Michael was using Neil's mountain bike today as his Mercian was temporarily out of action with a split rim - and yes, everyone had been telling him to change it for weeks, but he always likes to get the maximum possible use out of his components! Progress was slow before lunch, with Gavin needing to stop at Ashburton to replace his tyre and tube, and everyone stopping to buy lunch at Bovey Tracey. But the pace picked up on the disused railway track to Lustleigh and we were soon enjoying the exciting tracks into the Cleave, snaking perilously around boulders and trees to the bottom of the Wrey valley.

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.

Next stop was Manaton village hall, converted for one afternoon into a cafe serving cream teas. The squashes were so small that we needed four or five to quench our thirst, but at 30p each we couldn't really complain. We took the shortcut to Hound Tor via Bowerman's Nose, a tall stack of rock that supposedly looks like a head if viewed from the right angle. We were anxious to get home today, however, so we pressed on past Cold East Cross to Ashburton.