Off the bike and a fantastic weather forecast, so revisited Ingleborough although this time a linear route from Ribblehead to Horton. It was a Sunday so the trains were few and far between…happily the pub was open, and the waiting room in the station was warm and dry.
Ingleborough: Hewitt, HuMP, Marilyn, Nuttall; 724 m/2,375 ft
Another walk from Dent to Ribblehead, this time on the eastern side of the train line.
Following the road up from Dent station I joined the Pennine Bridleway as it follows the contours of Great Knoutberry. Leaving the track I followed a fence up towards the trig point, from which all three peaks can be seen – visibility was good if a little hazy. Curlew were disturbed on the way up, although I don’t think it was only me as there was a large bird hovering above. As well as the trig point at the top there is a also a nice wind shelter; a section of wall with stones protruding as benches on either side.
Navigation was so easy as to verge on boring but I still almost followed the wrong fence down from the summit. The correct fence is also the Cumbria/Yorkshire border. Eventually I met the track at Aysgarth Moss which was a cross roads of bridleways; the west-east track being an old drovers road between dales. I took the north-south route around Wold Fell which is a restricted byway, although given the more stringent restrictions on the surrounding routes I’m not sure how you could make the most of it. This is a fine track and I would like to revisit it on a mountain bike. There were lots of wheatears which were curious but seemed to find rabbits’ burrows a useful shelter when I got too close.
The track meets a road for a few hundred metres before continuing around Blea Moor. I stopped for lunch at the first gate and was visited by a curious weasel – it looked at me as if I was sitting in its way. After a couple of laps of what is presumably a well-trodden route, followed by discrete surveillance from a patch of reeds the weasel disappeared. Very quick and difficult to photograph but a lovely moment.
Although following bridleways was easy it had become a little dull so I decided to change my plan and head up to the summit of Blea Moor. This involved more fence-following and lots of bog-dodging. A vehicle had been driven over here recently – probably to repair the fence judging by the old rusted sections and new posts and wire – which made tracks to follow. At the most difficult section I thought I was going to have to use the fence as a bridge but instead found a reasonably clear crossing. I saw a couple of traps and wondered if they were for the weasel…perhaps it had been threatening the grouse population. I only saw a couple of grouse, maybe after the 12th most of them have gone.
A fence junction was near the trig point of Blea Moor – there are air shafts near but out of sight, over the railway tunnel. The best way down seemed to be to follow yet another fence – one now fully in Yorkshire. A bit of bog-dodging was required, and eventually I met the path which follows the railway. This was the first time I had seen other walkers since I left Dent station.
I saw the 3.42 pm train come and go, so was happy that I had a couple of hours before the next one to spend in the Station Inn. A better back garden is hard to imagine.
9.7 miles, 1,657 ft climbed
Great Knoutberry Hill, 672 m; Marilyn, Hump, Hewitt, Nuttall,
Bleh Moor, 535 m; Hump, Dewey
After a few days at the parents’ over Easter I travelled back home through the dales, leaving the motorway at Tebay. After finding a campsite I spent the afternoon walking up White Boar Fell.
I could see rain in many directions in the distance but was lucky and missed it. Snow on the Howgills; I had hoped to walk that way on the next day but it became very wet with low cloud so I made my way home.
8.8 miles
Wild Boar Fell, 708 m; Marilyn, HuMP, Hewitt, Nuttall
Whernside from Dent station, finishing at Ribblehead, staring with a walk along the road beside the little River Dee and the Settle – Carlisle train line.
There is a very straight path directly over the Bleamoor tunnel, with several air shafts along the way.
Then up to the top of Whernside through a few snow patches.
Cloud on the top came and went. We could see Ingleborough with a permanent toupeé. The wall marks the boundary between Cumbria and North Yorkshire, the trig point is on the Cumbrian side.
After a steep but thankfully not icy descent we walked under the Ribblehead Viaduct just as the light faded and the rain started.
10.5 miles
Whernside, 763 m; Marilyn, HuMP, Hewitt, Nuttall, County Top (North Yorkshire)
Train to Oban via Glasgow (note the change in cuisine). Ferry to Craignure and a night at the campsite there. A nice spot with great clean facilities, including a common room with wood-burning stove.
The bus services on Mull are great, and the Craignure – Tobermory route uses a double decker so you can get a great view. The majority of the roads are single track with passing places, so it’s a nice slow journey. Spent some time watching gannets diving into the sea while waiting at the bus stop. I was told that the ones around here nest on St Kilda; that’s 140 miles as the gannet flies, a long way for a fish supper.
Rainy day activities: distillery and museum.
A boat trip to Staffa via the Treshnish Isles, featuring a white-tailed eagle, gannets, kittiwakes, shags, seals, a minke whale and maybe some porpoises. And exciting rocks, of course. Very smart boat and knowledgable crew from Staffa Tours, happy to spend time detouring to follow the minke.
Amazing campsite at Fidden farm, right above the beach. The sun came out and the sea was irresistible. And freezing, obviously.
Moonrise and sunset.
Views from Fionnphort. The strange shaped island beyond Iona is The Dutchman’s Cap, one of the Treshnish Isles. The others were named by Vikings, not contraceptives.
The tidal island of Erraid as featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped.
First stop the nunnery. A carving over a window shows a voluptuous and accommoddating woman, apparently keeping those inside safe from such temptations. One tiny room of the whole complex had heating – they must have been some tough nuns. Today was very sunny (i.e. I got burned) but required all layers and a hat because of the wind, and that was the tail end of summer.
The Abbey; journey’s end for many, be they pilgrims, coach trippers or important dead people. In front of the abbey in the grass is the Street of the Dead (Sràid nam Marbh), after it passes the burial area (Rèilig Odhrain). There is an exhibition of ancient stone crosses, where I learnt that the circle was an addition to support the lateral arms which could otherwise be heavy enough to cause the stone to break.
Views from Dun I, the highest point on the island (101 m, so just a HuMP). Excellent visibility, Cullins of Skye spotted.
There is a green colour in the rocks found in abundance in St Columba’s bay, apparently from chlorophyll. I should have brought my accommodation with me, it would have been a lovely spot for the night.
A short-ish but tussocky and boggy walk followed by a very wild camp. Nice evening with ever-increasing wind. Met an adder shortly before pitching for the night on the only vaguely suitable ground. Previous choice was under a sheltered rock, but a deer had obviously had the same thought when it was unwell and consequently expired there.
A peg was blown out into the burn at 5 am, so that corner of the tent was anchored with the water bottle and I waited in the sleeping bag for enough light to pack up and walk down towards Loch Buie. I serendipitously found the peg while rinsing out my mug before I left. Walking to the main road I missed the bus by a minute or so, the next one was two hours later so I sat by a sort of estuary where the river Lussa enters (the sea) Loch Spelve, watched the birds and had tomato soup. I think I spotted an eagle.
Back to reality…the first establishment encountered on disembarking from the ferry in Oban is a Weatherspoons. But the place did have some more individual touches.
