I'm just trying to squeeze in a walk before the weather gets 'orrible and before the Easter crowds come out. Sooooo me and the dawg wanted something great to do, and we picked Great Whernside to do it on. As it happens, I wanted a 13 mile walk, and this was the first one I came across in my log that took my fancy - done first in 1975. This was my 20th trip to the top of this hill, so it holds a fair number of memories.
Any road up, our first call was at the village shop for bananas and cake and then we took the route which goes via Dowber Gill. Dowber Gill has one main claim to fame in that it holds the entrance to a cave system which involves an extremely complex vertical maze. It used to have many a rescue although maybe its gone a lot quieter nowadays. The entrance is a rusty lid on a concrete and scaffolding plinth in the middle of the beck. Its not very impressive.
Theres also a pic below of a funny sign I saw in a window in Kettlewell...
The gill gradually gets smaller with height and when it hits the gritstone band it soars up in a wall of grass. There follows an upwards plod through yellow grass (much easier than the red stuff by the way as its drier and shorter)
On a little shelf at the foot of the final steep clib to the summit ridge, I found a small wooden cross surrounded by a little pile of aircraft wreckage in a patch of black, polluted ground. I have a mate who knows about aircraft wreck sites and I'll be asking him about it. Its a very atmospheric place and the simplicity of the memorial is quite moving. Ive never seen it before, but it must be WW2 - more than 60 years old, I would guess.
The top of Great Whernside was bitterly cold and there were ice patches and old snowdrifts under the walls - but the main aspect was the view. Today it was as clear as I've ever seen it. You could pick out Mickledoor and Great Gable quite easily, both seemingly snow covered - then across the North Pennine ridge to Teeside and the North Yorkshire Moors, the US listening station at Harrogate and then the South pennines - specially Waystone Edge near Huddersfield and Pendle Hill.
A crackingview, Grommit, as I pointed out to the dawg.
Our route then followed the ridge where bruno enjoyed the snowdrifts, and we were buzzed by two RAF transport planes following the contours.
Little Whernside was fairly easy, although the top is a mess of peat hags and the summit cairn is where it should be according to the map, but it doesnt look like the highest point when you're there.
We retraced steps to a bridleway and followed this soggily down to Park Rash and then along Tor Dyke - a 1st century British anti-roman defensive line which separates Wharfedale from the Vale of York. Then by lanes back to Kettlewell where the streetlight had been lit.
13 Miles and 2200 feet of uphill.
More signs of spring - loads of lapwings at park rash, a pair of curlews, a golden plover and very young lambs gambling...er gambolling in a field in Bishopdale on the way home.
