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ingleborough-from-the-lower-track

In my eyes Ingleborough is the best and most interesting of the 3 Peaks with a good variety of ways to the top, fabulous limestone scenery and views across in to the Lake District as well as the Dales themselves. Climbing Ingleborough from Ingleton is also a verty straightforward and safe way to the summit, it is almost impossible to get lost and only in the final 100 foot steep enough to cause any concern – of course the summit area is vast and a bit of accurate compass work may be needed to find a descent in the mist. However those who go up and then retrace their steps back to Ingleton miss the great appeal of this mountain and therefore I would suggest carrying on North West over the summit area and dropping North East in to the wonderful limestone pavements of Raven Scar. Here I stick to the pavements and take a return route a few hundred feet above the road and between the two main scars, the only disadvantage being that it soon becomes a very gradual ascent!

Recommend: It is perfectly possible to start the walk in the centre of Ingleton but if you have transport save yourself a mile each way.

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typical-howgill-walking

To the south of the A685 as it marches its way from the M6 towards Kirkby Stephen and Brough there is a vast area of high, largely trackless hills that go under the collective name of the Northern Howgills. Keep to the tracks on the high moorlands and the walking is superb, leave them and it becomes more of a struggle, positively an ordeal at times. Therefore the walk I have chosen sticks to the paths and bridleways and leads to the highest point in the area Yarlside at 2096′. This is a walk where meeting another person is unlikely but the solitude and easy walking, coupled with bird noise and far reaching views makes this a highly enjoyable experience. Ravenstone is good place to start with the track gradually climbing on to the high plateau just beyond Green Bell and following a winding course to the Marilyn of Yarlside. The return can be varied by taking the more northerly route towards Newbiggen on Lune; cutting across the fields to Ravenstonedale before it is actually reached.

Recommend: It is worth going all the way to Yarlside because the views over to the Calf and the Sedbergh Howgills are very good

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summit-baugh-fell

I have attempted to climb Baugh Fell from 3 different directions; I failed to gain the summit on the direct approach from Sedbergh and found the quick up and down from Dent a little monotonous so the other day I took some outside advice and started a long day from Rowleth Bridge. The thing is Baugh Fell is a massif expanse of upland with no obvious routes of ascent; as a result it is only visited by the lonely fanatic and sadistic instructors on D of E training. A little harsh as the route from Rawthey Bridge has some interest once the farms have been left behind, mainly in the form of the attractive beck which is followed until it splits in to a V on the 450 meter contour. The summit area is vast but the views particularly over the Howgills and generally to the west are outstanding. Once I passed the lonely (but well constructed) shelter on the edge of the plateau I thoroughly enjoyed striding over the plateau and the long but easy descent back to the car. I have certainly revised my previous view of Baugh Fell

Recommend: If the cloud is down a compass is essential on the summit plateau.

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looking-east-over-addleborough

Walks from Hawes have a tendency to be short but heading south up the Pennine Way and over Dodd Fell Hill to Wether Fell defies this image. The circuit round the head of Sleddale may be long, but aside from tackling the peat hags near the watershed some excellent paths make it relatively quick to travel on. I headed up the Pennine Way (my natural instinct is always to go anti clockwise – someone told me it was because I am right footed) towards Dodd Fell Hill with the only decision to be made being when to leave the fast bridleway and venture on to this largely unvisited hill top (668ms). The OS pillar appears to have been planted on the driest rather than highest spot! South and then east crosses the peat in its least offensive state and joins a farm track quicker than I anticipated. The second summit of the day is Wether Fell which is much more interesting but the summit is trackless with only, the soon to be shot at, pheasants for company! The views back down to Hawes and east along Wensleydale are superb and complete an excellent day on the high, less well known hills of the Yorkshire Dales.

Recommend: Waiting as long as possible before leaving the Pennine Way and heading for the summit of Dodd Fell Hill – particularly if the ground is wet.

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crag-hill

I had popped up Great Coum a few years ago from Dent but I really wanted to tackle the full 4 mile ridge from Gragareth via Great Coum to the viewpoint at Crag Hill. I have always enjoyed this high ridge walking with the ridge certainly long although the area around Great Coum is more reminiscent of the Pennines further north than the Lakes to the west. I started the walk from the pretty village of Ireby cutting across to Leck Fell House and gaining the ridge near the Three Men of Gragareth. However the walk is only half over when the high land is left at the excellent viewpoint of Crag Hill with one of the hidden gems of the Dales (Cumbrian Dales?) still to come. The Leck valley is delightful with deep shake holes peppering the limestone at its upper end and very pretty on its lower slopes as it winds through some deep gorges hewn from the rock. This is a long walk and the time it takes should not be underestimated but it is the fine day out and a great way to appreciate this rarely visited area.

Recommend: This is a long walk – do not underestimate how long it will take. It took me over 5 hours with no stops.

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approaching-addleborough

There are not many obvious summits in the Yorkshire Dales but Addleborough certainly is – seen from afar the long flat summit has the look of an Ingleborough or with some more imagination Table Mountain!. Tackling Addleborough is straightforward with a few permissive paths laid out in an obvious circuit from the attractive hamlet of Thornton Rust. Being mainly on National Trust land the route is clearly, some may say strictly, signposted with the path to the top bearing west off the bridleway leading over to Semer Water. On the large summit plateau there are a number of seemingly random dry stone walls and neat cairns, one depicting the highest spot which is to the north west and with commanding views up Wensleydale. It is a good place to linger, or it would be if it was not blowing a gale as it was when I was there, full of interest with some bronze age markings on the stones near the highest point. There are various paths leading towards Culbeck from the summit, the one I took bypassed the farm and was probably the quickest route back to Thornton Rust via the minor road on Thornton Scar.

Recommend: Try the walk round Semer Water for the best long distant perspective of Addleborough.

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dentdale-from-whernside

An unusual but much more interesting route up Whernside than the traditional route from Ribblehead. For a start the village of Dent is a lovely place to begin and end the walk; the cobbled streets and old pubs makes this one of the best villages in the Dales. The route up is quieter and along more ‘natural’ terrain, which can be wet but avoids the paved concourse that forms much of the route up from Ribblehead. Dentdale is the lost valley of the Dales, less famous than its neighbours but significantly quieter and more traditional. As a result some of the road walking is really no concern with any traffic at a premium and the views excellent. Whernside itself (at 2,370′) is the highest point of the Yorkshire Dales and has the appearance of a whale’s back; the walking on the ridge therefore being very good and also totally safe as the hill is almost devoid of any rock faces. From the road in Deepdale there is a choice to be made; the path leading along the valley floor is more interesting than following the road but can be wet and at times rather loses its way whilst Occupation Way to the west crosses the flanks of Great Coum and leads directly in to Dent. All rather weather and fitness dependant but the road is quiet and certainly the easiest.

Recommend: For a quicker visit to the summit park further up the valley on Dyke Hall Lane and return via the lower valley path.

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hag-dyke

Great Whernside and its neighbour Buckden Pike are , in my humble opinion and along with Ingleborough, are the two best mountains to climb in the Yorkshire Dales. There is nothing particularly craggy or dramatic about them but they are superb walking mountains best appreciated by taking in as much of the main ridges as possible. In the case of Great Whernside I enhanced the pleasure by crossing the road which leads to Coverdale and only descended back to Kettlewell when I reached the Top Mere bridleway. The views from the road, which is actually a track,  reveal much of the secrets of Upper Wharfedale and its network of fields and side valleys. There is a direct descent to Kettlewell from the summit of Great Whernside but this misses so much of the pleasure on the walk. The long ridge is on lovely grassy paths, as is the first 1/2 of the ascent which helps make the walk so good.

Recommend: Combine Great Whernside and Buckden Pike for a magnificent traverse with views of all that is good about the Yorkshire Dales

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pen-y-ghent-from-church-at-horton

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks is an extremely popular walk, deservedly becoming iconic for the ever increasing number of walkers who want to achieve something special. It is not necessarily the best way to appreciate the individual peaks but that is not why people choose to complete it. I have done it once, a couple of years back with Bracken (who was 11 at the time and just starting to slow down) and enjoyed the satisfaction of completion probably more than the 9 hours it took to get round. The exception is the last 1 and a half hours off Ingleborough to Horton which is an absolute pleasure regardless of the fact that it is the end of the walk. The climbs of Pen y Ghent and Whernside are the traditional routes and are probably the best where as the climb up Ingleborough is a bit of a haul and many suffer badly at this point. The long crossing from Pen y Ghent to Ribblehead can be gruelling, particularly in the wet but aside from this 5 mile section the walk is straightforward on good paths which are easy to follow

Recommend: There are much more details on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks by clicking here

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parlick

The mile between the western summit of Fair Snape Fell and Parlick is the best mile of walking in the Forest of Bowland. The track is excellent, the views south and west far reaching and when I was up there last week the hang gliders and traditional gliders were decorating the skies with their bright colours. Sadly I saw little wildlife, which is unusual as this is a relatively new and large area of Open Access land which should be encouraging more native species of bird and beast. The challenge on this walk though is how to showcase this special mile but enjoy the remainder without it seeming too much like a secondary act. The first time I visited Fair Snape Fell I simply climbed Parlick, walked up and back but I felt I wasmissing something. This time I included the round of Saddle Fell, the well named Wolf Fell before reaching the ‘real’ summit of Fair Snape Fell. The climb up Saddle Fell is on an excellent bridleway whilst the crossing to Fair Snape is rather a peat hopping challenge which adds sufficient interest to the walk; however it is still an aperitif to the main course which is truly something to savour,

Recommend: Visit the large cairn and O/S pillar which is marked Fair Snape Fell to the west of the plateau but it is not the highest point. This lies 1/2 a mile to the north east.

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