quarry
- Greator
- The Hound of the basket meals!
- Hound Tor
- Granite Tramway
- Beano the bogtrotting Border Terrier!
I probably wouldn't have had the patience waiting for Tom and gone on my own 
