An email received from Mick and Gayle on Wednesday evening triggered this most enjoyable day trip to Ingleborough.
My day started with a visit to Bernie Bond, to deliver the photos taken when we met him and the lovely Janet on 21 July. Janet was at work, but Bernie kindly handed me a copy of ‘British Mining No 76 – Ingleton Coalfield’, a glossy monograph of the Northern Mine Research Society that traces the history of the coalfield from 1600 to its final abandonment in 1940. Bernie’s interest in the coalfield stems from his love of caving and from the discovery that on moving to Ingleton in 1983 he was living in a house formerly occupied by a colliery manager. Bernie made a huge contribution to the research that has resulted in the monograph, which I shall enjoy reading. Thanks Bernie.
Apart from a short stroll from Thornton Barn, where M&G had parked their van, to Ingleton, this was a repeat of the walk Sue and I enjoyed on 3 January 2009 – an anticlockwise circuit ascending Ingleborough via Crina Bottom and returning via Chapel-le-Dale, Scales Moor and Beezley Falls, for which we again managed to avoid paying, having arrived after the kiosk had shut. [The ‘Waterfall Walk’ is over private land and a charge of £5 is now made for the privilege of enjoying this excellent short walk.]
Today we saw just two people on Ingleborough before the final haul to the summit, from where a large group of very old people was descending, and various others were milling around on the top, some looking muddy enough to be on a ‘Three Peaks’ walk. Rather inconveniently, the final shower before a period of a few days’ good weather arrived as we approached the summit. Never mind, it wasn’t too inclement to take this self-timed photo.
No wonder your hands got cold, Gayle!
The furthest peak visible from the summit of Ingleborough is Manod Mawr in Snowdonia, 103 miles (166 km) away. We couldn’t spot that today, but many other landmarks were visible through the stiff breeze.
Once away from the summit we just saw a few folk approaching the summit, a workman at the chapel, a photographer on Scales Moor, and a family engaged in trying to fall into the river at Beezley Falls, so we had the paths more or less to ourselves. Which was just as well at one juncture when my trowel came in handy.
Up on Scales Moor, Mick was wondering how long the limestone pavement exposed after the last ice age 12,000 years ago would take to be completely ‘grassed over’.
Not in our lifetime, I suspect.
Especially not this glacial erratic, seen here with Ingleborough behind.
Those interested in such erratics and their formation may be interested in this Wikipedia link, and those interested in this region of North Yorkshire may enjoy reading a short document from the National Park Authority on the Yorkshire Moors and Fells.
We passed an isolated tree and, given the rather poor lighting, a hopeful photographer.
There has been a fair amount of rain here in recent days, so unsurprisingly the River Doe was in spate.
There are more ‘waterfall’ images in this slideshow, should anyone be interested.
Here’s our route – about 22.5 km, with 800 to 900 metres ascent (depending on whether you believe Garmin or Anquet) taking about 7 hours.
Here’s the Garmin version of data:
4 comments:
Looks like you all enjoyed that day out. Some lovely shots in the slideshow Martin. I particular like the Bubbles shot and the erratic with Ingleborough.
Interesting day Martin. I do like the shot of the River Doe.
You've been very polite there, Martin. You've not mentioned me forcing upon you a sizeable chunk of the Worst Flapjack In the Whole World Ever.
Thanks Alan, Gibson, Gayle. It wasn't the easiest day for this very amateur photographer, as the light wasn't very conducive.
Luckily the atmospheric conditions were quite conducive to the production of saliva, or we might all have been in trouble. As it was, there were no brownies left at the end, although I seem to recall Gayle reserving some flapjack in order to repair a wobbly table leg!
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