This was day 2 of Storm Dennis, I was eagerly keeping an eye on the weather reports, which mostly said that the rain would stop about 2pm and the wind would be reasonable by midday. I don’t mind a wet start to a walk as long as I finish in the dry with time to dry off most things before the end. I’d timed it pretty well by starting the walk at 1pm, however to get there I’d run the gauntlet. Rule number one of driving through puddles, is know how deep they are and don’t drive through them if in doubt. Well I was heading up the A382 following a 4×4, just after Wray Barton, at the section where the old railway line crosses the road twice, when I hit water. The 4×4 in front carried on and I hesitated, they went for it. It was deep, maybe 50cm, a car coming the other way had broken down and I looked beyond it to see about another 200 metres of deep water. I weaved and kept my speed constant, found higher parts of the road and got lucky. Very, very lucky. I pulled up at Blackingstone Rock with my heart still pumping in my mouth. I was glad to get walking and along the long steady road to Heltor Rock. Needless to say I went home along a higher road past the 3 reservoirs and down to Slade Cross! This is a good walk, not too far, mostly on quiet lanes with a short section over a lower part of Mardon Down. you could easily stay higher on Mardon Down if you wanted to make the walk a little longer. The rocks and tors along the lower part of Mardon Down are decent, with some good views to the higher points of Haytor and Hound Tor in Dartmoor proper. It was lovely to finish in some sunshine as well as we’ve had enough of these storms now.