A Guest Post from Colin Speakman

Today we've got a guest blogger. 

Colin Speakman, creator of the Dales Way long distance route writes about A Dales High Way.

A DALES HIGH WAY ENJOYS GROWING SUCCESS

The popularity of the Dales Way - soon approaching its half century - has grown to such an extent that around a dozen walking tour operators now include the Dales Way long distance walk as a package walking holiday with luggage carrying facilities.  This means it can be difficult to book accommodation in villages along some sections in the summer months. Great for the Dales and Lake District economies, but less good for independent walkers looking for a bed.

That’s just one of the reasons why its younger sister, A Dales High Way, is so welcome and important for walkers. This 90-mile route between Saltaire and Appleby was created by authors and publishers Chris and Tony Grogan in 2007.  

Whilst the Dales Way is essentially a valley route, in contrast A Dales High Way crosses high moorland, fellsides and even summit peaks, and is more physically demanding.  If the Dales Way is the perfect beginners’ long distance walk, A Dales High Way is the ideal next step up in terms of physical difficulty – and is less busy with walkers even in the height of summer. 

The Dales Way follows the river

A Dales High Way heads for the hills

It has a very distinctive character that is totally its own.  Starting in the World Heritage village of Saltaire on the edge of Bradford, it crosses Ilkley and Addingham Moors, through the Aire Gap and into the Craven limestone country, winding its way above Malham through Ribblesdale’s Three Peaks into Dentdale where for a few miles, in one of the most beautiful of all the Yorkshire Dales,  it joins the Dales Way. It then heads due north from Sedbergh across the magnificent Howgill Fells to Newbiggin on Lune, then over the Orton Fells to Great Asby and finally to the historic Westmorland capital of Appleby in the Eden Valley.  If the Dales Way joins two National Parks, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lakes, A Dales High Way explores the new northern extension of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and is the perfect introduction to this beautiful newly protected landscape.   A further advantage is that A Dales High Way parallels the iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, making transport to and from the start, central sections or the end of the walk far easier than using cars or taxis.

 

This new 2018-updated edition of A Dales High Way Companion by Chris and Tony is published by their own Skyware Press. 

A beautifully produced book, it reflects their enthusiasm, knowledge and skills as joint authors, photographers, cartographers and publishers.   Whilst the Companion does contain detailed instructions, if you are walking the route you also need the accompanying detailed maps contained in the Dales High Way Route Guide. This means the landscape interpretation and history can be kept dry in the rucksack and enjoyed at leisure in the pub or B&B at the end of the day's walk, while the Route Guide in it's waterproof cover takes you from stile to stile. If you buy the Companion and Route Guide together for just £15.99 there is a significant saving.    

Full details on the Skyware Press website www.skyware.co,uk.

A Dales High Way Companion (ISBN 978-1-9-911321-002) Tony & Chris Grogan, Skyware Press 112pp price £11.99

Colin Speakman

People in a Landscape

Colin Speakman, the man responsible for creating the Dales Way is well known both at home and abroad as the author of over 50 books about the countryside including the best selling guide to the Dales Way. 

He is less well known perhaps as a poet but his latest collection demonstrates both his poetic skill and his love of the landscape. 

Of all the 28 poems in “People in a Landscape” one of my favourites is “Wharfedale”. It’s a beautiful, lyrical description of the valley that Dales Way walkers know and love so well.

Starting in the north where cloud and fell merge to mist the poem follows the river through Langstrothdale to the broad green floor of a glacier planed valley and the foam-white power of destruction that is the Strid, to emerge all anger relented  at Bolton Abbley where priors, dukes, came to dream, their ruins an echo, fading, of time.

It’s a depiction that is both recognisable but elevated, taking the reader on a journey not just through Wharefdale but through the passion that Colin has for this deep and secret place, a love that surely motivated him to create the Dales Way nearly 50 years ago.

People in a Landscape is available for £4.50 from Gritstone Publishing

My Dales Way Week

This week has been largely devoted to the Dales Way. 

I'm on the committee of the Dales Way Association, a small charity set up almost 25 years ago to promote and support the Dales Way long distance path. The route was created in 1969 by Colin Speakman and the late Tom Wilcock just four years after the launch of the Pennine Way, and like Wainwright's Coast to Coast Path (1972), has attracted walkers from all over the world ever since. Unlike the Pennine Way neither the Dales Way or Coast to Coast are National Trails so receive no funding or support from the government. Instead they are both designated Regional Recreational Routes and each section is the responsibility of the local authority it passes through. In the case of the Dales Way, travelling east to west, this is Bradford District Council, North Yorkshire County Council, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Cumbria County Council and the Lake District National Park. 

The existence of the Dales Way Association means that there is a single body that can be contacted by anyone interested in the route and liaise between walkers and the numerous authorities. On Wednesday 4 members of our small committee attended our annual meeting with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. This is an opportunity to meet with the rangers who are responsible for the path on the ground and share problems, ideas and successes.

A new section of path to keep walkers off the road outside Sedbergh

Three days later we were all together again, this time in Ilkley for the Association's Autumn Walk and Annual General Meeting.  Most of the committee, including Colin Speakman, who led the walk and chaired the meeting, were there. It was great to meet members and a tribute to their commitment that so many travel so far to join us for the day, including from Essex and Shropshire.

Colin greets walkers in Ilkley

Heading for Addingham

Finally on Monday I walked a section of the Dales Way, the climb over Cam Fell. I was with my sister-in-law, a walking newbie, who is walking the 80 miles from Ilkley to Bowness in bite sized chunks. The Dales Way is an ideal beginners long distance route, with its easy to follow riverside paths, the many villages offering refreshment and accommodation and the possibility of accessing sections by public transport. 

The river Wharfe near Burnsall

This summer we have walked from Ilkley to Buckden, catching the bus up and down Wharfedale, until this last leg over Cam required a lift to Nethergill Farm and the train home from Ribblehead. 

This section of the Dales Way is often the most daunting for walkers, including as it does the climb over wet and boggy fell to the highest point on the entire route at 520m. 

Told you it was boggy!

It is also one of the most rewarding as the watershed of England is reached and you get your first glimpse of Ingleborough, followed quickly by Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and the mighty Ribblehead viaduct.

Whernside and Ribblehead viaduct from the forestry road

I wonder what next week will bring.

Fame-ish at last

A bit windblown at the end of our walk along the Dales Way in yesterday's gales. We were recording "Ramblings" for Radio 4, with Colin and Fleur Speakman, the lovely Clare Balding and yours truly.

It was great fun to do and once we forgot about the hairy microphone it was ok - just like having a walk with mates. Clare was really natural and chatted all the time about where we were going and what we could see. She caused a bit of a stir in a cafe in Burnsall as people recognised her from the telly.

I'm SOOO excited - we'll be on at the beginning of October