Mixed Routes at Ingleborough - places and people

A weekend away from the Lake District, in North Yorkshire, limestone country full of bizarre pavements, pot holes and caves – and some hills.

On Saturday after meeting up with my friends at the Station Inn, Ribblehead we drove back down towards Ingleton and left the cars at a small parking place near the Hill Inn. Heading south in glorious weather towards Ingleborough Hill we passed the strange eroded limestone formations known as pavements and the first of the big holes in the ground known as Braithwaite Wife Hole.

Then across a different kind of limestone pavement, protective paving slabs laid across Black Shiver Moss protect us from the bog and the bog from us. The paving slabs gave way to a wooden causeway across the normally wet ground although today it would have been passable without the wooden stairs to Ingleborough The wooden stairs didn't go all of the way, the final steep section was a stony constructed path, slightly slippery with frost still lying on the sheltered side of the hill.

The steep section led to the col between Ingleborough and Simon Fell, the extensive summit of Ingleborough was easily reached although the extensive view was really too hazy to be photographed. Retracing our steps we then walked back to the unremarkable top of Simon Fell and the equally unimpressive Park Fell. The steep green descent of Park Fell ends at a fascinating limestone formation, the pavement slabs being five feet tall and extravagently shaped.

The only navigation problem of the weekend involved climbing a wall and fence to get back to the Station Inn, poor route planning in a sea of preparation.

The second half of the walk started parallel to the impressive viaduct of the Settle to Carlisle railway, a surprisingly busy railway line which as it disappeared into the hillside tunnels was crossed by a surprisingly interesting aqueduct. On the long paved walk towards the summit of Whernside a new hero emerged, Lorraine led the way at a ferocious pace, only a hero could keep up with her.

At the bottom of the relatively steep descent from the summit the strange flock of sheep observed from across the valley turned out to be white bags of stones waiting to be helicopter lifted off the hillside. Not exciting but a very pleasant walk back to Ribblehead including a section along a dry river bed that might not have been the real path.

Sunday morning started with a drive to Horton, dominated by Foredale Quarry in the South West. Walked through the village past the church and turned left along Long Lane in excellent sunny weather towards the prominent looking Pen-y-ghent. The climb up the nose of Pen-y-ghent provided the only steep hands on climbing of the weekend and only a hero could keep up with Lorraine.

After what seemed a very long walk over boggy ground, passing over Plover Hill the steep descent from the summit eventually leads to the Pennine Way and then onto Hull Pot, a very big hole in the ground.

An easy walk back to Horton and to the Pen-y-ghent cafe for a pint of tea.

Andy Wallace 22nd March 2003

Mixed Routes is a virtual club comprised of members based throughout UK with a mix of outdoor related interests. We originally met through our membership of the internet magazine www.outdoorsmagic.com that has a forum where informed and relevant discussion quickly deteriorates into meaningless but humorous banter.