Pen-y-ghent (694m) & Plover Hill (680m)

Pen-y-ghent (694m) & Plover Hill (680m)

Trig Points: Pen-y-ghent - SD 838 734; Plover Hill - SD 849 752
Walked: 17th December 2010
Distance: 14.5 km (9 miles)
Time taken: 5 hours
Start/Finish: Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales
Weather: Very cold (-7 degrees on summit), clear, bright with hazy winter sunshine, excellent visibility, patches of snow on the ground and extensive ice cover.
Height gain: 520 metres
Summit Cairns: 694 & 680 metres
Map: OL2

Route: From the car park at Horton-in Ribblesdale, I followed the road to Horton Church, then took the lane passing the school heading out of Horton to reach Brackenbottom Farm. I then followed the obvious, well-worn path up onto Pen-y-ghent via its steep southern ridge, which was extremely icy and required use of an ice axe. From the summit, I followed the wall northwards across the broad ridge towards Plover Hill, losing 70 metres of height, before gently rising up onto the rounded fell of Plover Hill; the highest point is marked by a small cairn of stones, although there is no obvious high-point on this moorland fell-top. Just beyond this small cairn is a superb view down into Littondale. NB: there is no way of crossing the walls safely to reach this cairn - when I walked this route I could simply step across the walls due to the high snow drifts! From the top of Plover Hill, I followed the public footpath down to join Foxup Road, with a short but very steep (and icy) stone-pitched path down a near-vertical escarpment - easy in normal 'summer' conditions, but treacherous in winter! I then followed Foxup Road (rough track) all the way back to Horton, passing Hull Pot along the way, with its frozen waterfall. OL2 map and compass required for this walk. Public footpaths and bridleways all the way.

Photos of the walk
These photos are in order, and the files are named. Copyright Mark Reid 2010

Yockenthwaite Moor (643m)

Yockenthwaite Moor (643m)

Trig Point: SD 909 811
Walked: 17th November 2010
Distance: 12 km (7.5 miles)
Time taken: 5 hours
Start/Finish: White Lion Inn, Cray, Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales
Weather: Cold, overcast with outbreaks of rain, strong winds and thick mist on the summit. Sleet and snow showers above 500 metres. Poor visibility in the mist.
Height gain: 320 metres
Summit Cairn: 643 metres
Map: OL30

Route: From the White Lion at Cray, we followed the footpath west to reach the FB across Crook Gill, then followed Crook Gill (and a stone wall/fence) northwards up through this steep-sided valley, passing several attractive waterfalls. At the head of this stream, we continued up alongside the wall to reach the dried-up Cray Tarn (boggy/marshy) from where it was a short walk across peat hags to the fence along the top of the broad moorland ridge (Cray Moss). We then turned west and followed this fence-line across path hags, moorland and bog for almost 2-km to reach the Trig Point (no views thanks to the thick mist). From the Trig Point we took a bearing of 154 degrees (south-east) to hit the wall just above a stream junction in the upper reaches of Strans Gill, which we then followed down to a gate through this wall/fence near Knott Barn (SD 916 792). After crossing Strans Gill, we headed east then south-east to pick up the footpath just above Scar House. We followed this path back to Cray. OL30 map and compass required for this walk. No dogs allowed on this moorland.

Photos of the walk
These photos are in order, and the files are named. Copyright Mark Reid 2010

Great Whernside (704m)

Great Whernside (704m)

Trig Point: SE 002 739
Start / Finish: Kettlewell, Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales
Walked: 17th October 2010
Distance: 12.25 km (7.5 miles)
Time taken: 5.5 hours
Weather: Sunny at first, clouded over, very cold on summit (0 degrees C). Reasonable visibility.
Height gain: 530 metres
Summit Cairn: 704 metres
Map: OL30

Route: From Kettlewell, followed track out of the village from beside the Kings Head then, at the campsite, took the footpath up alongside Dowber Gill Beck to Hag Dyke. A clear but rocky and boggy path then leads steeply up onto the rocky summit plateau. From the summit, I headed north along the summit ridge to the wall corner at Nidd Heads, then turned steeply down to join the Coverdale Road at Hunters Sleets. I then followed Starbotton Road (path) then Top Mere Road (track) back to Kettlewell. Rights of Way all of the way. OL30 map required for this walk. I walked this route with six people from Darlington who were taking part in a NNAS Bronze level Navigation Skills course.

Photos of the walk
These photos are in order, and the files are named. Copyright Mark Reid 2010

Great Shunner Fell (716m)

Trig Point: SD 848 973
Walked: 26th July 2010
Distance: 17.5 km (11 miles)
Start / finish: Hardraw, Wensleydale, Yorkshire Dales
Time taken: 6 hours
Weather: Cool, breezy, cloudy but good visibility.
Height gain: 490 metres
Summit Cairn: 716 metres
Map: OL30

Route: From Hardraw, I followed the Pennine Way all the way to the summit of Great Shunner Fell. This is a clear track from Hardraw to Hearne Top and then a grassy path with long stretches of flagged path all the way to the summit. The climb is relatively easy with only a few quite steep sections and long flat sections in between. From the summit, I then followed the fence SE to the fence corner at SD 853 969 where I turned S via Stony Edge, some small tarns to reach the new stony shooters track at Pickersett Edge (Beacon). From the foot of the escarpment of Pickersett Edge (after only a short walk along this track) I turned W alongside a line of wooden grouse butts before dropping quite steeply down into the valley of Hearne Beck (remote valley) to join a fence just above the stream. I followed this fence/stream for a short distance to reach a gate in a small section of wall. After the gate, I forded the stream to join an indistinct narrow path on the other side (marked by wooden posts) - this is the Hearne Coal Road, which is nothing like a road! This narrow, boggy path then leads down through this valley for about 1.5 miles before it gradually widened to become a track that continued to join the Pennine Way track at Bluebell Hill. I then re-traced my steps down into Hardraw. Open Access Land from the summit of Great Shunner Fell to the Hearne Coal Road. No dogs allowed on this section, which will also test your navigation skills!OL30 map required for this walk.

Photos of the walk
These photos are in order, and the files are named. Copyright Mark Reid 2010