A Dales High Way - the slow way.

Most people think of a long distance trail as a multi-day walk, a week or longer spent on a coastal path or trekking from coast to coast making steady progress as they go. But being away from home and walking every day doesn’t suit everyone. 

To celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the creation of the route we, the Friends of A Dales High Way, decided to walk all 90 miles, from Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland, as a series of day walks using public transport.

We wanted to show that the trail can be walked in stages without a car. We used the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line for most of our train travel with additional bus journeys on days 3, 4, 7 and 8. On days 8 and 9 we used a local taxi firm who took us by minibus to and from Kirkby Stephen station. Mainly we walked on Saturdays although it was only essential for days 7 and 8 when we used the Western Dales bus. Here’s how we did it.

Day 1. Saltaire to Ilkley. 7.5 miles / 12.1km

Crossing Rombalds Moor

We left Saltaire at 10.30 am, walking through the village to join the towpath along the Leeds Liverpool canal for a short way before climbing through Trench Wood to Shipley Glen. We headed onto Baildon Moor, then crossed Bingley Moor, Burley Moor and Ilkley Moor before descending steeply to the spa town of Ilkley from where buses and trains to Shipley, Skipton or Leeds are regular. 
  

Day 2. Ilkley to Skipton.  11.5 miles / 18.5 km

 The group met at Ilkley railway station, again at 10.30 am and climbed quickly back up to rejoin the trail on Ilkley Moor, continuing a long ridge walk onto Addingham High Moor before dropping steeply to the northern edge of the town of Addingham. We then crossed Skipton Moor along the line of the Roman Road before dropping steeply into Skipton. Walkers returning to Ilkley caught the bus while others took the train. This section could be shortened by finishing in Addingham, a village well served by buses.

Day 3. Skipton to Hetton 6.8 miles /10.9 km

 

We met at Skipton railway station at 11.00 am and climbed up to Tarn Moor and into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. A steady climb over Skyrakes led to the modest summit of Sharp Haw, with great panoramic views. We crossed Flasby Fell to the tiny farming hamlet of Flasby, before an easy beckside ramble to Hetton - Calender Girls country. At Hetton we caught the bus back to Skipton railway station. This was a deliberately short section so we could use the bus between Skipton and Hetton and avoid going into Malham village which has fewer transport links.

Day 4. Hetton to Settle 12.0 miles /19.3 km 

We met outside Skipton railway station, to catch the 9.40 a.m. bus to Hetton. The walk started in Hetton, heading up Moor Lane and around the end of Winterburn Reservoir, before a long steady moorland climb to the heights of Weets Top. Then we were into limestone country, dropping to Goredale Bridge and on to the top of magnificent Malham Cove. We followed the Dry Valley to Langscar Gate, continuing to climb up to Nappa Gate and Kirkby Fell. The trail descended to Stockdale Lane, then alongside the stunning crags of Attermire Scar and Warrendale Knotts, before the final steep descent to Settle where we caught the train on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line.

Lunch above Malham Cove

This section can be shortened by walking into Malham to catch the bus back to Skipton.

Day 5. Settle to Horton 11.5 miles / 18.5 km

Another 10.30 am start, this time from Settle railway station. We headed north, following the river Ribble to Little Stainforth and Stainforth Force, then climb up alongside Smearset Scar and down to Feizor, with a short stop at Elaine's cafe. After passing Wharfe woods we headed down to the tiny hamlet of Wharfe, with Ingleborough dominating the view ahead. A fine walled track led us into Crummackdale, for a lunch stop at the lovely Wash Dub field.  A final climb above Crummack heads towards Ingleborough but that’s for another day. Instead we followed the trail from Sulber Nick down into Horton-in-Ribblesdale, another stop on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line.

Day 6. Horton-in-Ribblesdale to Ribblehead 10.5 miles / 16.9 km 

We left Horton station at 9am to retrace our steps towards Ingleborough, picking up A Dales High Way again at Sulber Nick, before the steady climb to the summit of Ingleborough. We descended to the foot of Swine Tail then down the very steep, rocky path to Humphrey Bottom. At Souther Scale we cut down to Chapel-le-dale for a short break at St Leonard's Church. A gentle climb through the wooded Ellerbeck Gill led to a long traverse along the lower south-eastern flank of Whernside, with superb views of Ingleborough and Ribblehead Viaduct. Finally we left the trail by the viaduct for the Station Inn and Ribblehead station.

Day 7. Ribblehead to Sedbergh 12.8 miles/20.6 km

This was a fine long day’s walk in two halves. Leaving Ribblehead station at 9.06 am we retraced our steps alongside Ribblehead viaduct to rejoin the trail, climbing around the north-eastern flank of Whernside to Boot of the Wold, with spectacular views over Dentdale. A steep descent led us down to join the Dales Way alongside the river Dee into the lovely village of Dent - and lunch (there was an option to break the walk here). 

Heading down into Dentdale

Then there was another stiff climb over Frostrow Fell, with stunning views of the Howgill Fells ahead. A steady descent brought us into the attractive market town of Sedbergh to finish at the Dalesman Inn where we caught the Western Dales bus back to Dent station, a journey only possible on a Saturday.

Day 8  Sedbergh to Newbiggin-on-Lune 11.0 mile/ 17.7 km 

We caught the train to Dent station, arriving at 09.15 am then waited for the 09.35 Western Dales bus to Sedbergh.

Leaving Sedbergh, we climbed up onto the Howgill Fells via Settlebeck Gill, along the ridge to climb again onto Calders, and finally up to the summit at the Calf. The six-mile ridge route continues north above Bowderdale, crossing Hazelgill Knott and West Fell, with superb views north across the Orton Fells. Finally we descended to Bowderdale and along a quiet lane to Newbiggin-on-Lune where we waited for our taxi to Kirkby Stephen station at Brownber Hall. We had booked an 8-seater taxi in advance and were delighted that it took less than 10 minutes and cost only £2 per person.

Day 9 Newbiggin-on-Lune to Appleby 12.7 miles / 20.4 km

We were met at 10.53 outside Kirkby Stephen railway station by the taxi which took us to Newbiggin-on-Lune.

From Newbiggin-on-Lune we crossed wild Ravenstonedale Moor to the secluded splendour of Sunbiggin Tarn, before climbing beside Great Kinmond across the spectacular limestone scars of the Orton Fells. We dropped into the Eden Valley at Great Asby, before enjoying a beckside ramble alongside Hoff Beck via Rutter Force and Hoff to finish at the delightful former county town of Appleby-in-Westmorland where again we caught the train back on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line.

We did it! Friends of A Dales High Way at the end of the trail.

You can see the details of the trains and buses we used by following this link:

https://www.daleshighway.co.uk/friends/2018_anniversary_walk.htm

  

These were correct for summer 2018 but should not be relied upon if you are planning your own walk. Please check up to date information at: 

https://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/ for info about the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle line

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ for train times

http://www.dalesbus.org/ for bus information

http://primataxis.co.uk/ This is the taxi firm we used

www.daleshighway.co.uk  for everything you need to know about A Dales High Way

My 5 best walks - so far!

I seem to be spotting lists everywhere at the moment. Everyone's publishing their 10 top tips for this and 6 best hints for that, their how to's and how not to's and it got me thinking. 

So here goes, in no particular order, 5 of my own best walks - so far!

Number1 - Cadair Idris.

I hadn't had much luck with Wales and although we'd had several walking holidays in Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, my strongest memories were of damp cottages full of sodden clothing and pubs that shut on a Sunday. We were staying in Dolgellau and had already slogged our way through the murk to several summits where we'd assured each other that the views would be amazing if only these clouds would lift/rain would stop/mist would clear. Cadair Idris was our last shot and it was with no great expectations that we set off up the pony path in low cloud. Amazingly the higher we climbed the clearer it got and by the time we reached the top of the zigzag path I was stripped to shirt sleeves and for the first time in a week my waterproofs were safely stowed away. A couple of hours later I was still in shirt sleeves but this time sat on the sea wall in Barmouth, eating fish and chips and looking up at what had become and continues to be one of my very favourite mountains.

Cadair Idris - photo courtesy of The Old Rectory on the Lake. I'd given up on taking the camera out!

Number 2 - Hannah's 1st trigpoint

Much more modest is Hope Hill, the rounded hill we can see from our kitchen window.  Seven year old Hannah had been begging to come with us on a proper walk for months so one winter morning we set off from home to climb Hope Hill. Properly equipped with boots, backpacks. sandwiches, crisps, sweets and teddies we made our way through the woods to the bottom of the hill. Egged on by the promise of her packed lunch Hannah made short work of the 282 metre climb and some 3 miles from home she ticked off her very first trig point. She's joined us on many walks since then and is looking forward to climbing Pen-y-ghent this summer.

Made it!

Number 3 - The Coast to Coast

In May 1995 we left home to walk the Coast to Coast. We were younger and poorer in those days and there was no way we could afford to pay for a fortnight's accommodation so we packed up the camping gas and sleeping bags and what passed in those days for a lightweight tent - all 4lbs of it. I carried the gas bottle and flysheet. Tony took charge of the tentpegs and poles. We made do without a ridge pole and relied on some tight guying to keep the nylon from suffocating us in the night. Advertised as a 2-man (sic) we could only get in by undressing in the open and taking turns to limbo dance into bed. Fortunately we camped as near as we could to a pub every night and were duly anaesthetised from both embarrassment and the hard ground. It rained every day. Every single day. Despite having chosen the last week in May and the first week in June for our walk, 'cos everyone knows it never rains at Whit, not a day went by without precipitation of some sort. Our waterproofs were nonbreathable plastic that left us wetter on the inside than the outside and crackled as we walked and we ran out of what little money we had (I blame all that beer) somewhere around Richmond. It was wet, it was tough and it was wonderful and exactly 20 years later it's still one of the best two weeks of my life.

Angle tarn on the Coast to Coast - in rather better weather 

Number 4 - A Dales High Way

A Dales High Way is the long distance route we devised ourselves, bitten by the bug from those early years of Dales Way, Coast to Coast and Pennine Way walking. By September 2007 when we set off to walk the 90 mile trail in one go we'd softened up a bit. Hot baths, comfy beds and a week of full English breakfasts were the order of the day but that didn't detract from the challenge. We still had to average 15 miles a day carrying a full rucksack over some of the highest points in the Yorkshire Dales. We walked from our home in Saltaire over Rombald's Moor and Malhamdale, past the limestone scars of Attermire and on over Ingleborough. We rounded Whernside and looked down over the tiny, isolated farm I grew up on at the top of Dentdale and we hiked into the beautiful Howgill Fells. The sense of achievement when we reached Appleby was immense. We'd done it. We'd created a route. We'd spent nearly two years walking and re-walking, choosing some paths and discarding others, and finally it was complete. A High Way through the Yorkshire Dales.

On A Dales High Way above Dentdale

And finally

Number 5 - Whernside where it all began

Whernside wouldn't be everyone's choice of a favourite walk. In many ways it's not mine. Without the rocky scrambles to reach the summits of Ingleborough or Pen-y-ghent, climbing Whernside is just a long slog up a steep hill. But it's my steep hill. Our sheep lived on Whernside and as a small girl I walked to the fell and back with my Dad. Several times a year we joined other shepherds for the gathers, meeting on the tops to drive our own sheep down for tupping, lambing, clipping and so on. There are few walls or fences on the fell. Instead the sheep are hefted, learning their heaf, their own patch of ground, from their mothers when they first go to the fell as lambs. Generation after generation of hardy little Swaledales all passing a genetic memory down the years. And I was a hardy little thing as well. Stomping up and down Whernside in my wellies and my mum's cut down mac, never thinking that one day I'd be walking those same hills for pleasure. So Whernside may not be very thrilling, nor is it a great beauty but it's the walk that led to who I am today.

A good shepherd needs his dog 

A Spring in my Step

Like many people I think of long distance walking as a summer activity, best undertaken between Easter and the clocks going back. Long days to make the most of the light evenings, better weather, lighter packs with less jumpers to carry...

I've changed my mind.

This winter we've been walking both the Dales Way and A Dales High Way to check on the state of the paths and note any changes along the way. We publish guide books to both walks and like to make sure that the books and the websites - www.dalesway.org.uk and www.daleshighway.org.uk - are up to speed.

We've been walking both routes in smaller chunks to make the most of any decent weather and we've had some fantastic days out.

Barden Tower (Dales Way)

There have been snowy days and sunshine.

Taking a break on Coniston Pie (Dales Way)

The ground is has been generally firm underfoot, either with frost or more recently as it's begun to dry out.

Ingleborogh and Whernside from the Watershed Alternative Route (Dales Way)

The shapes of the fells are stunning in their naked state before the trees come into leaf and the waterfalls have been magnificent. Routes are quiet and accomodation easily available and the joy of watching the landscape begin to wake up has been immense.

Snowdrops and crocus coming off Frostrow Fell (Dales High Way)

And of course there's the lambs!