Unfortunately on the approach to the final mountain (Ingleborough) I collapsed with dangerously high Blood Pressure and subsequently suffered a TIA, particularly galling as I was on target for a new personal best and sub-ten hour time. So it was inevitable at some point I would return to settle my unfinished business with the Yorkshire Three Peaks in general and Ingleborough in particular. So it was this May, I returned with three of the ill-fated 2015 team and half–dozen Yorkshire Three Peaks virgins for another attempt.
Having previously stopped in the B&B accommodation provided by the pubs in Horton-in-Ribblesdale (The Crown and Golden Lion) this was definitely a budget affair with the Yorkshire Subterranean Society bunkhouse at Hewith Bridge proving accommodation for £6 a night, but with a bed, shower and pub next door, what else do you need?
When we set off on Friday the 5 May, apart from a bitingly cold wind ripping across the summits, we had, for the third time of asking, near perfect weather for the circuit, which can be summarised as follows.
First off almost on immediately leaving Horton, you find yourself beginning the ascent to the summit of Pen-y-ghent at 694m (2277ft), the 8th highest mountain in Yorkshire and 129th highest in England. Great Shunner Fell is actually the 3rd highest in Yorkshire and 98th highest in England, but is some 17 miles away from Whernside and would double the distance of the challenge circuit. As it is there’s a long leisurely descent from Pen-y-ghent towards the Ribblehead Viaduct and Whernside beyond it, which takes around five hours.
Ribblehead viaduct is amazing and well worth a visit if you’re in the area. The Grade II listed structure was designed by engineer John Sydney Crossley for the Midland Railwway and constructed between October 1870 and 1874, opening to rail traffic in 1875. Over 1.5 million bricks were used in constructing the 400m (440 yards) long, and 32m (104 feet) high viaduct with some of the individual limestone blocks used weighing in at 8 tons.
The area surrounding it is a scheduled ancient monument containing the remains of the Navvy settlements (Batty Wife Hole, Sebastopol, and Belgravia) where a 1,000 navvies and their families lived during its construction. A 100 people (10% of the workforce) were killed building it and the navvies also had to contend with smallpox outbreaks in the camps. There are at least 220 graves of navvies and their families in nearby Chaple-le-Dale.
British Rail tried to close the viaduct in the 1980’s citing the cost of maintaining it, sparking a vociferous and successful public campaign to save it and secure its future. It ‘s now one of the highlights of the 72 mile Settle to Carlisle line, widely regarded as the most scenic railway journey in England, if not Britain, along which extremely popular steam excursions run, that’s on my tick list for when I get to old to climb mountains and just have to look at them.
Whernside itself is a long whaleback of mountain and you have to loop around the back of it before walking the entire length of its ridge being buffeted by the wind whipping over it, fortunately on this particular occasion it was blowing us away from the edge of the ridge, not towards it. Despite the leisurely(?) ascent at 736m (2,415ft) it’s the highest mountain in Yorkshire and 84th highest in England. It’s also where I hit my personal wall on this circuit about a third of the way up. Nothing to do, but pop an extra blood pressure tablet, and carry on.
After Whernside you drop into the valley to cross the Roman Road (B6255) and pass through Chaple-le-Dale to begin the at times steep and brutal ascent to Ingleborough’s summit which sees you climbing steps cut into cliff face at one point. Ingleborough at 723m (2,372ft), is the 2nd highest mountain in Yorkshire and 94th in England, although at this point it feels like Everest.
Even having doubled my normal dose of Blood Pressure tablets I’d lying if I said getting up it wasn’t a struggle and I was little grey after reaching the summit. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to friends and colleagues for their support and encouragement in ensuring I made it to the top safely. It was worth it for the stunning views of the Lake District’s fells spread out before me and sun shimmering off the sea over Morecombe bay. Few things have ever felt sweeter than getting the monkey of Ingleborough off my back.
The walk back to Horton is all downhill past one of the most photographed trees in the dales, a solitary tree protruding from the limestone pavements of Borrins Moor. I was going to take a snap, but was a zombie walker running on auto-pilot at this point.
By the time we’d staggered into the pub to eat that evening, we’d all decided that we were never doing the Yorkshire Three Peaks again and that doing the National Three Peaks in September was a really bad idea. By the time breakfast was over the following morning we’d already drawn up a short-list for our next adventure...