Andy's EPIC Hikes in Europe 3 Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales
3 Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales
Buckden Pike 711 m Ingleborough 725 m Pen-y-ghent 697 m
The Yorkshire Dales (dale meaning valley) are often overlooked by international visitors in favour of the Lake District just across the other side of the M6 motorway. But not so by knowledgeable Brits. The villages with their pretty stone houses, the deep and isolated valleys, and the bleak and atmospheric hillsides attract close to 4 million visitors a year. You might want to marvel at the beautiful, cascading Aysgarth Falls, location for Kevin Costner’s 1991 hit movie Prince of Thieves (the one with the ubiquitous theme tune by Bryan Adams). Or you might want to visit the geological delight that is Malham Cove (with its impressive overhanding face of silver limestone) and on to neighbouring Gordale Scar where water noisily gushes through an impressive gorge. Or you can spend several days browsing the shops and walking the pretty streets of characterful villages, most notably Hawes, Clapham, Masham, Malham, Buckden, Starbotton, Appletreewick, or Kirkby Lonsdale. But really, as an urbanite, accustomed to noise and air pollution, overcrowded pavements and high rise buildings, there is only one way to experience the Yorkshire Dales; ascend the hills, where far-reaching views and solitude await, giving you the sense of wonder that only a remote ‘big country’ can offer.
When to go: Summer is best. The Yorkshire Dales are not known for their steaming hot temperatures and in fact, this is a good place to escape the occasional heat waves that are now hitting the British Isles on a more frequent basis. Spring and autumn are also feasible with less crowds around yet come with a higher chance of precipitation. And winter months could turn hiking into a bit of a challenge with ice and snow on hill tops. But you will have the place to yourself.
How to get around: You need your own mode of transport. Simple as that. Apart from cars, bikers love the hilly and curvy terrain, motorhomes sneakily identify quiet laybys for a free night’s sleep, and thick-calved cyclists use the sometimes steep gradients to improve their fitness. The choice is yours.
Where to stay: We based ourselves at the north side of the national park near the quaint, yet bustling village of Hawes with a good range of amenities such as supermarkets, a petrol station, as well as cafes and restaurants, in particular the charming White Hart Inn (reservation recommended). Hawes is also right in the middle of the three hikes that are suggested in this post, and getting to the respective trails involves just short (ish) 30 minute drives. Our accommodation was in the nearby hamlet of Burtersett, in a former workman’s cottage that ticked all the boxes with regards to comfort, cleanliness, and value for money. Here is the link
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Ribblehead Viaduct
What better way than to tackle the original 3 Peak Challenge consisting of Whernside (736 m), Ingleborogh (723 m), as well as Pen-y-ghent (694 m), totalling 40 km (25 miles), 1585 m of ascent and lasting 10 to 12 hours. The circular trail starts in Horton in Ribblesdale. But you will not be alone. On a dry summer weekend, an armada of fitness enthusiasts, endurance fanatics, charity supporters and bucket-list hikers descend on the Dales, generating a wonderful, collegiate, and jovial race-like atmosphere. But apart from the physical and time commitments, there is a further downside in that Whernside is frankly a rather dull, flat-top elevation that will not greatly enrich your sense of landscape aesthetics. But scaling the other two hills easily make my list of the top hikes in the Yorkshire Dales. My chosen ones are …
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Aysgarth Falls
Hike #1. Buckden Pike (711m)
15.5 km (9.6 miles) 4 hours
Total Ascent: 530 m
Your starting point is the hidden and charming village of Buckden, nestled deep in the northern part of Wharfedale. A modest climb of 3.8 km (just over one hour) will bring you to flat-topped Buckden Pike with proper 360 degree views. You have to scramble over marshy bogland for a couple of miles before a gentle descent through meadows and farmland brings you to the beautiful setting of Starbotton. The trails crosses the River Wharfe and heads north for about 4 km along enchanting meadows with ancient trees and gorgeous vistas across picture-perfect farmland. On a sunny summer day, you will be hard pressed to identify a more serene setting. The hike is listed on All Trails under ‘Buckden Pike’.
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Buckden Pike
Hike #2: Ingleborough (725 m)
16 km (10 miles) 5 hours
Total Ascent: 680 m
The hike up to the highest point in the Yorkshire Dales starts in yet another beautiful village: Clapham, with a picturesque creek called Clapham Beck running through it. Walk upstream on the left side of the river until you reach the Sawmill Café. You can either purchase a £2.50 pass to cross the Ingleborough Estate (the money is also used for nature conversation), or you can turn left at the café, walk uphill, and circumvent the estate before a signposted public footpath rejoins the trail. Soon, you will be crossing through a dramatic ravine, often frequenting by groups of climbers, before a steady, yet not too steep uphill climb to the top of the peak. Pen-y-ghent and Whernside can be clearly seen in the distance, and on a clear day, the mountains of the Lake District and the Irish Sea will also come into view. The hike is listed on All Trails under ‘Ingleborough Peak’.
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Ingleborough
Hike #3: Pen-y-ghent (698 m)
10 km (6 miles), 3.5 hours
Total Ascent: 500 m
The most dramatic and physically challenging of the three hikes suggested in this post. Yes, the Pen-y-ghent trail is the shortest by distance and altitude, but one hour into the climb you will face a very steep section just before hitting the peak’s top plateau. The hike starts in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, which is also the starting place for the Three Peak Challenge. From the centre of the village, follow the signposts, until the trail reaches a fork: Turning left, means that your climb up the hill is gentler, but also longer. Hence, in order to live up to your competitive spirit, you really want to turn right (anti-clockwise) and follow the ‘Three Peakers’, who you will most likely have come across already. During the first hour, the climb is steady, but then the trail turns into an almost vertical (though safe), staircase-like escalator section. After 30 minutes, you can wipe the sweat off your brows and admire the views down into Ribblesdale and onto Whernside (to which most of your fellow hikers will be pointing to as the next leg of their challenge). To get back to Horton, do not continue along the ridge but follow the footpath down. The hike is listed on All Trails under ‘Pen-y-ghent and Hull Pot Circular’.
Pen-y-ghent