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A cyclist takes in the view of Ribblehead railway viaduct as he enjoys a Sunday morning cycle. |
Today's Walk, Sunday 29th April 2007: 10 miles. Mostly well walked tracks, but because of some temporary footpath closures there was some unavoidable road walking. All the climbing is in the first two and a half miles. Map: Explorer OL2. Yorkshire Dales, (Southern and Western areas). Weather: Overcast at first and cool on Ingleborough summit. Very warm and pleasant later in the day. Parking, Toilets and Refreshments: Pay and display car park at GR 695732, where there are also public toilets. Pubs and cafes in the town centre. Clapham (6 miles into walk) also has similar facilities. |
To begin the walk we left the village along the B6255 (which goes back towards Ribblehead). Passing a junction on our right towards Clapham (our return route). As the B6255 bends left and reaches the open road there is a track off to the right which we follow (GR 703733). Our track, Fell Lane, is clear and soon becomes walled on each side. |
Ingleborough in the distance. On it you can just about make out our track, on the ground though it's very easy to follow. On the left screened by trees is Crina Bottom farm. My walking companion Robin is (as usual!) ahead of me on the track. |
I haven't approached Ingleborough on this route before, but I certainly found it to be very pleasant. After the climb up.......... |
....the summit cairn of Ingleborough at 724 metres (2375 feet) above sea level, it's highest point. |
On the summit there is also a trig point and seen here a wind shelter. It was being well used today. There weren't just walkers on the summit as there were other visitors today.... |
It was the Annual Three Peaks Race and here we see one of the competitors at a 'clocking in' point. |
They keep on coming and going (off to the right). Male, female, young and not so young. This is a real gruelling challenge covering 24 miles and ascending, in order, the famous Yorkshire Dales mountains of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. |
To take on a challenge like this they need to be strong not only physically but mentally as well. In the distance, on the left of the first runner seen here is Whernside, the highest point in Yorkshire. It was the second mountain they had climbed up and descended from today. |
Look closely into the middle distance on this photo and you can make out Ribblehead railway viaduct where I took the photo at the start of this page. |
The record for completing the course is 2 hours and 46 minutes. THAT'S TWO HOURS AND FORTY SIX MINUTES! At first sight they look quite sane don't they? |
Robin has a work colleague who was competing in this race for the first time today. He'd hoped to meet him on Ingleborough but unfortunately our times on the summit didn't coincide. The next time he did see him though the colleague had said his legs were still aching :-) Congratulations to all those who took part. Even the thought of attempting it is beyond me. |
The summit is a large plateau and for those who wish to take a look around there are some interesting finds to be made. Firstly, near to where the runners were passing us as they reached the summit there are, bizarrely, the remnants of a hospice, which I believe never opened. At the celebrations on the due opening day in 1830, the workers who had built it got drunk, then rowdy and started to damage it. It's true honest. Stories like that you just couldn't make up could you? I know now I should have taken a photo to show you even though there's not much left to see. Unfortunately I didn't, but next time I will! In the meantime you can read a little more of the story in this link under History of Ingleton continued. There are other signs of man building on this summit. Not as humorous admittedly but of more importance archaeology. They are the collapsed remains of what was a massive encircling wall around the ridge of the summit plateau and the stone foundations of circular huts. It's believed they were the settlement of the first Iron age residents and the highest hillfort in England. |
Leaving the summit at GR 744746 through the stone that once made up part of the hillfort wall we head for the cairn at Little Ingleborough before descending the repaired track to visit Gaping Gill at GR 753726. |
Part of the entrance to Gaping Gill. From this photo you would never guess that the water seen entering freefalls for 340 feet to the bottom of a cavern that is large enough to hold St Paul's cathedral in London. For obvious reasons I couldn't ask Robin, who took this photo, to have got any closer. Actually I could and did, but suprisingly he declined :-) One day though I hope to fulfill a long held ambition and visit the cavern by way of a winch which is set up twice a year by members of caving clubs |
Leaving Gaping Gill we continue along the track and after crossing a large ladder stile, turn right to descend though Trow Gill. |
A couple of climbers practicing at the bottom of Trow Gill. Trow Gill is a limestone gorge made by meltwater at the end of the Ice Age. When looking for information on the Ice Age, I came across a link to Cresswell Crags. They're in Nottinghamshire I'd never heard of them but I'd really enjoy a visit. Especially to go on a tour and see the only known Ice Age Rock Art in Britain. |
The path now levels and a pleasant stoll takes us past the entrance to Ingleborough Cave, where a number of familes sat next to Clapham beck and enjoyed ice cream in the warm afternoon sunshine. No such luxuries for us though and shortly after we have a choice of three routes to the village of Clapham. We choose a bridleway off to the right which climbs up the hillside and passes by Clapdale farm. |
By the time we arrived at Clapham we were ready for some refreshments and a sit down so headed straight for the village cafe. While relaxing and listening to the radio which was playing, the sports news was announced and it was confirmed that Sunderland Football Club had been promoted back to the Premiership League. It was cause for 'much joy and happiness'. Well it was for me anyway, you can see it didn't have much effect on anyone else! |
We still had four miles to complete to get back to Ingleton and had intended following footpaths as far as possible. We found they had been temporarily closed because of some large pipework being laid across the fields. So we opted to take the 'Old Road' back, which is a minor road and fortunately was almost traffic free. |
Back at Ingleton and time to reflect that.... |
...it had been a bootiful day. |
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