By: Blonde Two
This summer we Blondes have both been really enjoying getting back outside with young people, especially those who have finally been able to complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions. For a leader DofE expedition work can be tiring but it also has massive plus points. Seeing the youngsters succeed and learn has to be the top one but for me the second is getting the opportunity to discover bits of countryside I wouldn’t necessarily see otherwise.
Walking along the River Dart
A recent DofE Bronze expedition saw me enjoying walks along, down, up (and even over) the River Dart. The youngsters were doing really well so my colleague and I had time to admire the views. And boy were they stunning! With all the steep-sided valleys we got plenty of exercise, enjoyed some lovely ferry rides, and were also treated to some really unique Devon views.
My favourite was a seemingly nondescript point at the top of a lane where three gateways gave access over the high hedges to three of my favourite places. It felt like I was on an island, surrounded only by beauty.
- Haytor on the eastern slopes of Dartmoor (looking hazy in the sunshine)
- The big sweep of Tor Bay (looking crazy in its blueness)
- The broad meander of the tidal River Dart (looking lazy in the valley)
My camera wasn’t up to the photos for Three View Point (it has a name but I like mine better) but the photo above shows just how beautiful the walk was.
