Six of us made good speed to Bickington and up the hill to Birchanger Cross. Zac met us here, transported by car at Michael's insistence to make the ride more manageable for him.

There was a stiff breeze on the moor once we reached sight of Haytor. Soon we were on the granite tramway, built in 1820 to transport granite slabs from the quarry to the Stover canal. It is rare to find tracks built of granite. The tramway led us into the old quarry where we hunted around for shelter from the cold wind. Finally we found one spot where there was no wind, and when the sun came out for its only appearance of the day we knew we had chosen a perfect place for lunch. The youngsters found plenty of amusement on the lake, with Ben and Matt vying for the best performance on the log.

Cloud cover had once again returned, but we opted for the extreme off-road route to Hound Tor by a narrow majority. Dave Robinson didn't fancy such antics on his touring bike however, so he headed for Buckfastleigh and the warmth of his car.

The younger members weren't too impressed with Michael's first short-cut across the gorse-strewn moorland beside the quarry, but they soon warmed to the challenging descent to the bottom of the valley. Some walkers warned us of the mud and puddles in the woods, but they didn't really slow us down that much.

After every good descent comes a stiff climb, and today was no exception to that rule. Charlie and Michael helped Zac and Dennis carry their bikes up the side of the hill, and soon we were examining the remains of the medieval village of Hundatora, just behind Hound Tor. Zac searched for and quickly found the Dartmoor letterbox he had hoped to find, and then we enjoyed the exciting descent to the car park where the food van, aptly names the Hound of the Basket Meals, was waiting to serve us. Michael was particularly grateful for their service as he had neglected to bring a packed lunch!

Matt took a shortcut across a corner near Bone Hill, and even though he had been warned of a boggy area by Michael he still managed to sink wheel-deep into the mire! The descent to Ashburton was somewhat chilly, so we were all glad when we finally reached Buckfastleigh. Those who forgot to bring gloves will certainly do so for the next ride!