Nefyn Coastal walk

'Beaches and cliffs in equal measure'

Date: 8 July 2012                                         Start time: 10:14

Start point: Caeau Capel Hotel, Nefyn - SH306407

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 9.19miles                                      Time: 3:38:35

Route: Turn R out of hotel drive and take path L just after gate. Follow path to coastal cliff top then onto road. Follow road R then cross road ahead at T junction and take upper path along cliff tops that starts next to 'turreted' house. Follow this path round cliff tops out to point of Penhryn Nefyn and along to road that drops R to beach at Morfa Nefyn. Go down to beach and walk W across sands. Walk past houses and a pub at Porth Dinllian and take path over rocks to lifeboat station. Follow path up towards coastguard lookout, being mindful of golf balls from your S. Head to clear track running S alongside golf course fairway. Follow this as it becomes a lane leading to club house. Take road from golf club SE to Morfa Nefyn and take L at crossroads to head N towards beach. Just before beach, take steps R up to cliff top coastal path and follow this back the way you came. However, at lane on compulsory diversion, follow the lane until it turns sharply R and a path goes L through a field to coast. Take path and turn R through gate on leaving field. Follow coastal path back to turreted house and follow first L off road. Follow this road around to hotel start point.

Weather: Mostly mild but with some drizzle, particularly on second half of walk. Clouds were low all around and there was the odd sensation of there appearing to be no clear horizon out to sea because of how the clouds met the water in the distance.

Notes: Porth Nefyn beach has a touch of the idyllic and old fashioned about it. An optimistic cafe and ice cream shop called 'Oasis' complete with wind battered palm trees is at one end of the beach and a neat little harbour with white washed fisherman's cottages at the other end, with a line of colourful little cabins backed up to the sea wall in between. It has probably been the inspiration for many photographs and paintings from Victorian times, and it was the least tired looking part of the town really. Along the path above the bay were many monument benches to those who had clearly loved the place and possibly lost their lives nearby. Unfortunately for some, the placement wasn't always great. A couple fronted up to overgrown shrubbery masking the sea views, and one bench very oddly faced inland looking at a field and some houses.

If Porth Nefyn was picturesque, Porth Dinllean was picture postcard perfect. The painted red pub framed by cottages, fronted by a variety of boats and with sandy beach to rest on and green cliffs behind - it looks almost the perfect little seaside resort for those who loath crowds. Even to get there by car meant driving through a golf course, so secluded was this little bay. And just around the headland by the lifeboat station was an even more secluded perfectly golden sandy cove.

Seabirds were in abundance round the Porth Dinllean headland with its rocky outcrops, but my recently found bravery with birds was seriously put to the test by one bird - I think it was maybe a wren. I must have wandered close to its nest as it came squawking and swooping at me from above. I scarpered sharpish away to a little further inland and literally landed on a putting green - the map doesn't quite show it by Nefyn and District Golf Club comes right out onto the headland with a short par three teeing off from the coastguard lookout and a shared fairway of one hole out and another back in filling the width of the headland. The paths went very close to some of the greens and there is certainly the chance to be hit if the golfer doesn't do what is probably necessary and shoot it low under the winds. We saw one golfer get close on the par three, whilst his lady companion seemed to get away with a provisional shot on each hole. She seemed like an annoying snobbish kept woman. The coastguard was nice though, he told s they sometimes get dolphins and have seals turning up regularly. He thought he saw one whilst we we talking with him, but we didn't see it. I was disappointed not to see anything on our walks around this part of the coast as I expected it most here. Apparently they were more likely to appear at low tide, but it seemed we always caught the tide coming in. 

The golf course was quite impressive, running right along the cliff tops and up the head land. A shared fairway ran up the headland that was barely wider than a decent sized garden at its narrowest and you could see the bays on both sides standing on the middle of it.

Notes on Nefyn: Lets start with the Caeau Capel Hotel - the weirdest hotel I've ever stayed at. From the outside it looked like a once rather wonderful home or hotel had faded to something rather unloved and untended to. On the back was an extension that in 1970 would have looked thoroughly modern and tasteful. In 2012 it looks more out of place and ugly than stylish and modern. The decor, artwork and ornaments were all pretty awful and very out dated. The 'cocktail lounge' was open once for a brief period during the whole weekend we were there. We first saw this room in the dark and were rather firghtened by the life size model/mannequin in the corner all armoured up. The owner/hostess Ruth Stagg seemed as mental as some of the hideous paintings and porcelain animals she had on display. She was of foreign origin, somewhere like France maybe, but she spoke so fast that she was hard to follow. On a better note, the rest of the staff (apart from her rude southern husband) were very nice, the bed was comfortable, the shower was decent and the breakfast was good.
The hotel - old, tired, in need of a touch up - was a fair reflection of the town really. A lot of houses through the main road seemed up for sale, shop premises were boarded up or empty, and the roads were in the process of an upgrade. There seemed to be only one pub (that was attached to a hotel and restaurant) in business, another one was closed down. There was an Indian restaurant called 'Little India'. We ate there, the prices were reasonable and the food was quite good. I liked the samosas, which were amongst the nicest I've ever had. Emma had a house unique curry that was good. I had a reasonable Pathia. We had the stupid desserts that you only find in Asian food outlets. Little India was the only place we were sure was open in the own. There were two cafes we never saw open and a chip shop, as well as two convenience stores. The peninsula brewery was also based here - I had a few of their beers in Aberdaron and they were good, but the bottles we saw for sale were really pricey. The seafront was nice, but I've described that in the notes on the above walk.
I would say Nefyn was the least favoured place we visited. The lack of places to eat and drink was disappointing. So much so that we left the town on our second evening. We wanted to visit Whistling Sands but the weather prevented us on our way to Nefyn, so when the sun shone on the Saturday we took our chance. We stopped for food on the way in Tudweiliog at The Lion Hotel. The food was very good. Emma had gammon and I had rib-eye. The meat was perfectly done. The pudding was brilliant too - I had a toffee, fudge and ice cream creation that was one of the nicest desserts I've ever had in a pub. On from there was Whistling Sands (Porth Oer). I would really recommend a visit here - the sand really does whistle (well, its more of a yelp or a squeak but that wouldn't have the same ring to it) and the bay looks perfect and unspoiled once you're past the little shop. You'll start to wonder why all sand doesn't make noise - that's the one drawback really, all normal sand will now become disappointing! 

Yr Eifl & Tre'r Ceiri

'The peninsula's high point and it's little sisters'

Date: 7 July 2012                                              Start time: 10:35

Start point: Car park off lane north of Llithfaen - SH353440

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 7.64miles                                           Time: 5:18:20

Route: Turn R out of car park onto road for a short way then take clear bridleway L for roughly 1/2 mile until you reach apparent highest point of track at cross roads of paths. Take bridleway L, staying R on main track past huts L, round to concrete steps. Take steps to mast. First go R to head around heathery plateau, then back to mast and past steps to clearing. Here, take path L of fence up rocky slightly exposed faint path as it climbs and winds N-NE to summit cairn. Follow route back to steps and to path cross roads. Take obvious path up Yr Eifl. Path disappears when you reach rock scree, so just make a way up through scree and towards clear summit cairn. Walk around minor summit viewpoints to W/SW of cairns, then take faint path as it descends and heads E as you drop down to reach and cross wall L. Follow this faint path to Tre'r Ceiri W entrance. Explore fort and circle huts and follow path to NE cairn then drop down SW in direction of Llithfaen. Leave fort and follow through wall. At second wall/gate take fainter path R and head in direction of distant wall, staying R until path R at fork starts to raise up hill NW. At this fork take L path W. Over brow, you'll see the car park. Follow paths to car park, but before getting back in your car head into the plantation wood. Make way NW through trees to fence on edge of wood and go through access land. Continue NW to 'settlement' on OS map. At settlement, head E through woods then take marked route S from picnic area back to car park.

Weather: Mostly clear and sunny, no rain and no low cloud. Quite warm but still with slight chill following cold wet weather of previous day. Visibility was very good - you could literally see length and breadth of the peninsula. The bulky masses of Snowdonia (covered in cloud) to the east, Mynydd Mawr and Mynydd Anelog to the west, and all the peninsula in between, including Criccieth Castle.

Under foot was largely dry, but wettest on the way up Yr Eifl and quite boggy in parts descending from Tre'r Ceiri.

Notes: The most notable thing from this walk was the way man has affected the landscape around us and how this can enhance as well as damage the views and our experience of the natural environment. The most modern was the biggest eyesore - a mast on Yr Eifl's minor peak. Other than this, everything else man made was an enhancement, from the Iron Age hill fort dating back possibly over two thousand years in its oldest parts, to the new looking Yr Eifl summit adournment (a figure 4 with letters A and H coming off it). The surrounding areas to the west and east of the smaller northern summit are heavily quarried, I understand this was for their granite. The west quarry looks old as has been closed for years and grassed over with derelict ruins scattering the site. The east quarry looks more recent and possibly still in use. Trefor pier is another man made site that can be seen. The Tre'r Ceiri hill fort needs more discussion - supposedly it's one of the best preserved hill forts of it's time and age in Europe. Most finds at the site relate to the Roman period in the first few centuries AD, but some dating has suggested occupation as early as 100BC. The ramparts are clear and a large number of circle hut foundations / remains exist. It really is a well preserved site and something that I would say is a must see for visitors for the area.

People is the second thing to note - there weren't that many of them given this is the highest point on the peninsula, it was a clear day here but not in Snowdonia, you could see Cardigan Bay and Caernarfon Bay and all between the two. However, the ones we did see were noteworthy. A very nice couple staying on the west of the peninsula had been looking up to Yr Eifl for a week waiting for a clear day. They took a picture of us and discussed the wonder of seeing such a well preserved ancient site. We also saw a site nearer the coast at the end of the walk which didn't benefit from the same conservation program of Tre'r Ceiri, that was also quite well preserved considering this lack conservation.

Emma fell over in the heather, which was funny, especially as she wasn't hurt. There was a lot of heather on the flanks of Yr Eifl.

Oh, and the Swiss or German or some kind of European couple were too amusing to miss out. Firstly, I think they got lost looking for Tre'r Ceiri as they started shouting at us from a distant rise that wasn't Tre'r Ceirir. Secondly, there were ill-equipped fpr the boggy conditions as she had some slip-ons and he had some moccasins on their feet - clearly they hadn't seen the rain the day before. Thirdly, we weren't sure they made it to the fort as they stopped at a sodden gateway below the fort and the female wasn't impressed from what we could gather.

Aberdaron Lands End

'Holiday walk No.1'

Date: 5 July 2012                                          Start time: 10:56

Start point: Dwyros Campsite, Aberdaron - SH167265

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 11.58miles                                     Time: 6:04:27

Route: Take lane opposite campsite. Follow this past two houses then take small bridge L opposite third house. Follow clear path S, ignoring path L that drops to beach. Continue S keeping Sea and cliffs on L, fence and fields on R. Pass through kissing gates and descend steps to Porth Meudwy slipway, then ascend steps on opposite side and follow clear but slightly more overgrown than before cliff top path. After short distance, just after you round a well foliage covered crevasse and pass through a kissing gate, the path splits. Take the higher path to rocky outcrop and follow over rocks and it drops to meet the lower path before a stepped ascent. Continue on clear path keeping sea L to Pen y Cil. Path climbs up as you turn W then N a short way to a gate and briefly out of National Trust land to cross the R side of field in W direction. Head back into National Trust maintained land. Follow clearest path ahead, first going SW to earthworks then NW away form them, following coast line shape but from a short distance from cliff edges. Follow path with fields up to R above and sea below L over the back of Porth Felen and across a small stream. Go uphill between Trwyn y Gwyddel (on L) and Mynydd y Gwddel (on R) to dip in land with stream contained. After crossing stream drop down L on path to St Mary's Well and then return back to coastal path. Head NW and uphill towards hut circles shown on OS map. Head into straight gorge and climb out to R of opening, then turn L and head uphill over concrete foundations and up man made steps to the observation hut atop Mynydd Mawr. At end of wall line, follow faint path to clear path leaving road on R. Take this L away from road and along top of cliff line. At the end of this path, follow faint path down in E-SE direction and across sea facing side of Llanllawen Fawr into fields that leave National Trust land. Path drops to spring/stream and you cross a small wooden bridge. After bridge, turn L to pebbled beach at Ogof Goch. Head back to bridge but don't cross it and take path ahead that winds uphill and L. Follow this path through gates, with fields on R. Path rises along W side of Mynydd Arelog. You reach stone wall on R with small house further R. Continue past the wall on to wide track. When track turns R follow in this direction past small house L through gate, into farm yard. Head into field to your R in front of farm buildings. Follow fence on L of field and turn L through gate. Here you should take R edge of field, over the dyke, to small gate with overgrown path that leads to the road (we were concerned by the overgrown path so headed L in field and went up farm drive to meet road). Follow tarmac road for about 1/1.5 miles back to entrance of campsite.

Weather: Warm and humid, particularly where foliage was fully grown over pathways. Dry, more sun than we realised and barely any wind to speak of. Still damp and often very muddy in patches underfoot on paths. Visibility was very good except for brief sea mist on higher parts of W end of headland. In-land, you could see almost all of the peninsula clearly and views extended to the peaks of Snowdonia and the Cambrian Mountains.

Notes: The views across Aberdaron Bay and back to the village itself during the first section of the walk were brilliant - an idyllic crescent bay. The path has now joined with the Wales Coast Path and is largely well maintained. After the slipway on the first section, it does become more overgrown. It was a shame sections were so muddy as this did take some of the enjoyment away, with it causing concerns about footing and diversions of the path at times. 

As well as making things more colourful and humid, the weather combined with foliage seemed to really encourage the crickets out into son - particularly in the National Trust maintained areas, and most notably on the east edge of the headland. You could really hear the crickets' song, although as I'm no Sheldon or Howard I wasn't able to identify the particular species.

All around the headland the various coves were spectacular and interesting. All were a little different, with some playing home to seabirds, others being thick with plant life, some having little stoney beaches, and others with steep rock faces and sharp jagged rock formations breaking the sea. The ones you could get down to didn't offer a great feeling of peaceful retreat or isolated beach cove, but did give you a different perspective on the rocks and cliffs around you, helping you to appreciate more of the way the sea shapes the land. The water in the coves was an almost tropical green-blue, particularly in the south of the headland. One interesting feature was what looked like a man made outcrop, possibly a sea level well or turret, between Porth y Pistyll and Hen Both, but this like so much else would need to be fully investigated form sea level - an option not open to us.

As mentioned in the route description, much of the headland is maintained by the National Trust. We did donate some change in one of the many honesty boxes along the route. The signs and posters describing the work done to maintain the land kind of guilts you into donating, but the National Trust does some great work and helps provide on of the most interesting features on this walk - the observation hut atop Mynydd Mawr. It used o be a coast guard look out until 1990. It was also used to look out for threats during WWII. Now it seems mostly used for bird watching. The rather poor looking concrete foundations on the way up Mynydd Mawr were also set to house WWII observation points, but it seems they were never completed, or the buildings have since come to pass. These sites do serve as a reminder of our nations history.

Another pointer to the history of this land was the ancient earthworks and field edgings. Its unclear what exactly was here to my untrained eyes, but its something worth looking into. (Google didn't help me much.) 

Animals and insects need noting further - mainly my lack of fear shown to them. There were lots of birds, some coming near to us and most of them hovering around with a predatory look to them - but I barely flinched. Similarly, Emma barely took notice of the many creepy crawly little friends we made every time we stopped for a snack. Also, it being Wales, there were lots of sheep. One sheep served to irritate and then entertain us in equal measure as it had separated itself from its friends, but seemed reticent to pass us when not receiving any replies to it's many bleats. Eventually it summed up the courage, or remembered it's sense of direction, and passed us to return to the flock, who collectively gathered around on its return - we speculated that it was either to hear the tale of woe experienced, or to take the mickey.

Talk of animals brings me to my most negative and frustrating note - the farm and the hidden path. The farm yard was full of dogs and chickens which were so noisy and distracting we missed the path in front of the barn and were rudely instructed by a farmer lady sat in her car to go the right way, and she never did anything about the dogs snapping towards us. We calmly dealt with this and accepted our fate of having to go through a field hosting cows and ducks. Again, we calmly negotiated this, overcoming our collected fear of cows from events of walks past. We just about left this field before the cows came looking for us, more out of curiosity than menace I assumed. Now we had to figure out how to continue on our way but the Country Walking Mag directions weren't great at this point. We found a gate but what lay beyond it was so overgrown I couldn't believe it was the path, and if it was, I wasn't sure how to get through. We made quickly for the farm exit and did so as swiftly as we could before the rude farmers spotted us. It wasn't a pleasant five minutes or so but thankfully it didn't ruin the walk.

So as not to make the last noteworthy thing of this walk be a negative point, I've held off discussing the islands you see throughout the walk. Ynys Gwylan-fawr and smaller Ynys Gwylan-bach in Aberdaron Bay and Bardsey Island / Ynys Enlli off to the south west. The Gwylan pair are seen throughout the first part of the walk. They don't have any man made feature on them and are probably quite a haven for sea dwelling birds. At Pen y Cil you turn and start to leave these two behind as Bardsey comes into view. The ruins of the old abbey, the destination of pilgrims in years past, are visible from the mainland even for the naked eye. Further round the headland you get views all across the little island right down to the lighthouse on its south end. The cottages you can stay in on the nature reserve island weren't clear to make out - its a nature reserve due to the birds that call this island home, so I couldn't see myself staying out there.

Notes on Aberdaron: The village had two shops. The Spar shop was particularly useful, and a couple of gift shops were there too but we didn't go in these. The Spar had a store mascot of sorts - a four foot tall heron that sat on the roof during opening hours. There was also a bakery and a post office, and two cafes - Hen Blas Cafe we didn't go in, and Y Gregin Fawr (The Big Kitchen) where pilgrims used to stop and eat before crossing to Bardsey. The staff were nice, the building was clearly old and had low wooden beams supporting the low roof in a small upstairs dining area. The tea, cakes and lunch were all very nice. It seemed pricey to me, but it was probably normal cafe prices - which I always feel are expensive for what you're getting.

There were two pubs - The Ship Hotel that had decent beer and was quite well decorated to a nautical theme, with the bar shaped like the hull of a ship, and Gwesty Ty Newydd (The New House) that also had very nice beer and a balcony/beer garden that sat right out over the beach. The drinks prices were reasonable in both but the food menu prices looked a little expensive, although the specials were more reasonably priced so maybe they just have to operate that way out on a limb as they are. The beers I tried were all Welsh ales - the Peninsula's own brewery proving to be my favourite. It was amazing to sit on the balcony of an evening watching the tide come in. The small waves had a really clean break all along the beach in this almost perfectly shaped wide cove - some looked to get over 2 feet high before breaking, surfing for beginners maybe.

Alongside, there was St Hywyn's Church - a tiny church building with a nicely kept graveyard rising up the cliffs from the beach.

Two rivers met in the village centre, and were at full flow when we arrived. Up the rivers you could see rich green valleys that were almost hidden from view other than at the river joint. The rivers met and flowed through the beach into the sea, a sea that has clearly shaped this landscape and to the east of the village were some naturally formed caves that we didn't get chance to explore.

The Dwyros campsite was very good - £12 per night for tents, with good facilities in a fairly new looking toilet block. Improvements were ongoing but I didn't feel that much needed doing. a reasonable sized camping field had the best views over the bay from high up above the village. The site had a decent sized caravan field, largely occupied by season-ticket holders who've left their unmanned caravans in situ and a number of staic caravans were available for rent from the site.

Speaking of 'for rent', that brings me to another observation of Aberdaron. It seemed that at least half the village property was available for rent as a holiday let, including the very grand appearing old post office building in the village centre. 

Finally, the primary school bus looked just like the bus in Fireman Sam, so this clearly is an accurate cartoon depicting small town / village life in Wales.

Tilberthwaite Fells

'An early summer ramble'

Date: 26 May 2012                                          Start time: 10:06

Start point: Tilberthwaite Car Park - NY305011

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 9.66miles                                        Time: 7:55:49

Route: From car park, follow road N for a short distance to group of houses and follow public footpath around back of these, turning L where track splits. Turn R before small stream and follow path up to wall stile and cross stile. Follow path N/NW, keeping wall on L, down to Greenburn Beck. Cross stream using small wooden bridge. Follow path which arches W up grassy shoulder to Wet Side Edge. Follow ridge line with steep drops to your L, heading S over Great Carrs, around Top of Broad Slack, stopping off at the Halifax Bomber memorial before short walk E to Swirl How. Scramble down the Prison Band to large cairn at Swirl Hause, then take clear path ENE to summit of Wetherlam. Follow faint steep path NE down Wetherlam Edge until ground flattens at Birk Fell Hawse and take path E. Between cairns on slight raise, take path which drops S (faint dotted path on OS Map). Path reaches small ruins in large meadow. Path curves round to S with meadow on your R. Follow path ahead, with Tilberthwaite Gill dropping steeply on your R. You reach a gate, which takes you through to the path behind the houses form the start of the walk. From here, retrace route from earlier along road short way to car park.

Weather: Warm, sunny and windy. Very hot when out of the wind, very strong winds at the top of the ridge. Wind was from SE, but always found a way either form the S or the E to get to you on the route. The sky was cloudless and visibility was excellent - from the Northern Fells, to the Isle of Man, across Morecambe Bay and to Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales.

Notes: Although already discussed above, the first thing to note is the quality of the visibility and wide-ranging views. It felt like you could see the whole Lakeland, with views of almost all the major ranges and iconic fells. I enjoyed simply looking around most of all. The first views over the west of Little Langdale valley the Blea Tarn with the Langdale Pikes beyond were brilliant. As was looking between Crinkle Crags and Pike of Blisco toward Bow Fell. To top this off were views of Skiddaw and Blencathra poking through to the north and long range views of Isle of Man and Ingleborough. Heysham Power station was one negative about the views, and Blackpool Tower couldn't be made out on the extreme southern horizon unfortunately.

Greenburn Beck was a real treat for our feet, even though it cam less than two miles in to our walk. The water was clear and mild, reflecting the high temperatures. Plenty of factor 30 was used. The break really refreshed us for the long slow climb up to Great Carrs. On the hill top, I would comment on the number of false summits to our first Wainwright. All are named on the map and to be expected, but Emma wasn't reading the map and found these very frustrating. The tops were rocky enough to find some cover from the very strong winds.

The wind did help blow us towards the Halifax Bomber memorial, which we might have missed on other days. This is where a plane on training exercise crashed in 1944 - a reminder of the danger the beautiful Lakeland can bring. Combine this with views of Coniston Water, synonymous with the ill-fated Bluebird, and the lady we saw who opened her chin falling on the Prison Band, and the variety of dangers is even more apparent.

Summiting Swirl How felt like a personal achievement, if only because of a few previous attempts were foiled by either waning energy, adverse weather, or less willing companions. The summit cairn is notable, a kind of pepper pot like construction. It's large and well sited almost directly central to the sweeping ridge overlooking Greenburn Beck. It looks to have been developed since the sketches of A. Wainwright.

The descents of both Prison Band and Wetherlam Edge were enjoyable and scrambly at times, particularly Wetherlam Edge which seemed to take an age for us but barely any time for the group who left the summit just in front. I'm no climber or mountaineer, but I do enjoy the feel of hands on rock, only at a sensible pace and where ropes and technical equipment isn't needed.

From Dry Cove Bottom (an ironic name for such a boggy meadow type area) Wetherlam does look an impressive hump of rock, but by the quietness of this path I'm guessing not a lot of people see it in this perspective. This is a shame because they miss some interesting disused mining and quarry sites and some well guarded deep in roads into the rock, which appear to have served this industrial purpose, albeit on a smaller scale than you see in other parts of the Lakes. They would also miss the picturesque (and almost tropical-like on a day like this) Tilberthwaite Gill and the waterfall it houses. I couldn't see any obvious way up to the perfect pools which eventually run out over the slate remnants of quarries of yesteryear that line and surround Yewdale Beck.

Langdale Pikes

'One walk, five Wainwrights, countless views'

Date: 14 April 2012                                         Start time: 9:33

Start point: Stickle Ghyll National Trust Car Park, Langdale - NY295064

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 6.93miles                                        Time: 6:28:19

Route: From car park, head out of E end past Sticklebarn Tavern. Emerge from pub car park at New Dungeon Ghyll and turn L. Go through gate at top of lane and head out of NW gate of small paddock. Follow path NW up Stickle Ghyll past waterfalls. Clear and well laid out path takes you up ghyll and over footbridge past larger waterfalls. Path up either side of stream, with some disintegration higher up, so cross stream on occasion. You end up with stream to R and you emerge at dam S of Stickle Tarn. Cross stones across stream and follow E side of tarn around to Bright Beck. Follow path beside beck and cross over stones to path leading to 'North Rake', which is a rocky path W towards summit of Pavey Ark. At top of North Rake, head short distance S over rocks and buried stone walls to highest point of rocky crag which makes up summit of Pavey Ark (Wainwright 1). From here head W towards rocky clump that is Thunacar Knott. Cross boggy depression between Pavey Ark and it's parent fell and pick up a path to Thunacar Knott summit (Wainwright 2). Harrison Stickle, tallest of the Langdale Pikes, is the clear peak to SSE. Follow faint path across marshy depression in direction of Harrison Stickle (Wainwright 3). Head N back to junction of paths and head W towards distinct mound of Pike of Stickle down short, sharp, steep descent then along clear path to foot of rocky knoll of Pike of Stickle. Follow path up side of knoll and pick a route to scramble to top. We chose short scramble up north side of summit - some scrambling is involved on the last stage of all ascents to Pike of Stickle (Wainwright 4). Head back to base of final ascent and follow path at R of two E heading paths. This is SEE path to rocky outcrop along ridge edge which is Loft Crag (Wainwright 5). Head short distance SE from summit then turn L down short rocky gully towards cairned path. Head NEE to slight raise of Thorn Crag (not a Wainwright) to complete Langdale Pikes then go back to cairned path and follow this steeply S initially then path winds W down Mark Gate, with views of Dungeon Ghyll N. Path heads through a couple of gates before you get back to paddock at foot of Stickle Ghyll. From here follow route short distance back to car park.

Weather: Bright, clear and mild mostly, with very clear visibility and largely blue skies. Some snow on higher surrounding peaks but warm in sunshine. A couple of windy and wintry showers of hail and light snow. Brief periods of grey skies and colder temperatures during wintry showers but changeable periods were only very short.

Notes: I've enjoyed all the walks I've written about so far, but this is probably the best up to now. The great thing about the Langdale Pikes is the variety of sights and tops in close proximity, with five Wainwrights to boot. 

Stickle Ghyll is a mix of well made paths and eroding paths as you criss-cross the stream. It's fairly steep in sections and littered with waterfalls, some very impressive and 20ft+ in height. An alternative route than the rebuilt 'tourist' path is the scrambly route up the stream, which I wouldn't have thought of on a water flowing spring day if one middle aged chap didn't run past me to take that route. It was interesting watching him consider climbing up the rock wall almost within one waterfall. Sensibly he gave up on this when I had the mobile phone ready to call mountain rescue, and he took the scree beside the fall.

Walking up this ghyll we also saw the remarkable sight of a sheep dog rounding up the herd on a hillside, with distant calls from his shepherd below. From barely noticing any sheep on the slopes opposite us, it changed to seeing a big moving collective within a few minutes. Countryside activities such as this seem forgotten arts in today's celebrity and drama driven media, no more One Man and His Dog on TV, but this was an interesting and refreshing watch.

On arriving at Stickle Tarn, it has the classic look of a high up fell side tarn, almost heart shaped with steep rock faces round the top as you look, flat banks on the opposite side, feeding towards the downstream ghyll. The impressive craggy topped Pavey Ark rises steeply from the northern shore of the tarn, with the taller Harrison Stickle looming in the West. The only negative of this tarn was the bogginess and path erosion off the NE edge, which was unfortunately part of the route and the only disappointing part.

Looking at Pavey Ark, the preferable route to the top isn't exactly obvious. Jack's Rake, scrambling across the face, doesn't emerge until you head towards the NE end of Stickle Tarn. Easy Gully is a visible break in the rock face but looks steep and anything but what the name suggests when looking it in the face. We took North Rake over the eastern shoulder of the fell. This route was fun - not straightforward walking, but not scrambling either, hands were maybe used once or twice but weren't totally necessary. Finding the summit of Pavey Ark is tough with its array of rocky platforms and no clear marker of a high point, but I think I found it.

Thunacar Knott was a different experience. Its a broad dull bump that Wainwright only feels deserves mention as the parent fell of Pavey Ark. I agree, although the views west over Bow Fell, Esk Pike, the Scafells and Great Gable are impressive and enjoyable. Snow frosted tops were great to see from here. In all other directions the views were pleasant but more of a rolling nature.

Harrison Stickle is the tallest Langdale. The little hop to the narrow ridge that features its summit is enjoyable. The view to Pavey Ark with Stickle Tarn below were enjoyable, but on this day my favourite view was the southern aspect towards Wetherlam and Swirl How. The snow on the top of Broad Slack and the Prison Band looked impressive, especially on the occasions that brief gloomy grey clouds sat behind them.

Pike of Stickle is a funny hump of a hill, a rocky knob that rises from the marshy land around, but an exciting place. From the north-north-west to the east-south-east it can only be accessed by proper climbers, and from any directions the last few metres to the top involve a few scrambly steps. I was very proud of Emma who managed this task easily and without panic, probably defying her own expectations. The wind had picked up briefly so we only paused long enough to quickly check out the views over to the higher hills in the west and get a summit photo.

Loft Crag and Thorn Crag finished off the high level part of this walk before descending via Mark Gate with the Langdale valley and views over Windermere opening out in front of us. Other than some fearless kids 'bumping' down the mountainside, the most notable sight on the way down was Dungeon Ghyll waterfall. Tall and slim, but not particularly powerful. Unfortunately you couldn't get too close without going way off path.

The Lakeland journey was rounded off with some food in Emma's favourite, Wainwrigths Inn. She is still banging on about the lamb, and the broccoli and stilton soup was pretty good too.

And I forgot to mention the fell runner we saw. Somehow he had gotten himself two miles further west than he intended and was ruing setting off with only a small print out and no OS map. A lesson really - always take a map!

Great Knoutberry Hill

'Solo trek to Dales and rail'

Date: 13 Mar 2012                                        Start time: 10:42

Start point: Lay-by on Coal Road at end of a bridleway - SD779880

Walker: Mark Illingworth

Distance: 7.29miles                                      Time: 3:32:52

Route: Head SSW through gate onto bridleway. Follow clear path to apparently dis-used animal pen with an old pre-CRoW Act 2000 signage showing a permitted footpath to top of the hill alongside wire fence. Follow faint track E, with fence L, over and around peat bog areas. Take sligh detour R at Pikes Edge to see large cairns, then head E again to rejoin fence line. At trig point, cross over two stiles (L then R) to summit bench/shelter, then back to trig point. Follow drystone wall SW with wall on your L. Follow this downhill all the way to clear bridleway which crosses your path after a wall stile. Head WSW to bridleway cross-roads. Head trough gate and continue ahead downhill down Arten Gill towards viaduct. After admiring viaduct, head back up bridleway towards cross-roads. Turn L to follow bridleway N then W then N again back to lay-by through a number of gates.

Weather: Dry but cloudy, making vivibility not great. Misty from 400-600m, no long ranging views above 600m so poor visibility from fell top. Light westerly winds, not cold but nippy higher up when in clouds.

Notes: I liked the drive up Dentdale to the station and beyond. I didn't stop in the village but I would like to go another time, there looked to be a couple of ale houses of interest. The church looked to be the largest building in the village, larger than you would expect for somewhere this size. The most interesting feature of this picturesque Dales village was it's cobbled streets - I don't think I had ever driven over cobbles before. I liked it, there was the feel of something traditional and long-standing, unchanged by our modern ways. The station is also noteworthy as the highest mainline station in England. I couldn't get much of a look, there was some building wok being carried out on the station house.

Of the walk itself, the first notable point is the part of the route that reminds you just how recently we were given the benefit of Access Land with the CRoW Act in 2000 - A sign from the mid-90s showed a permissive footpath tot he hill top, but the land it sits on is Access Land, so free for me to roam at my pleasure as almost all the high ground is in the Dales National Park. This access meant I could freely explore the cairns at Pikes Edge on route to the summit. The main cairn nearest to the path was in good order, they all looked large and well formed, though some had withstood the weathering better than others. The thing is, I couldn't see the point of them. They ran largely north-south, but not in an arrow straight line. They didn't mark a route over the hill, this path went west from here and main bridleways were far away. They werne't to warn of any notably dangerous terrain, they were a safe distance from the worst peat bogs and no cliffs or gullies are nearby. Walls and a fence marked farmland boundaries. I really don't know what they are there for. Even he stone didn't look right - it was darker and browner in appearnace tha the limestones traditional to the area.

Back to the peat bogs, they added a certain distance to my trip over the summit. At times on the ascent the best option was to hop over the fence to the less boggy side. The hill top was quite flat so felt vast and open, which is perfect conditions for a bog on an English hilltop. Hollows and ravines formed from the bogs were a common sight. The boggiest patch might well have been saved for surrounding the trig point. It wasn't an OS trig point, it was short and squat and looked more of a well than a cairn, and to get to it meant using wood and stones as a stepping stone pathment.

Apparently three dales and all three of the Yorkshire Three Peaks are visible from this top on a clear day, but this wasn't a clear day, I dind't even get to see the Widdale Tarns not far below.

Birds normally scare me, but the two types I experienced on this day weren't too bad. A family of some sort of song bird looked quite pretty even as they swooped around me looking for a place to settle. The other type were a bird of prey by the looks of them. What I liked about these was the noise they made sounded like a short-wave radio or a walkie-talkie changing frequency. It was a new bird sound on me.

Possibly the star attraction of the walk, given the lack of a view, was the Artengill Viaduct at the bottom of the well restored Arten Gill bridleway. It really is a classic feat of Victorian engineering, just as the whole Settle-Carlisle line seems to be. 11 arches, 117ft high, 220yards long, with a decent waterfall coming through underneath it too, this is a fine example of nature and man combining to make something more impressive than either would have had they this piece of land to themselves.

I only encountered two other people on this walk - two Yorkshire farmers who I couldn't understand at all when they spoke. They were rebuilding a drystone wall to stop their sheep getting to the stream away form their field. If farmers were as friendly and comprehensible as your common walker I would have stopped and spoken with them about this almost lost art of simple construction, but I thought better of it. Still, it was good to see this craftsmanship going on in the Dales, where walls appeared increasingly replaced by fences. It wouldn't look as Postman Pat if it wasn't littered with drystone wall lined lanes - which reminds me, I saw a postman doing his daily round on the cobbled streets of Dent. He had a red van, but no black and white cat that I could see. If I lived in the Dales I would call my postman Pat whatever their name actually was.

Pen-y-ghent

'A misty jaunt up Yorkshire's third peak'

Date: 26 Feb 2012                                            Start time: 11:04

Start point: Verge at south end of Horton-in-Ribblesdale - SD813720

Walkers: Mark Illingworth, Emma Lever

Distance: 7.30miles                                          Time: 3:45:08

 

Route: Walk round cresent shaped lane towards village church. Cross main road and head NE along tarmac road past School (R). At farm buildings, turn L up eroded grassy footpath. Follow path E through a number of gates and stiles as path becomes stonier and slabbed in places. At gate which meets 'Pennine Way' running S->N alongside a wall, turn L to walk N up clear stepped path all the way to summit trig point. At summit, cross wall at gate-stile to continue on 'Pennine Way'. Follow path as it turns W away from limestone cliff. After a double stiled wall, head NNE in direction of Hull Pot. Walk around large pot hole area then trace steps back S to 'Pennine Way', which becomes an off-road lane between two walls in S/SW direction back to Hortin-in-Ribblesdale. When 'Pennine Way' meets main road, turn L to walk S back towards church. Cross road back to crescent shaped lane.

Weather: Hill fog, turning to very occasional drizzle at times. Very poor visability, especially higher ground. Not warm, but not too cold except when wind pushed drizzle into your face. Winds were quiet until you reached 'Pennine Way' where strength increased, dropping again at lower ground near Hull Pot.

Notes: With the weather as it was we couldn't get the full feel of the limestone laden surroundings. Driving via Austwick allowed for a Postman Pat like Yorkshire Dales feeling, rather than three-peaks walking country Yorkshire Dales, especially as the iconic shapes of the three highest tops couldn't be made out at any point of the day, so farms and walled lanes were what drew the eye.

The path up to Pen-y-ghent from Horton was the three-peaks path so it was very well travelled. The path back being  the Pennine Way was similarly obvious, well-travelled and sort of a tourist route feel came to the journey. this sometimes bothers me, but not today. The claggy hill fog made visibility non-existent from the 400m contour so the simple navigation of an obvious well made path helped somewhat.

I enjoyed how the limestone becomes part of the landscape and part of the path up Pen-y-ghent. It added variety to the walk and you got so close to it small areas that you had so much to look at at least.

Pen-y-ghent is really a steady stroll up through sometimes boggy farmland followed by a steep clamber up a well laid out staircase of a path. The best part of this staircase isn't the helpful man-made sections, but the sections where the rocks making up the hill themself offer a simple but fun clamber to the next level of path. This was my favourite section of the walk, only slightly dampened by the young leader of a group of teenagers, who was wierdly friendly and enthusiastic in a way that simultaneously annoys you but makes you feel sorry for them as they possibly have very few friends. The children themselves were polite and it was nice to see so many people enjoying the hill even on a grey day in February. I think the group with a small dog who frequently exchanged places with us on the journey, and the three generations of one Yorkshire family with their curious pooch 'Bracken' will also stick in my memory - not least because the latter group helped us find Hull Pot.

Hull Pot was largely the inspiration for this journey, we'd seen it in all its gushing glory on Stuart Maconie's documentary about the Pennine Way of Wainwright. Unfortunately we seem to miss the times when falls like this are at their best. Hull Pot Beck was almost dry and but for a small cascade in the north-east corner of the chasm there was no water drama in sight. I was disappointed by what we saw, which I shouldn't really have been. Here was still an impressive and unique gaping pot hole with no clear way down and no real explanation as to how it opened up when the land surrounding was so level and grassy.

Horton-in-Ribblesdale itself was an ok village. Not ugly, but not chocolate box. I liked the out houses to the village church as they had an aged charm to them. The church itself would have looked better if they hadn't fixed the roof on what appeared to be the quick and easy.

We only got the above from Hull Pot, a Google image search will give you some more exciting images. The Stuart Maconie TV programme was called Wainwright's Long Walk, it aired in Autumn 2011 on the BBC. I'm not sure if you can get the whole thing online somewhere to watch.