Headed out yesterday affnoon on what I think has become a yearly pilgrimage for me to a special place high on the moors. All on me lonesome, just looking for a bit of wild solitude.
I landed at 4pm and wandered out onto the moor. As I headed north a light drizzle spattered down with sunny billowing skies pushing in behind, Twould soon clear over and be ansum. I looked over the valley to the coniferous woods where we first heard the cuckoo last year and saw that half of it had been felled and replanted. No cuckoo to welcome me this year though
However, within a couple of hundred metres of my destination, there it was, the fine call of a cuckoo somewhere over the other side of the valleyWith a huge grin on me chops I pushed on.
When I got to the woods I found the spot where we first stopped for a brew last year and tried searching for the sleeping moss giant, but for all the searching, I couldn't find it. Ah well mebbe he got up and went a wanderin over the moors. As I was searching for He, I spotted an odd bird fly over at speed and land in a tree not far away. It called out just one "cuckoo" before a pair of chaffinches hassled it and shooed it away, for it to take up it's call further on in the wood.
So I went for a wander maself and collect some water from here
West Dart river by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Took some photos of here
Shadows by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Then set up camp... Can you spot it?
Lungta by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Here's a close up... Take note of the position of my rucksac, thats where I left it when I went to bed.... You'll see why in a bit...
Camp by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Then I got hungry, so cracked on with dinner
Honey stove by roadkillphil, on Flickr
I must point out that I failed massively with starting my honey stove using my firesteel and cotton wool. I got the cotton wool going and the tinder bundle, but failed at the next stage, 3 times! But this trip was not about personal challenges and skill improvement, so I whipped out the blue flame lighter and got cooking!
Mmmmmmmmmm by roadkillphil, on Flickr
And sat down to eat it with a ginger beer and an ansum view
The dining room by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Once fed and watered I headed up onto the moor to get a signal on my phone and report in to my kids and as I laid out on a boulder yabbering, a couple of moor ponies came over and give us a sniff. As the sun went down Venus shone on.
Venus over Beardown Tors by roadkillphil, on Flickr
And the moon rose in the east
Moon rise over moor by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Then 02:30 happened.... I woke to what I thought was the soughing sound of a giant pair of wings beating!! Thinking I was about to be carried off by some giant ethereal bird I flapped around in my hammock and when the noise ceased, I realised I was just dreaming. Hellup!! Crazy fool! So I drifted off back to sleep to be woken minutes later by the sound of my hipflask rattling against my pot in my rucksac... not where I'd left it, but 10m down the slope!!! The flapping wind noise was my pack being dragged off! I grabbed my headtorch and pointed it at the sound to see my pack and a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me! So, clad only in boxers and boots I headed down to reclaim my pack whilst the crafty fox (I assume) disapeared into the night.
I made sure all my gear was stowed and then hung it here, out of reach.
Foxproof bag by roadkillphil, on Flickr
So after vigilantly scanning my surroundings for half an hour I drifted of to sleep to be awoken just before dawn by all the chaffinches in the entire world
Here's the view
Dawn by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Then as it got a bit lighter
view from my bedroom this morn by roadkillphil, on Flickr
The cuckoos started up. I say cuckoos because there seemd to be two giving it beans, one either side of my camp. Then after a few minutes of this they met, right above me and had a squabble, making strange croaky warbling sounds before both tearing away.
So I got up, made a brew and got some beans on the go while I packed up camp and inspected my rucksac for damage. Sure enough the wee monkey had bitten into the rain cover!
Fox damage by roadkillphil, on Flickr
Nothing too hefty and it will teach me to hang my gear up in future.
As I packed up I kept hearing a cuckoo calling out, moving up and down the wood. Then twice, right before me, I saw one fly into a tree to be shooed away soon after by smaller birds.
As I wandered backalong the sun came up
Sunrise by roadkillphil, on Flickr
And I stopped awhile to have another look for the giant.... and there he was, a little different but sleeping once again
My mate sleepin again by roadkillphil, on Flickr
I left this special place and headed south with a spring in my step, a smile on my face and feeling wholesome and replenished. I hadn't anticipated the frequency of cuckoo encounters, in fact, I had no expectations and living without expectations is what leads me to living a fulfilling life. I heard none on the walk back. Then I got back to my van and right by the road in the trees one sang out.
In closing, I would like to add that there was no trace of my stay, I took great care in making sure no damage was made during my time here and I feel a deep and compassionate gratitude that such places of wonder still exist on our planet.
Camping alone adds an extra dimension to the experience. Silence. As some of you know I am prone to talking more than the average person. Trips like this give me an opportunity to embrace the skill of silence and this in itself is good meditation.
Thankyou for reading
Phil
"These trees are like poetry to me, paintings; like songs of the earth. I don't have to go and think and look for paradise above the sky. When I come here, I'm in paradise."
Satish Kumar
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Originally Posted by Sapper4083
