Yorkshire Dales
I think this is my first blog since last autumn! I have lapsed a bit over the last few months and haven't been blogging on weekend breaks or days out. The main reason I am writing now is that I have treated myself to a new iPad and wanted to use it, and also because I thought I should have a practice before our holiday starts next week!
So... We are away for only the second weekend away in George this year (we're a bit pathetic and find it's usually too cold until at least mid March). We went up to the Lake District a couple of weeks ago, but with it being Easter weekend we thought we'd come to the Yorkshire Dales today as it's likely to be less busy. And it is, probably.
We got up early and set off at 8 this morning and arrived at a village called Clapham at about 10. There was plenty of parking left and no traffic jams, which I'm sure wouldn't have been the case in the Lakes. Clapham was the start point for our walk up Ingleborough, which is one of the Yorkshire "3 Peaks" and also the only peak in the Yorkshire Dales to feature on the Trail 100 list of hills that we are trying to climb before we die. There are loads of ways up, some of which only are only about 5 miles and take a couple of hours, but I thought that wouldn't give us much time for snack breaks so chose an 11 mile trek taking in caves, chasms, limestone pavements, and of course the summit.
Claire showed herself to be in quite an irritable mood within the first mile or two. She was obviously trying to escape from a family with young children who were walking the same route, and was quite put out when I insisted that she slowed down because I was having to run to keep up. Then, she got most annoyed about some poor walking etiquette shown by some of the other walkers (failing to overtake in a considerate manner and poor timing when ending rest stops). It's a good job we weren't carrying ice axes or I dread to think what she might have done. Fortunately she wasn't bothered by the flock of sheep we were almost trampled by in their haste to follow each other.
The first point of interest was Ingleborough Cave. This is a massive network of caves in the limestone, which you can pay to go into on a guided tour. I managed to persuade Claire that we didn't really have time, and we'd be better off going another day when we can get our money's worth. It was soon after that, that the hunger started kicking in. We spotted lots of nice bits of limestone to sit on, but I insisted on pushing on to Gaping Gill, which I was convinced would be a nice lunch spot. Fortunately I was right, and after a tentative peer into the 100 foot deep chasm, and me getting told off for trying to go too close, we sat down by the river and had a nice lunch until the aforementioned family turned up. Luckily we'd just finished our coffee, so made a quick exit before Claire threw either of the boys into the chasm.
Once we were full of cheese sandwich, pork pie, crisps, bakewell slice and coffee, we started the climb up Ingleborough. It wasn't too bad really, and we reached the summit with only minor indigestion. There was some summit hogging going on, so we only managed a quick selfie rather than the usual standing proudly on the trig point. The views were amazing, we could see the sea, the Lake District, and the other two of the 3 peaks - Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent. On the descent, I started having some crazy ideas about doing all three in one day for charity.
It was a fairly easy descent by our standards, and when we reached the limestone outcrops (which looked more like limestone octopus on the map) we decided it was time for a Peperami, a Belgian bun and another flask of coffee.
After that, we were on the final stretch. Or so we thought. I think we may have taken our Belgian bun break a little too early, as the last third of the walk seemed longer than the first two thirds. By the time we got back to George, Claire was limping and for the first time ever had to ask me to slow down! I was tired, but not as much as I think I would have been if I hadn't been wearing some new boots, which are super light and somehow waterproof and ventilated at the same time. We did notice some rather intriguing woodland on the last stretch, with a number of signs warning of "hidden danger". Were it not for Claire's limp we would have probably gone in to investigate what the hidden danger actually was. As it is, it will have to remain a mystery.
We collapsed in George, then spent longer than we usually have to searching for a suitable free overnight spot. We eventually settled on one just outside the national park that we'd spotted earlier - a sort of off road layby lined with daffodils with rabbits hopping around. Very appropriate to wake up to on Easter Sunday. I'm sure there will be some lambs bleating nearby too.
We've had dinner, polished off most of our Easter eggs and are just finishing a bottle of wine. I reckon I'll be nodding off by about 9 after our early start.
Tomorrow we are doing an easier walk, which will probably involve caves and waterfalls.
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