Yorkshire 3 Peaks
Last Sunday we were joined by Helen, April, and Amy. All were keen to have a go at the mighty Yorkshire 3 Peaks. At 40km and almost 1600 metres of ascent, this isn't one to be taken lightly.
All were clearly fit and used to being in hilly terrain, so this was going to be speedy.
We set off in the dark, but soon the head torches were packed away as the first glimpses of sunlight allowed us more of a view. We made it to the summit of Pen y Ghent just in time for a glorious sunrise, that definitely made the 4.15am alarm call worthwhile.
The long stretch to Ribblehead passed by in a blur, speedy as we were. There was a tea van by the roadside so we stopped for a rest and a brew, that tasted wonderful, a real tonic. A long and steady ascent to Whernside followed, the path was by now quite busy and this slowed our pace a little. A strong and chilly wind blew across the summit ridge but we found shelter by the dry stone wall and enjoyed some of our lunch.
Two down, one to go! Once off the summit the temperature warmed considerably, I think it may have been t-shirt weather for a while, which was nice. The lower slopes of Ingleborough are home to some amazing limestone pavement making the scene all the more wild.
The ascent of Ingleborough is also extremely muddy and slippery, we had to go very carefully on much of the ascent. The terrain improved once on the broad ridge and even becomes rocky again near the summit.
As can be seen in the photo above, views from Ingleborough were far reaching and we absolutely had to spend some time taking it all in.
Home straight now and about 7km of relatively easy walking leads back to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. After such a big day it does feel like a very long 7km, we were all feeling pretty knackered. We were also feeling very happy to have ticked off this mega day and enjoyed some wonderful conditions.
We spent about 11 hours out, never rushing, and taking in the views the whole time.
Thanks to Helen, Amy, and April.
Mark
For more information about a Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge Walk with us have a look here
