And so it begins

I set out today and I crossed off the first of my tor list - Roborough Rock. Now, before the purists rally against me, let me be the first to state that this is not a Tor. However, it is on the list of 425 tors and rocks that I have decided to follow, and with it being right on my doorstep, it's quite nice that this should be my first bagged tor.

Joining me on today's adventure was a tired and grouchy baby, a hyper dog, a wife that's not to keen on going up hill, and a cloudy sky that was threatening to rain, so opting for a gentle walk around the old RAF Harrowbeer airfield at Yelverton was a good idea. The quiet road meant that not only did we keep our feet dry, but we were also able to take the push chair so my 5month baby boy could catch up on some sleep.  The large open field is also great for exercising Cleo, my never-tiring Labradoodle, so while we walked around the road, she chased her ball, running at full speed and clocking up considerably more miles than we did!  There are often a number of sheep here, but not today, so I could relax and not panic that Cleo would want lamb for lunch. Kathryn on the other hand started to think that she could be one of the ponys next culinary delight as an inquisitive and friendly chap came to say hello.

 

Clambering up the rock itself brought back some great childhood memories of birthday parties and Sunday afternoon BBQs with friends and family.  I used to love rock climbing here as a kid, and playing hide and seek amongst the trees. Ahhhh, they were the days! It also made me realise that I'm not as young, or fearless, as I used to be, so as I climbed to the top for my obligatory selfie I was extremely conscious of just how slippery the wet rocks were and concerns went through my mind as to "what would happen if I slipped right now".  I don't remember ever thinking that when I was 8! 

I'm a little nervous now as to just how difficult I'm going to find reaching the summit of some of Dartmoors more challenging tors.

Well my journey to the top of all Dartmoors Tors has officially begun, and although completing the list is a long way off, it's the journey, not it's completion, that I'm looking forward to the most.

#EnjoyTheJourney