Shipley Bridge was, not unexpectedly, packed with visitors today.  We couldn't resist stopping for some photographs by the river Avon partway up the path: Keir thought about going in for a dip, but decided against it when he tested the water temperature.  At the half-way point John, much to everyone's amusement, discovered a particularly slippery section of ice on the path that the rest of us had managed to negotiate successfully.  There was now enough snow on the ground for a brief snowball fling, but by the time we reached the dam there was considerably more, enabling us to enjoy a full-blown snowball fight!  The whole scene of the snow-covered moorland hills behind the dam, all lit by bright sunshine, made this the perfect destination for our Christmas ride.

Continuing along the track behind the dam we soon encountered the hunt on the horizon, apparently unable to find a fox.  Well, we're all in favour of the ban so I can't say we shared their disappointment.  The snow was now quite deep in places, and by the time we reached the top of the Abbots Way the backdrop of ice and snow made us feel as though we were in the Arctic!  To complete a perfect ride we then discovered a group of Dartmoor ponies grazing in the snow near Water Oak Corner.  They weren't a bit frightened of us, and allowed themselves to be fed, stroked and photographed!

The sun came out as we took the quiet lanes up to Beggars' Bush, making everyone feel bright and enthusiastic.  Two more delays caused by Chris' derailleur just made us all the more determined to reach our intended destination.  Crossing the very busy A380 took longer than expected, but soon we had ridden along the tracks to Mamhead Obelisk and were enjoying lunch overlooking the Exe estuary, with spectacular views to Exmouth and beyond.

A couple of showers and a stiff breeze left some with cold fingers by the time they reached Cold East Cross - no doubt warm gloves will feature on a few Christmas lists this year.  The high speed descent to Ashburton made a memorable end to an excellent October ride.

We were running somewhat later than planned so we had to make good progress through Tuckenhay and East Cornworthy to Dittisham.  The steep climb didn't matters, but soon we were on the track from Bozomzeal to Old Mill Creek that we haven't ridden for many years.  Things had changed slightly but we managed to find the bridlepath and followed it down the long and challenging track to the Creek.  This was a perfect spot for lunch, with plenty of ancient boats to examine and tranquility all around.

It was getting on for 3pm when we set off again up the final hill to Dartmouth.  Having travelled so far we decided to enjoy ice creams by the riverside before boarding the higher ferry for Kingswear.  This was apparently the first time Gage had been on a ferry with his bike .. and only the second time he'd ever been on a ferry at all!

A nasty shower at Holne forced us to take cover under the slide, but it soon cleared up and we were off again to Venford reservoir and Combestone Tor.  Sunshine followed us all the way through Hexworthy to Huccaby bridge, where we took time out to enjoy the deserted beauty spot to the full.  A short ride along the Two Bridges road brought is the Dunnabridge and the long track across the moor to Bellever Woods.  More brilliant sunshine accompanied us, although the breeze was a little stiff at times.  A final descent through the woods brought us to Bellever youth hostel by 6.15pm, where Gavin (who had been working all afternoon) was waiting for us.

The hostel was further upgraded in February: there is now a proper games room, the staircase has been moved and the toilets and showers have been completely replaced.  Gage's noodles didn't look too appetising, but at least he prepared them himself.  Harry only had a pot noodle, but he still needed help to make it: his contribution was to boil the kettle and get the fork!  We can forgive him though as he's only 10.  The warden, previously a chef at Buckfastleigh's Furzeleigh Mill guest house, offered an excellent menu of home-cooked food, so Gavin and Michael were pleased to order treacle puddings to conclude their meals.  The remainder of the evening was spent walking to the river in the semi-darkness and playing games of pool in the games room.

Sunday morning dawned as sunny and dry as predicted.  When Gage had returned from the top of the first hill to retrieve his gloves we pressed on to Postbridge where everyone walked around the clapper bridges and Gage bought a souvenir from the village store (made in China!).  Riding on again the youngsters were interested in the Powder Mills site, used in the 19th century for the water-powered manufacture of gunpowder for local farmers.  We diverted again to look around the derelict buildings, having a good look at the chimneys and the proving canon.

The stiff headwind made the journey into Princetown a little more arduous than planned, so were were glad to see the Foxtor cafe looming large in front of us.  Service was exceptionally slow today, but we were kept amused by the Torbay CTC members taking part in an Audax ride; they had been reading of our antics in the Highway, but their first question was "which one is Gage?".  Gage had no idea he was so famous!

The only really unpleasant shower of the day forced us to abandon plans to investigate the railway cycle path and head directly for home.  Harry, who had earlier said he didn't mind getting wet at all, now had different ideas.  The shower came to and end fairly quickly so we detoured home via Dartmeet Hill and Dr Blackall's drive, Joe discovering along the way that Gage's idea of a shortcut via Sharp Tor was not such a good idea after all.  The track descent was as exhilarting as usual, and we even had time for ice creams in the afternoon sunshine at New Bridge.  All the youngsters thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and looked forward to our next exciting adventure.

We proceeded along the back lanes to Christow for our planned inspection of the BMX track, but we were disappointed with what we found: the whole course was in a very poor state of repair, and the only users we saw were a couple of local lads on scooters!  It seemed as though the town council had abandoned it to nature.  We enjoyed lunch in a shady corner of the track and rode it a few times, but the atmosphere just wasn't the same.

A narrow log footbridge crosses the Manaton Water, just wide enough to walk as long as you carry your bike.  After enjoying lunch by the brook we set about climbing the far side, through steep woodland owned by English Nature.  Louis wasn't too impressed with all the climbing, but he was a good deal happier when we started the descent through more woodland tracks, this time owned by the Woodland Trust.  Remembering previous encounters with the owners of the Becky Falls estate we kept strictly to the footpath and continued onwards through some new sections of track to the road near Manaton village.

It was as we were settling down to eat lunch that we noticed that Will didn't have anything to eat at all.  He had got up too late to pack lunch or money, and had said nothing while we were in the shop at Plymco!  Tao gave him his crisps and Michael a piece of his Lemon Meringue pie, and with some rations from our mobile chocolate shop he managed to put together an acceptable meal.  Gage and Joe enjoyed riding all over the estuary and everyone joined in the Aerobie game.

In order to return home by a different route we needed to cross the Erme estuary.  With the tide out to its fullest extent the task was relatively easy today, and lots of fun in the warm shallow waters.  Michael advised everyone to cross barefoot to avoid getting wet trainers, but of course Will and Joe just had to try riding it, with the usual inevitable consequences.  Jack enjoyed the wading part so much that he spent another 20 minutes wandering up the river.

Everyone was impressed with the newly extended BigPeaks shop at Ashburton which now offers a good range of cycling equipment.  Soon we were on the long climb from Bickington to Haytor, helpfully divided into 8 stages to assist new rider Gage in gauging progress to the top.  He did so well that we were able to make up much of the lost time and enjoy lunch on the old tramway near Haytor quarry.  Gage even kept us entertained over lunch by instantly finding two Dartmoor letterboxes and bringing them to us for signing.  Tao was amazed, and also realised why he had never been able to find them before - he had been looking for red boxes, not Tupperware boxes!

The bridleway descent into the steep-sided Lustleigh valley behind Haytor was every bit as challenging and exciting as we had expected - and the subsequent climb was every bit as tough as it had looked from Smallacombe rocks!  Ruins of the medieval village of Hundatora, abandoned in 1350, cross the bridleway en route to Houndtor.  Around 8 houses can be seen, including the manor house shown in the picture.  In all the houses cattle and people shared the same space.  A long descent from Houndtor brought is to the car park refreshment van: queues were rather lengthy, but the table and chairs were ideal.

Our destination was Bench Tor, posed high above the steep wooded slopes and offering commanding views that must be among the finest on Dartmoor.  After watching the river wending its way far below us and the hawk hovering higher and higher above the trees we had to conclude that these views were probably as good as many in Scotland.

We searched for a track that might take us down into the valley to meet up with the riverside path and were quickly rewarded with a well-marked but fairly steep descent into the woods.  This soon met up with the water authority track that takes the pipes from the reservoir, so we decided to follow that in the hope that it would lead us downwards.  It was excellent for a while, offering good riding amongst splendid scenery, but then it climbed steeply and eventually brought us to the top of the woods and the entrance to West Stoke fields.  There was nothing for it but to follow the fence directly downwards, a descent that was difficult at times and particularly challenging for Gavin who attempted to ride a particularly steep section and was catapulted over his bike.  Perhaps next time we'll make the descent much earlier.

We soon reached the path.  Lunch was enjoyed by the river at Sharran's Pool while Gavin nursed his minor wounds.  It really was a good feeling to be in such a remote and unfamiliar location and yet so close to home.  A few spots of rain gave little clue to the downpour that was on its way, and after a short spin along the easy woodland path we were soon sheltering under dense-leafed trees hoping the rain would pass.  Sadly the leaves didn't hold back the torrent for long, so we just headed on through the woods past waterfalls and steep drops, feeling very much as though we were in a foreign land.

We stocked up with provisions at the local supermarket and then tackled the serious climb of Salcombe hill: thick mist surrounding the eerie woodlands made us feel we were on an alien planet.  Arriving at the Norman Lockyer observatory at the top of the hill we could barely make out the first dome through the mist, so the youngsters had plenty of fun disappearing in one direction and surprising us by returning from another.

We could hardly see the boundary hedges of the donkey sanctuary let alone the alleged occupants.  Mist turned to drizzle on the long descent through the village of Branscombe, so we were all decidedly wet when we made the final descent down the track to Beer youth hostel.  Our rather late arrival held some advantages, including full availability of four showers and an empty members kitchen.  We spent the last part of the evening exploring the mist-laden coastline between Beer and Seaton.

Sunday dawned bright and clear, giving us the opportunity to explore new territories.  After some aerobie fun in the superb hostel gardens we rode over the hill to Seaton where we enjoyed refreshments on the pebbly beach.  A lane and bridleway took us steeply up through the golf course at the top of Haven Cliff, offering extensive views along the East Devon coastline.  Lyme Regis was our lunch stop, and we all felt pleased to have extended the ride into neighbouring Dorset.  There were plenty of visitors to the town, but we found a quiet spot on the eastern beach and spent a little time being educated by Oliver regarding the best rocks to check for fossils.

The return route took us through Colyford where one of the electric trams crossed the road just when we were wondering if we would see one.  A short detour took us past Whitwell farm, of special significance to Michael's father, but as we were almost back at Sidmouth we were treated to a thorough drenching by a particularly nasty shower.  Plans for swims and ice-creams on Sidmouth beach were hastily rearranged to include another cafe stop before we took the final climb back up to the cars in the presence of another unfriendly shower.

Joe had requested Goodrington Sands for today's destination.  The road from Longcombe to Galmpton passes the Parliament Stone, marking the parliament held there by William of Orange in 1688, but we were more interested in finding shade on the long climb.  From Galmpton we climbed to Churston and then enjoyed the long descent to Broadsands.  A shady seat offered excellent lunchtime views of all the activity on the beach and in the sea.

Rather than climb the road again to get to Goodrington we thought we'd try the coast path that we saw marked on the map.  There were some steep flights of steps to negotiate but we discovered a whole world of quiet beaches and unspoilt scenery that seemed a world away from the busy tourist beaches of Torbay.  Finally arriving at Goodrington we enjoyed drinks and ice creams on one of the few free patches of beach and then set about enjoying the water.  Joe, who enjoys scuba diving whenever he can, kept Oliver and Michael entertained with his seal-like antics.

Next stop was Paignton beach, and here we were greeted by the largest collection of new council machinery you could ever imagine.  This was the annual exhibition of industrial vaccums, waste trucks, car crushers, skip transporters and other weird machines that we couldn't begin to understand.  When we had each chosen the machine that we'd most like to buy we set off for the long, hot climb to Marldon.

The riverside track brought us quickly to the village, then after a couple more hills we were in Landscove and trying to decide which route to take home.  In the end we split the group, John leading two of the girls directly to Green Lane and Michael and Matthew leading the rest on the longer route past Thornecroft to the bridleway descent to Lower Combe.  The youngsters enjoyed the bumpy descent through field and woodland, but the final climb was not quite so amusing!

The next stage of the ride involved traversing a section of featureless moorland to join the Redlake tramway.  The baking heat made the journey feel more like a desert trek, but finally we hit the tramway and lay down for a well-earned rest and drink.  Michael had planned to continue across the tramway and down the hill to South Brent, but  Joe and Gavin were keen to take the extended offroad route inland along the tramway, a ride they both missed a few weeks ago.  And so it was that we rode four miles along the rough track, picked our way through huge expanses of cotton grass to Petre's Cross, plunged down the hillside to the river Avon, picked our way gingerly across the stepping stones and rode along the Abbots Way.

Orange juice and cakes had to suffuce as they'd finished serving lunches when we arrived.   We found time to explore the Bird of Prey centre that we'd never noticed before, then headed off through Ipplepen to explore the interesting tracks around Orley Common.  It really would be quite easy to get lost in this network of interconnecting paths!

The sky was cloudless for our second youth hostel weekend of the year and the temperature was a very comfortable twenty degrees.  Louis and Will were all kitted out with panniers for their first weekend awheel and everyone was full of eager anticipation as rode through South Brent and Wrangaton to California Cross.

The garage provided a useful and affordable refreshment stop, then we took a small detour off the main road along the narrow path that descends to the river Avon.  Bluebells abounded in the woodland beside the river, and the silence was only broken by the youngsters playing with tree-stumps.  The old railway track brought us back to tarmac roads at Loddiswell from where we made good speed to Malborough garage and our main shop stop before the hostel.  Here we bought bread, milk, yoghurts and a frozen banoffee pie!

We didn't arrive at Salcombe hostel until after 7pm, but the evening was so warm that nobody minded at all.  When the youngsters had finished running all over the hostel to explore its many rooms and corridors we prepared our meals in the newly refurbished kitchen and then prepared for our evening walk along the coast path.

James remarked that he had never seen such a magnificent view as we got from the path overlooking Salcombe estuary, from the wide open sea to the right, past Prawle point with its lighthouse and right along the estuary to the flickering lights of Salcombe itself.  There were sadly no glow-worms to be seen this year, probably because we were a few weeks too early, but there was plenty of opportunity for us to contemplate the universe as we sat on the wooden seat tucked under the cliff looking out over the remote and beautiful Starehole Bay.

Sunday morning dawned all too soon for Will who seemed very content to stay in bed for a good deal longer.  We ate breakfast on one of the huge mahogany tables in the dining room, then enjoyed a free tour of the National Trust tropical gardens before setting off down the hill to the first beach.  Nobody was in any hurry this morning, so the youngsters had time to play with the frisbee or just wade out through the waves.  Will's first throw sent the high-flying aerobie into the hotel park, and during the retrieval process Louis discovered the duckpond with real live ducklings.  He keeps ducks of his own, so he should have known that it was a big mistake to try to pick one up: the mother flew straight at him in full attack mode!

The second beach looked fun as well, but as it was now past 11am we pressed on to Salcombe ferry terminal and waited patiently while the little ferryboat cleared the queue in front of us.  It took two trips to take us all across to East Portlemouth.  The outdoor cafe just above the jetty (see picture) provided a delightful setting for refreshments, with stunning views across the estuary and some delicious organic coffees!

Some twisty lanes, a ford and a steep climb brought us quickly to Chivelstone from where the route to Torcross was relatively easy.  Louis did report a strange sound coming from a hedgerow, however, that he described as "cheep-cheep-hiss"; his conclusion was that it was a bird being eaten by a snake!

After a short pause to admire the superb views across Slapton Ley we descended the final hill into Torcross, purchased lunch from the village store and settled down on the quiet beach to enjoy it.  The youngsters managed to upset the owner of the adjacent beach who insisted that it was his own private property and they had no right to play on it. Michael pointed out that there were no signs to that effect for people approaching from Slapton, but he didn't seem interested in discussing the matter.

The tandem managed well on its first stretch of off-road along the side of the beautiful Tottiford reservoir.  After rounding the corner of the bank we soon came across a wide stretch of grass overlooking the water that made a perfect lunch stop.  The youngsters played while the older ones just talked - well, it really was too hot to do much running around.

As we approached Venford reservoir from the Holne direction, Michael suggested an on-foot exploration of the Bench Tor area overlooking the wooded Dart valley, a place we had viewed many times from the other side.  Tao was keen to stay awheel on this occasion, however, so after a short stop to allow Louis to eat some food we continued to the bridleway that starts a little before Combestone tor.

An enjoyable descent brought us to the planned lunch spot, a grassy bank under a tree beside a stream.  The area was so isolated that we saw no other signs of civilisation for the whole time were there.  The hypnotic sound of the running water tempted us to stay even longer, but we needed to press on.

Further stretches of moorland track brought us quickly to Combestone farm from where a long descent through a field of sheep took us to the river Dart itself.  Louis needed a little help carrying his bike across the many stepping stones.  The cafe at Dartmoor is now, finally, non-smoking thanks to the forward-thinking new owners, so we were pleased to purchase light refreshments and ice creams in preparation for the climb of Dartmeet hill.

The coffin stone is a little way off the road about two thirds of the way up the hill.  Between the 13th and 19th centuries all deceased persons from the Dartmeet and Hexworthy areas had to be carried to Widecombe in their coffins, and the ascent of Dartmeet hill was such a strenuous undertaking (pardon the pun) that the coffin was regularly rested on the coffin stone.  People who were highly regarded even had their initials carved on the stone, several of which can be seen to this day.

A brisk climb brought us swiftly to South Brent's Plymco, offering Tao and the lads the chance to buy lunch (which they never manage to pack these days).  Everyone also agreed to Michael's suggestion of sharing a frozen strawberry cheesecake, but would it have defrosted by lunchtim? A short trip through the lanes took us to Wrangaton golf course where we were amused to see large notices detailing the club's clothing regulations.  Amongst other things, T-shirts were banned, all shirts had to be tucked inside the trousers, and the changing of footwear in the carpark was strictly forbidden!  On previous occasions we had been told off for cycling a few metres to the left of the blue markers that mark the line of the bridlepath across the course, and had also felt the wind of a ball whizzing past our ears, so today we waited until all golfers were elsewhere before proceeding.

Numerous skylarks hovered around as we climbed Ugborough Beacon and settled down for lunch in front of the tor - the breeze was not strong, but it became quite chilling after a while.  There was time to enjoy the extensive views from Mothercombe to Teignmouth in the warm spring sunshine - and the cheesecake was delicious!  Thoroughly rested we headed back into the open moor, knowing that we'd see no more roads for several hours.

The Redlake tramway was built in 1910 to carry coal and staff to the clay workings at Redlake in the heart of the south moor.  Closed in the early 1930s it is now an excellent cycle path that takes riders right away from all signs of civilisation.  We quickly met up with the track and followed its course for several miles, seeing nothing but skylarks and a couple of ramblers.  Just before Redlake we left the track and headed across rough moorland to Petre's cross, where we were surprised by a Dartmoor Rescue official popping out from the ring of stones that marked the cross.  We weren't quite sure what he was doing there, but after establishing that we knew where we were going he returned to his hiding place!

Descending the steep hillside towards the Avon we were surprised to notice three enormous rings marked on the hillside opposite.  These remnants of ancient civilisations had always been there, but we'd never seen them before because the vegetation growth during the summer months completely obscures them from view.

So, we were off on what promised to be our longest day ride for 12 months.  With the sun beating down we reached the farthest point of our January attempt, near Diptford, but today there was no rain and everyone was pressing for more.  The final downhill to Slapton brought us to Torcross by 1.25.  I don't think we planned to stay there for an hour and a half, but some had to buy lunches from the cafe and of course there had to be time for playing in the sand and walking along the shore.

By this time we had already clocked up 21 miles, so it looked like the final mileage would exceed 40 miles.  Ashley and Will were dubious about whether they would make it, but they found new stamina after the arduous climb to Strete and were spurred on by the prospect of completing a stage 4 mileage.  Corkscrew hill at Tuckenhay offered plenty of downhill fun, and when Will had fulfilled the personal promise he had made to himself on his last visit to Bow Bridge, namely to ride across the ford the next time he was there, the youngsters had to dig deep to find new levels of energy to climb Bow hill.

Our usual track to North Bovey had been left in a particularly messy state by a fleet of off-road vehicles, but the large pools of water and thick slimy mud didn't seem to bother the younger members at all.  In fact, the plastering of mud offered them the perfect excuse to ride the ford and get soaked, despite repeated warnings from the more experienced members that wet feet at lunchtime would turn to cold feet later in the ride!

For the return route we crossed the Dart and headed for Littlehempston.  We soon reached Puncture Alley - the track shortcut that caused so many punctures on a ride last year - and as usual Michael advised taking the road.  Several ignored the warning of course, so it was no surprise at all when Will got a puncture.  Half the group had gone on to the next junction, and since Tao had forgotten his puncture kit there was a slight delay while Gavin chased after them.  If only Tao had remembered the mobile phone a little earlier ..!