Yorkshire Dales - 14th-21st September 2013
Setting off on a fine Saturday morning we travelled from Cleethorpes across on the M180,M18, M62 to meet the A1 at Ferrybridge and then headed West off the A1 through Otley to Skipton. A Fish and chip lunch in Skipton, a look round the busy market, shops, and a call at Sues favourite craft shop at Embsay and we left mid-afternoon for our cottage in High Bentham.
High Bentham is a small market town at the Western fringe of the Yorkshire Dales, south of Ingleton, and actually just within the boundary of the Forest of Bowland rather than the Dales national park.
Our cottage for the week, was a couple of miles outside the town along a fairly narrow track heading across the moorland, then a right along an even bumpier track. A large house, with driveway could be seen through a clsoed gate, and only by stopping and checking did we finally see our cottage adjacent to the house driveway and through a closed wooden gate.
Parking up, and unpacking we explored our new surroundings and were impressed with the size of the living space.
The late afternoon was very pleasant and a hot air balloon was spotted descending nearby. some lucky people enjoying their "flight". Brought back some recent memories of our hot air balloon adventure earlier this year in the Lakes.
The gate we would soon be very familair with open and closing leading to the driveway.
We very soon settled in, and checked the weather forecast... IT WAS NOT GOOD!!!
The Sunday was spent confined to barracks due to 50mph gales giving the area and our cottage a good battering with lashings of heavy rain. Decision was to stay indoors and catch up on some good books! Luckily we had plenty of provisions too!
The forecast for the next few days was pretty bad, and considering the good Summer, dissapointing. Ah well.
In fact the whole week was pretty much a wrirte off as far as any comfortable walking was concerned. Plenty of lashing wind and rain for most days.
We mainly spent the week flitting between various towns in the area and exploring the area by motor vehicle! One day we even visited as far afield as Carlisle.
The weather did finally break a little on the Friday (the day before coming home)
Our objective, ideally, would have been to walk all the 3 Yorkshire Peaks (Ingleborough, Wherside & Pen-Y-Ghent) but in a more leisurely fashion one at a time. Even this we did not manage due to the weather, and had to satisfy ourselves with just the one - Ingleborough.
Friday 20th September
Ingleborough from Clapham (11.5 Miles) 7 Hrs
So we drove the short distance (about 7 miles) to the village of Clapham and the main pay and display car park (£4 all day). The weather was not that good (a little damp, fine, intermittent drizzly rain).
Setting off through the village and across the beck at 09:30, we followed thid for a short while stopping to check out a small waterfall just as we headed out of the village.
Good paths/tracks led out to more open countryside, and the weather here a little better.
We passed Ingleborough Cave, and after a couple of miles entered Trow Gill.
Trow Gill was quite impressive as the narrowing limestone rockface narrowed into a V, and an easy short scramble over rocky ascending terrain the the end of the V.
This led out onto more open moor land, and the approach to Little Ingleborough passing nearby Gaping gill.
We diverted a few hundered yards to look down into Gaping Gill (largest cavern in Britain appararently). Though none of this was obvious just looking down from above ground.
It was damp and not that warm, so we pressed on along a stepping stone like path that started to ascend towards Little Ingelborough.
Following this in the mist as we climbed higher, it did all look a bit miserable.
Still we trudged onward, passing Little Ingleborough and then a push to the top of Ingleborough itself.
A short stop at the summit cairn (2300ft), there were some clearer views at times as the mist had cleared in some directions.
It was all a bit cold and windy though, and after taking photos, gloves went back on, and we ate our sandwiches at the stone shelter with a few other walkers, before heading off down the other side.
Coming back down the other side, the views were clearer and we enjoyed a good view of Ribblehead railway viaduct in the distance.
After descending down intemittently rocky paths we reached the limestone landscaping of Sulber Scars, leading out eventually onto easier grassier terrain.
At this point we were glad of the respite from the rocky terrain, and grassier, easier going for the 3.5 miles back to Clapham.
We arrived back at the car park at 16:30, the end of a bit of a damp squib of a walk.
Pleased to have completed Ingleborough, and pleased to have finished we drove back to the cottage for a warm and well earned bath and hot food.
No doubt this walk would have been better enjoyed with more favourable weather and less mist in the earlier part and ascent.
There were many points of interest along the way, and interesting landscapes.
Our Walk Score: 7/10
The weather was even less favourable again on the Saturday so we headed off back home early, but we are determined to return sometime to explore the other Yorkshire Peaks and more.
