I recently spent a pleasant half day walking and exploring the rarely visited western flanks of Whernside. I was only able to complete this lovely walk because in Britain we have a Right to Roam in our country’s designated Access Land. Heading up from the col between Kingsdale and Deepdale to the summit, I then…

The Yorkshire Dales has a rich and wonderful history. Complete these 10 walks and educate yourself on the history and ever changing nature of the area. Getting on the ground will give you a much better idea of what makes the Dales special than any TV show or tik tok video. Enjoy these Walks through…

Visiting the Lake District for many is all about big days on the fells. The area is fortunately blessed with some wonderful and world famous circuits. All the hikes offer long and satisfying days on the high mountains. These are my favourite 10, in no particular order. 1. Pillar and the Mosedale Horseshoe 8.5 miles,…

The Peak District is an area of outstanding beauty with some excellent walking. However what is not common knowledge is that there are also many hills that are worth climbing. In fact across the entire Peak District there are 75 of them (the Peak 75), a surprise to many, even those who know the area…

I received a letter the other day complaining about the difficulty of a climb up Blencathra. He said it was too dangerous and finished his letter with the phrase “the Outdoors is not a Playground, it is a dangerous place”. I nearly fell off my bar stool. Of course it is a play ground. I…

Old fashioned, out of touch and technically incompetent are some of the phrases I have heard about those who use paper maps. Nonsense. There are many, very, good reasons to use a paper map, both practical and pleasurable which increase the enjoyment of any walk. They just need to be used a little differently. In…

Having walked Britain as much as most I can safely say the Dales are completely unique. No visit to another area of England, Wales and Scotland can compare to a visit (or living in) the area. It is partly the physical landscape. However there is also a sense of nostalgia and open space not found…

Close to 100,000 people hike the Yorkshire 3 Peaks each year. It is immensely popular, maybe the most popular challenge walk in Britain. The satisfaction of completing the full circuit is immense and for anyone living nearby it is surely a rite of passage. However the Yorkshire 3 Peaks is just one of a number…

With very few lakes or mountain tarns in the area, the rivers of the Yorkshire Dales provides the watery backdrop which is often so important to a good walk. Each of the main dales in the Yorkshire Dales has its own river. More often than not the dale is named after the river. The rivers…

For many years myself and JP had discussed climbing Tower Ridge on the north face of Ben Nevis. Rightly deemed a classic it fell between proper rock climbing and a good hard scramble (or so we were told) and therefore we were capable of doing it. We were joined by JP’s wife Ella and Barry,…

Heading up Catbells, Helvellyn, Snowdon or any one of the 3 Peaks in Yorkshire this summer will likely be very busy, too busy for me. There are so many hidden gems there is no need to follow the crowds. I have listed my own favourite 10 below where you are unlikely to see more than…

Half decent weather over the Easter weekend enticed people outdoors in their droves. Many headed for Malham in the Yorkshire Dales. The result was chaos, people queuing on the approach roads, dodging fellow walkers on the walk to Malham Cove, unable to get in to the pubs and cafe and returning home thoroughly fed up.…