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MULANJE EXPATRIATES THREEPEAKS SOCIETY

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Three Moors, SW England. 28-31 July 2004

The walks: Day 1, Bodmin Moor including Rough Tor, Brown Willy (1,377ft) and Tolborough Tor — 6½ miles; Day 2, Dartmoor including Black Tor, Yes Tor, High Willhayes (2,038ft), Dinger Tor, Lints Tor, Kitty Tor, Sourton Tors — 12 miles. Day 3, Exmoor, Dunkery Beacon (1,705ft) — 10 miles.

The participants: A total of 19 people either walked or played a supporting role in the meet. They were: Ian and Sadie Mason; Peter and Antonia Tolhurst; Sue Miller; Stephen and Pauline Ward; Brian and Jane Sayers; Mike and Verena Petzold; Toby Kibble; Guy Harrison, Stephen and Bernadette Harrison; Dave and Judy Harrison; and guests Ian and Liz Warne.

The venue: The Swan Hotel, Bampton (all rooms enjoy 24hr church clock chimes) with Wards overflowing into Bridge House Hotel and Sayers plus three young Harrisons chez Harriruo.

First day, Bodmin: Nine walkers went up and 10 came down. Low cloud threatened from the start at Camelford but didn’t deter the nine who claimed Rough Tor, followed by fabled Brown Willy, then on to Tolborough Tor where the Axeman, defying doctors, was found enjoying a light liquid break. On down through farmland to Jamaica Inn for refreshment.

Suitably fortified, four drivers then went to Camelford to collect cars and back yet again to Jamaica Inn to collect the remaining bodies for the afternoon walk. What afternoon walk??? An instant group Willy Warmer award was made to all those who (unanimously) voted for return to their warm dry pub instead of the delight of Kilmar Tor (1,280ft) in the afternoon drizzle.

Mrs AMLH has been commissioned to knit the Group Willy Warmer.

Second day, Dartmoor: The Big One. Eleven set off from Meldon Reservoir in fair weather, toiling steadily up Longstone Hill and across to Black Tor where a cheery group of young soldiers was encountered, weighed down by immense rucksacks. From there to Yes Tor via Foresland Ledge then backtracking to High Willhays, the highest point of the meet at 2,038ft.

After a brief R&R, Verena and Mike departed northbound for the Red-a-ven brook route while the rest of the party headed SSE for Dinger Tor, scaring off the group of soldiers now gathered there and claiming possession of the MoD facilities on the Tor in the brief but decisive skirmish that has come to be known as The Battle of Portaloo.

Flushed with success, the party pressed on and two demanding ridges and a river crossing were accomplished, passing Lints Tor to reach Kitty Tor. At last the way ahead levelled out following an old tramway past Hunt and Gren Tors then bearing North for Sourton Tors and a fascinating display of hang gliding. Then picking up pace on the home straight down to the cars. Some six hours and 12 miles of magnificent moorland walking in clear warm weather — who could ask for more?

Third day, Exmoor: Ten people set off from Horner on a sunny morning following the Horner Water upstream, at first on the level then up a steep valley to join the Cloutsham road. Leaving the road again on a southerly bearing, up through woods to the treeline where a brief stop was made. The party then spread out as Dunkery North Face Direct was tackled in hot sun and the summit gained where the Masons awaited us, having taken a different route. Verena, Jane and Guy joined the party, having made a quick sprint from the roadhead while Stephen (Harrison) made an even quicker sprint to catch us after being traffic-bound. 15 people then cantered downhill past Rowbarrows and Stoke Pero to the appointed idyllic riverside picnic spot. After a tense wait, the NAAFI wagon and escort arrived, cannibalism was narrowly averted, the picnic spread set up and demolished and 14 survivors carried on. All downhill now along the babbling brook in a sylvan valley but mind the stepping stones. And so back to Horner and the delights of its tea garden.

Back to base and an al fresco evening meal in perfect weather at a riverside pub on the Exe ended in a rousing rendition of the Malawi national anthem and other ballads to the accompaniment of Mike’s harmonica. Leaving the locals in stunned and bemused silence, the party then repaired to Bampton where the faders retired but the hard core returned to The Swan for a final attempt to provide the locals with a cultural experience they would never forget.

And so ended the meet. 350 miles of driving, 30 miles of moorland walking, 19 people and countless beers.

Special mentions: Axeman and Muesli for ignoring their doctors’ advice and doing their own thing. Lady Ruo for selflessly lending her OS Map to someone else, then losing her way on the moor and racing several hundred miles to find the would-be picnickers before they devoured each other. Harriruo