Burrator Reservoir and Sheeps Tor wild camping weekend started on Friday afternoon. I have been looking forward to this trip. Burrator Reservoir has been on my radar for a while and finally, I have managed to get there. Lake, hike and wild camping. Excellent combination for an adventure weekend in autumn.
Swap the bike for a car
I jumped on my motorcycle and rode home to swap the bike for a car. As usual in London traffic jams were enormous and riding a motorcycle in slow-moving traffic is not a pleasant experience. I guess bikers know exactly what I am talking about. After around an hour drive eventually, I have managed to get home. I didn’t even start 240 miles drive and I was already exhausted!
Packing has never been as chaotic as this time. Since we have a car, well, actually my partner has a car and I borrow it, I cannot get my head around camping logistics. I am used to overnight coach to Plymouth and then early morning transfers to a starting point. This time I threw all wild camping gear in a rucksack and car’s boot and went for an adventure. I will worry later.
Lieutenant Gruber’s Little Tank
For some time we own a minivan and we have named it Lieutenant Gruber’s Little Tank. First of all Karolina and I like the ‘Allo Allo’ series and secondly, he pretty much looks like a little tank! Shortly we will start a proper micro campervan project and try some sort of #vanlife. Most likely as a weekend warrior but who knows what will happen in the future.
The base for our micro campervan is Citroen Berlingo Desire with a 1.6 petrol engine generating an outstanding 110 horsepower! Most of the horses are already dead, I presume but still drives well.
A full review of the build will be available in some time on the Adventure Clinic Travel Blog. Details on how to buy a minivan, what to avoid and how to convert a van to a micro campervan on a budget.
The first-night wild camping in the campervan
The first night of the adventure weekend wild camping was supposed to be in a not-yet-ready campervan. The drive took over six hours. On the way, I picked up my friend and we headed out towards Dartmoor National Park. Because of a few minor technical issues with the car we have arrived after 2am.
Driving through the middle of Dartmoor National Park at night is an exciting experience. Sheeps sleeping randomly in the middle of the road. Foxes running from one side to another. I had to keep my eyes wide open.
The first night in the micro campervan has been planned at a spot close to the Burrator Reservoir. I was content to find out that we were alone. No other cars, no tents, not a single person. Perfect.
Leszek slept really well and I could use a bit more space. Overall it was not bad. Thanks to blinds I have made out of reflectix insulation and blackout material cars were parking right next to us and nobody realized that we were sleeping inside. Stealth micro camping test passed.
Exploring the spectacular surroundings of Burrator Reservoir and Sheeps Tor
After a quick and hearty breakfast, we have decided to start exploring the spectacular surroundings of Burrator Reservoir. We took a public path and spend a lovely, sunny Saturday morning hiking around the lake. Waterfalls, an impressive dam and a visitor’s centre were the highlights of the morning walk. I nearly forgot about surrounding tors. Our aim for the afternoon was Sheeps Tor.
Sheeps Tor was the biggest one we could see around us and also seemed to be the closest one. I have learned from the previous hikes in Dartmoor, that I should expect the unexpected. Tricky ground, weather change, heavy rain etc. I have allowed for up to three hours to get there, walking through the wild forests and moors.
I was far from the truth and Leszek was right. It took us maybe an hour to reach the staggering summit of Sheeps Tor at 369m. That’s the high altitude climb! The views were really beautiful. We could even see the sea on the horizon. Burrator Reservoir was beneath us and I was looking for a spot to pitch my small one-man tent. Being invisible was important in order to have an uninterrupted stay.
Picturesque sunset and wild camping at Sheeps Tor, Burrator Reservoir
Before we pitched our tents we waited until 5pm so we will not bother other people. Picturesque sunset during wild camping at Sheeps Tor was forecasted at 6.15pm, hence we got our nibbles out, wine and beer to chill out hiding behind the rocks. The north wind was picking up and feel like the temperature at the tor must have been around zero. A proper wild camping weekend in Dartmoor.
I have put all my technical clothing on, creating three layers, and I was comfortable. Wine could be a bit warmer, but I have managed to drink it anyway.
Sunset at Sheeps Tor wild camping was spectacular. Reds, oranges, yellows and blues were creating a fabulous picture. Sun was setting slowly which gave me an opportunity to take pictures and relax. As soon as the sun hid behind the horizon temperature dropped significantly and I had to find a cover on lower ground to avoid the ice-cold northern wind.
Stargazing and Cha Cha drinking at Sheeps Tor Wild Camping night.
My friend had an app showing the stars and constellations, so we spent some time star gazing and sipping cha. Over 60% of alcohol kept me warm. Plymouth was already illuminated and the sky was full of stars.
We made ourselves a cup of tea and headed to our tents for a good night’s sleep. I cooked some pasta with cheese, bacon and broccoli sauce, accompanied by a flask filled with cha cha, homemade Georgian grape alcohol. It gave me much needed morale boost, as the night seemed to become colder than expected. Much colder. As usual biodegradable wet wipes came in handy to clean hands after dinner. Remember – leave no trace!
The wind picked up at night and I had to get out to check if pegs are still in place. Luckily it was not as bad as I was expecting. I have slept really well until 9.30am. We have packed our tents and all the bits and pieces laying around. Final check if we have not left anything behind and we were good to go back to the micro campervan after a weekend of wild camping. Remember, leave no trace!
Hike back to the car came with a surprise
Hike back to the car took longer than I planned, which came as a surprise, as I have insisted on a different route than we took to get here the day before. It was a crisp morning with the sun shining above my head.
Those are the moments when you realize how lucky you are, that you are able to take advantage of a random adventure weekend. Simply head out to the unknown and explore leaving all your problems and daily routine behind. Switch off a mobile device, there is no signal anyway and enjoy the moment.
This is the best mental health therapy you can possibly have. And it is free!
Around an hour and a half later we saw Lieutenant Gruber’s Little Tank/ the car/ micro campervan and it was time for freshly brewed coffee, a quick breakfast and a 5-hour drive back home.