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Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell


Postby simon-b » Wed Jul 26, 2017 10:19 pm

Hewitts included on this walk: Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent, Simon Fell, Whernside

Date walked: 23/07/2017

Time taken: 10.9

Distance: 41 km

Ascent: 1660m

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To a Yorkshireman, these are the real three peaks, of course. Whereas, to one particular Lancastrian...
A.Wainwright wrote:...Whernside, Ingleborough and Penyghent, which, being flat-topped, are not strictly peaks at all.


Last year, I'd had five years plus of long mountain walks and decided to have a bit of a rest from all that hammering I was giving myself on the hills. So I had about a year of more moderate hiking. Now, it was time to start building back some endurance, and this classic circuit seemed ideal. After several years of going up and down Scottish, Cumbrian and Welsh mountains, these little hills 'in my own back yard' certainly taught me not to get complacent! I'd done the Yorkshire Three Peaks twice before, but this time made me realise my stamina could do with a re-boost.

The weather was forecast to deteriorate in the afternoon, so I made an early start from Horton in Ribblesdale.

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Pen-y-ghent from St Oswald’s Church, Horton in Ribblesdale

I reached Brackenbottom, the weather so far looking good, and began ascending towards Pen-y-ghent.

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Pendle Hill, seen while ascending from Brackenbottom

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Approaching Pen-y-ghent

Reaching the summit felt reasonably easy, and the view was excellent. This was about the tenth time I'd been on this hill, but the first time I'd seen the Lake District from here, framed between Ingleborough and Whernside.

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Ingleborough and Whernside from Pen-y-ghent

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Lake District from Pen-y-ghent

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Howgill Fells from Pen-y-ghent

No time to hang around here too long though, and soon I was moving again.

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Pen-y-ghent Side from the descent path

Where the Pennine Way swung left and WSW, I followed it, rather than take the old path NW that crosses the horrendous bog, Black Dub Moss. That obstacle can now be avoided by a path constructed in recent years, for which I was heading. I was now encountering other three-peakers, who were heading the same way. The newish path was found near Tarn Bar, and the Pennine Way re-joined near Jackdaw Hill.

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Whernside from near Jackdaw Hill

I was chatting with other walkers, who were moving along at quite a pace. So I moved along with them, covering some ground, until I stopped for a short refreshment break by God's Bridge.

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God's Bridge

Then it was onwards and across the River Ribble...

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Looking back at Pen-y-ghent from the River Ribble

...and onto Gauber Road, leading to Ribblehead.

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Heading towards Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside

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Ingleborough seen through Ribblehead Viaduct

After walking past the viaduct I was on the path alongside the railway. Although on a flattish section, this was where I realised I was undergoing quite an endurance test, my legs beginning to cramp a little. So I had a short rest and did a few stretching exercises, while other pacy walkers continued to move on by. Soon, I was on the go again, too.

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Aqueduct over the Settle-Carlisle Railway

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Settle-Carlisle Railway

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Force Gill

Refreshed after an energy drink, getting up Whernside didn't feel too bad. The weather was still clear and dry, but more clouds were appearing - still above the summits.

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Ascending Whernside, looking over Greenset Moss to Ingleborough

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Ascending Whernside, looking over Greenset Moss to Pen-y-ghent

Whernside was well populated on top, and there was a good view from here too, although conditions were not as bright as they had been on Pen-y-ghent.

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Dentdale and Howgill Fells from Whernside

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Ribblehead Viaduct and Pen-y-ghent from Whernside

After a quick bite to eat, I was moving along Whernside's ridge, ready to drop off left down towards Bruntscar and Chapel-le-Dale.

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Leaving Whernside, looking ahead to Ingleborough

On the descent, my calf cramped, but that soon eased off. Down in the valley, a little light rain started, but not enough for waterproofs. Walking towards the Old Hill Inn, the rain had stopped, but my legs were really starting to feel the strain. After crossing the road and getting back onto the footpaths, I stopped by a drystone wall, did a few more stretching exercises, and had a final energy drink. Now it was time to take on peak number three.

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Getting ready to ascend Ingleborough

The ascent of Ingleborough slowed my pace down, although my legs were no longer cramping; they were just tired. At last the steepest section was conquered, and I moved onto the stony summit plateau. I shared the highest point with quite a number of other people. The summit was just in the clear, but clouds were lowering all around and obscuring a lot of the distant views. After a bit more to eat, I still just about had the energy left to go for a bonus Hewitt, and a new one for me, Simon Fell.

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Heading for Simon Fell from Ingleborough

After a slight backtrack along the path I'd come up, I followed a grassy and rather marshy path alongside a wall. At this point the rain returned and became heavier, and now the waterproofs went on. Then the cloud came down, and I was in it. I reached the top of Simon Fell and found the summit cairn, but with no view. A substantial wall topped with barbed wire barred a short cut from here to the Horton path, so I doubled back to the gate between Simon Fell and Ingleborough. From here I cut across south, and soon found the descent path, and turned left, heading back to Horton. Quite a number of people now seemed to be overtaking me on the way down. Conditions were now wet, and the limestone was slippery, with muddy puddles between rocks along the path.

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Descending towards Horton, clouds now on Pen-y-ghent

Eventually I passed through Sulber Nick, and before too long was crossing the railway.

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Horton in Ribblesdale Station

Back at Horton, I realised the walk had taken nearer eleven than ten hours, so definitely not my quickest ever round of the Three Peaks. And my muscles ached more than they usually have done after a long walk. But it felt like a healthy, post-exercise ache, the type you recover from and then get fitter. There were no signs of niggles with potential weak spots like achilles tendons, knees and the lower back. So the year's relative rest from high endurance stuff may have slowed me down for a while in terms of stamina, but has probably done a lot of good in letting joints and soft tissues recover from those several years of hammering. Now it's time to regain that stamina, and get back to some more mountain epics. Oh, and the Yorkshire Three Peaks is a superb walk, by the way.
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simon-b
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:31 am

There was a time a couple of years back when I could possibly considered this one. Judging by how hard I found the High Stile ridge on Tuesday gone I think it would end in an epic fail at the moment :lol:
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby Alteknacker » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:55 pm

Great stuff! I haven't really seen these hills since the 60s, when I lived in the Dales. I remember doing these for the 2nd time with my 12 year old brother, and he was so full of beans he would be running up all the side hills as well :( .
He's a bit more steady these days.

Quite a different landscape compared to the Highlands, but very fine indeed. I've always thought that Auden's "In praise of limestone" captures the spirit of this area very well.

PS We never bothered with Simon Fell, I suppose because we didn't know it existed. At that time, the thing was to do "The Three Peaks"!
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby trailmasher » Sun Jul 30, 2017 10:11 am

A great day out there simon-b, great pics, lots of height and distance in a good time :clap: I've done 'em all myself individually but never linked them up in a oner :( Again well done :clap:
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby simon-b » Sun Jul 30, 2017 7:41 pm

johnkaysleftleg wrote:There was a time a couple of years back when I could possibly considered this one. Judging by how hard I found the High Stile ridge on Tuesday gone I think it would end in an epic fail at the moment :lol:

Thanks Anthony. "At the moment" is the right attitude. There will be a time to consider it again.

Alteknacker wrote:Quite a different landscape compared to the Highlands, but very fine indeed. I've always thought that Auden's "In praise of limestone" captures the spirit of this area very well.

PS We never bothered with Simon Fell, I suppose because we didn't know it existed. At that time, the thing was to do "The Three Peaks"!

Cheers AK. It is a landscape worth seeing. A lot of the Dales' secrets are hidden (that's stating the obvious I suppose), but there's plenty of fine scenery on this more open route, when the weather is clear.

The little (as it appears on the map) detour to Simon Fell added something new to a familiar route. The one new bit had to be the only bit without a view, of course.

trailmasher wrote:A great day out there simon-b, great pics, lots of height and distance in a good time :clap: I've done 'em all myself individually but never linked them up in a oner :( Again well done :clap:

Thank you TM. It was a great day. I'd recommend going for it as a oner sometime; it's a really good circuit.
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby Broggy1 » Mon Jul 31, 2017 1:42 pm

Always a good effort to do the Three Peaks and some nice pics along the way.

Have you ever tried the Wharfedale version? Not as big of a walk (still v decent mind) but another good long distance round if you are looking for things close to home.
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby simon-b » Tue Aug 01, 2017 11:50 pm

Thanks, Broggy
Broggy1 wrote:Have you ever tried the Wharfedale version? Not as big of a walk (still v decent mind) but another good long distance round if you are looking for things close to home.

I've combined Great and Little Whernside with Buckden Pike, but not done Birks. It does sound a good circuit. Another really nice Pennine round, similarly demanding, is the Mallerstang circuit: Wild Boar Fell, Swarth Fell, High Seat and Nine Standards Rigg.
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby Broggy1 » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:08 am

simon-b wrote:Thanks, Broggy
Broggy1 wrote:Have you ever tried the Wharfedale version? Not as big of a walk (still v decent mind) but another good long distance round if you are looking for things close to home.

I've combined Great and Little Whernside with Buckden Pike, but not done Birks. It does sound a good circuit. Another really nice Pennine round, similarly demanding, is the Mallerstang circuit: Wild Boar Fell, Swarth Fell, High Seat and Nine Standards Rigg.


I have seen that one before and thanks for reminding me. Wild Boar Fell is terrific.

I think I'll be having a go at that one sometime...but maybe wait for a slightly drier period than we've have been having lately.
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Re: Yorkshire Three Peaks and a fell

Postby RedAndy54 » Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:27 am

A great report, brings back lots of good memories from that part of the world, although I've never done Simon Fell. I don't recall anyone having good things to say about it, though most of the people I met had only done it by accident, having taken the wrong route off Ingleborough's summit plateau.
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