Category: Hiking

Hiking

Following the Nidd Valley Railway

I had the idea for this walk when I was studying a map of Nidderdale, trying to work out an interesting walk that both went somewhere I had not been before and which might be suitable for a day with a weather forecast of constant rain. I noticed a footpath running along a section of the embankment of the disused Nidd Valley Railway, and wondered if it would be possible to do a walk that followed as much of this old railway line as was possible.

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Hiking

Along and Around Whernside – Part One

On the first day of a two-day walk in the Yorkshire Dales, I walked from Ribblehead to the summit of Whernside and then down the length of Whernside’s superlative SW ridge.

I was studying a map of the Yorkshire Dales a couple of years ago, looking for ideas for walks, when the SW ridge of Whernside caught my eye. This rounded ridge gradually descends from the summit of Whernside all the way to the outskirts of the village of Ingleton. It runs along one side of a small dale opposite the imposing mass of Ingleborough. When I did the Yorkshire Three Peaks many years ago, I had walked the start of this ridge before dropping off it after about a kilometre to descend to Chapel-le-Dale. If I had carried on going, I would have had miles of gentle walking over the moors and through the karst landscape of the Dales, all the while with sweeping views across the dales. I found the idea of walking along this ridge compelling, but I put this idea to one side because the most obvious ways to do it were either a long loop walk, or a linear walk with a car at each end, and these were not appealing. Last year, another way to walk the length of the SW ridge of Whernside occurred to me. 

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Hiking

Along the Wharfe and Over Hare Head

This was a great circular walk that took me from Bolton Abbey, past the ruins of Bolton Priory, along the River Wharfe, by the raging Strid, and up to Hare Head on Barden Moor. While the cold, grey, rainy weather did literally dampen my day, it didn’t stop me enjoying some of the best sights in the Yorkshire Dales. If I ever get around to writing my guidebook of walks to do in poor weather, then this walk will certainly be included. Continue reading Along the Wharfe and Over Hare Head

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Trollers Gill
Hiking

To Simon’s Seat and Through Trollers Gill

Simon’s Seat is a large outcrop of millstone grit in a commanding position on the edge of Barden Fell. I’d been to Simon’s Seat a couple of times before and was mulling over walking up it again. It occurred to me that I’d never approached Simon’s Seat from the north via the pretty hamlet of Skyreholme. As I looked over my map, I realised that if I walked up Barden Fell from that direction, then I could extend my walk into a loop so that it also took in Trollers Gill. This is a fantastic limestone gorge and one of my favourite places in the Yorkshire Dales. I was excited about trying this walk out and, although the weather was not the best when I came to do this walk, it was still a good day in great scenery. Continue reading To Simon’s Seat and Through Trollers Gill

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Hiking

My Two-Day Walk from Settle to Grassington – Part Two

I’d enjoyed my wild camp near Malham. It had been in a fantastic setting and had gone well. I’d pitched my little tent and had my dinner in golden sunshine, under a blue sky. My mood wasn’t dampened by the clouds that formed as the sun began to set, nor by the wind growing stronger and colder. I simply accepted that I wouldn’t be doing any stargazing that evening, and went to bed early. Yet in the early hours of the next day, I woke up to find my tent full of silver light. I peeked out to see a full moon shining through in an opening in fast-moving black clouds. When the moon sank out of sight, I zipped my tent up against a raw wind and huddled back in my sleeping bag. A few hours later, I opened the tent again to find a low, slate-grey sky and a dank, sharp wind. This day was going to be different from the sunshine, crags and valleys of the first day of this walk. 

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Hiking

My Two-Day Walk from Settle to Grassington – Part One

My plan was to walk across the south of the Yorkshire Dales National Park from Settle to Grassington. I’d get the train to Settle, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. I would then follow the Dales High Way past limestone scars, along a secluded valley, up onto Kirkby Fell, and then through Malham’s karst landscape. A wild camp near Malham would break up my journey and allow me to have a night under the stars. The next day I’d follow the old Roman and mediaeval road of Mastiles Lane eastwards over the moors. I’d then leave Mastiles Lane to head down to Grassington and a bus towards home. I was excited by the prospect of walking this linear route across the Dales, and the first day of this trip proved to be one of my best ever days in the hills. Continue reading My Two-Day Walk from Settle to Grassington – Part One

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Hiking

A Two-Day Walk from the Settle-Carlisle Railway – Part Two

I didn’t get any sleep. Strong winds had pummelled my little tent all night while rain had beaten down on it. The noise and the violent movement of the tent walls were too much, and sleep didn’t come. By about 5am, I was wondering if I might as well get up. After about another half an hour of procrastinating about getting out of my warm sleeping bag, I managed to motivate myself to start getting ready for the second day of my walk. Apart from a navigation mistake, the first day had been enjoyable. Despite my lack of sleep and the longer distance I would have to go, I was optimistic about this second day of walking. Unfortunately, this would turn out not to be the best start to a day of walking and this morning involved the main challenges of my two-day trip. Continue reading A Two-Day Walk from the Settle-Carlisle Railway – Part Two

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Hiking

A Two-Day Walk from the Settle-Carlisle Railway – Part One

My idea was to base a two-day walk around the Settle-Carlisle Railway that runs through the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines. This is one of the most famous and scenic rail routes in the UK, and I’d been wanting to take a journey on it for some time. By taking a train to one of the stations on the Settle-Carlisle line, I could get into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales without needing a car. I could then walk into the Dales for an overnight camp in an attractive, remote spot, with the possibility of some great stargazing. The next day I’d walk to another station on the Settle-Carlisle line to catch a train towards home. After some research, I decided that I would head to Ribblehead station in Ribblesdale and then walk over the moor to Nethergill Farm campsite in Langstrothdale. The following day I’d carry on down Langstrothdale as far as the hamlet of Beckermonds, where I’d turn west to traverse the Greenfield valley, go over Birkwith Moor, and then along the Pennine Way to Horton-in-Ribblesdale station. It seemed like a good plan, but, as can happen, things did not go entirely as I had hoped.

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Hiking

The Spectacular North-East Ridge of Y Garn

I sated some of my mountain lust during the third pandemic lockdown by studying the recently published guidebook Snowdonia: Mountain Walks and Scrambles, which I had been given for Christmas. I looked longingly at the many colour photos of Welsh mountains and the routes up them that it describes. The guidebook gave me a chance to remember fondly days I’d spent in those mountains, and to dream of walks that I had not yet done. One route caught my attention and imagination more than the others – the North-East Ridge of Y Garn. The guidebook gave it three stars (out of three) and described it as “One of the finest walking ridges in Snowdonia.” This route somehow had passed me by even though I had literally passed by this ridge many times. I wrote the name and page number of the entry for this route on a scrap of paper, along with the details of the other routes that interested me. I then put this note between the pages of the guidebook for use when a global pandemic wasn’t preventing me from getting to the mountains. Continue reading The Spectacular North-East Ridge of Y Garn

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Hiking

Not Quite A Walk Around Scar House and Angram Reservoirs

I felt a bit despondent as I read the sign saying that one of the bridges at the top end of Angram Reservoir was closed. No reason was given, but the reason didn’t really matter. If I couldn’t get over the River Nidd where it flowed into the reservoir, then I was not going to be able to complete my planned walk around Scar House and Angram Reservoirs. I thought about heading somewhere else, but decided that I would head out as I had intended, see what I found, and change my plan if I needed to. I was keen to do this walk, and the reasons I was keen didn’t change simply because a bridge was shut. Continue reading Not Quite A Walk Around Scar House and Angram Reservoirs

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Hiking

A Walk Through the Mining History of Nidderdale

This was a short walk through the rich geological landscape and mining heritage in the Greenhow area of Nidderdale which took in the modern Coldstones Quarry and the extensive remains of abandoned lead mines. It also involved visits to a giant work of art, a huge lime kiln, and a couple of Robert Thompson’s mice. This was a lovely walk, that was full of interesting sights, but which came with a worrying encounter. Continue reading A Walk Through the Mining History of Nidderdale

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Hiking

Linking Together Some of the Best of Wharfedale

A few weeks ago, I was puzzling over where to go for a walk. I wanted to do something new, but I’d ruled out doing several of the routes on my “to do” list of hikes in the Yorkshire Dales because I wanted to do them when the conditions were better. After looking over my maps for a while trying to decide which walk I might repeat, I realised that the most interesting option would be to bring together in one hike the highlights of a few different walks. It would be like doing a dot-to-dot puzzle of great limestone features in Wharfedale. This I could do by walking a loop that started and ended in the town of Grassington, and which took in a waterfall, a strid, a gorge, and plenty of limestone pavement. Continue reading Linking Together Some of the Best of Wharfedale

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