For as long as Paul Fox can remember he has loved running through the great outdoors, usually with his mad and muddy collie, “Spook”. Now, Paul, a former member of the Tavistock Section of the Dartmoor Rescue Group, offers courses on navigation, compass, map work and hillcraft skills, based on Dartmoor, so that anyone who has ever wanted to go and explore off the beaten track can learn or develop existing navigation skills so they can experience the beauty of Dartmoor and discover its many mysteries for themselves.
Cool Runnings By Paul Fox
A light dusting of snow in early December prompted a flurry of running to capture the snow-clad moor before the inevitable thaw.
With bogs transformed into crispy run-able
surfaces and tussocky ground smoothed over, the going can be easier in these conditions. Ankle- deep snow slows uphill progress, but swooping down a powder-blanketed slope with the brakes off is one of the best experiences fell running has to offer.
The frigid air provides not only pin-sharp visibility over miles of radiant snow, but welcome cooling when working hard.
The colder weather greatly reduces the numbers
of walkers, with even the most adventurous boot-prints turning back after a couple of miles or so, leaving pristine snow and solitude. A run to High Willhays is a regular training
fixture and a must-do in the snow. Starting from Prewley Water Works near Sourton and skirting Corn Ridge we dropped down to the West Okement and then upstream past Black Tor Copse to Sandy Ford. From here is the ascent to Fordsland’s Ledge, graced by a grey observation
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