The anticipated barbed wire fence and minefields at the entrance to the Lustleigh railway track did not, in fact, materialise. Instead we were greeted with a pleasantly gentle slope, completely free of obstructions. When the new road is completed the area will be far from peaceful, but at least some consideration has been given to the walkers and cyclists who like to enjoy the path.

The great adventure began shortly after departure from the Primrose cafe (it was a wonder that Budgie and Gary managed to climb the first hill after their tea-drinking competition). Firstly, however, Brett had to draw attention to himself by braking one of his brazed-on gear lever bosses, rendering his rear derailleur useless. He spent the rest of the day grumbling about the hills!

We took one of the footpaths that cross Lustleigh Cleave, discovering (when it was too late) that the area was overgrown with ferns and other tropical vegetation. The trek to the Nutcracker Stone would have involved leaving what there was of a path, so we decided to continue down the steep slopes to the river Bovey, gurgling noisily through the woods (the river that is).

An interesting footbridge, consisting of a slab of wood with a rail on one side, provided a useful crossing point when lunch and water fights had been completed to everyone's satisfaction. Then began the arduous ascent through Houndtor Wood to Becky Falls. Philip had a few problems with the gradient, as his shoes had very little tread on them - he seemed to slide back one step for every two steps he took forwards!

The final descent to the falls took us along forestry tracks and was particularly enjoyable. There was time for light refreshments at the cafe before continuing along a 'new' road from Manaton to Hound Tor: it was a bit narrow in places, so we had to go back when we met a large van. A very hot climb to the rocks themselves meant that another ice-cream stop was called for, but eventually we set off again for the return route via Cold East Cross.