TWO of the ‘Dales 30’ mountains lie to the south of Hawes making for an enjoyable and satisfying circular walk.
Both mountain summits are often neglected even though good tracks pass close by.
Start the walk by parking in the museum car park or on the road next to the Wensleydale Creamery and head south/uphill towards the neighbouring village of Gayle. Continue past one of the earliest cotton mills, Gayle Mill, which is well worth a visit on another occasion.
Where the road meets the bridge in Gayle turn right (west) and follow it for 400m to a further road junction just after the road has turned south. Cross the road and follow the path 100m alongside a wall before turning at right angles, cross a still and follow this for 300m to the start of Gaudy Lane.
This is the Pennine Way, possibly the most famous and certainly the longest established long distance footpath in England, stretching for over 260 miles from the Peak District to the English/Scottish border.
For the next three miles follow the footpath (initially a walled lane, then a footpath across fields before turning in to a farm track) as it steadily climbs up the hillside. The gradient is never steep and the views all around improve with every step. My favourite is to look behind and over Hawes where Great Shunner Fell stands out to great effect.
After three miles the land to your left starts to rise significantly. At this point (and there is no exact best place to leave) leave the track and start climbing up the rough ground of the mountain. This is access land so simply pick the best route for the 300ft climb to the high point of Dodd Fell Hill. There is a trig point at the summit and great views all around.
From the trig point the second mountain of the trip stands tantalisingly north east. However the deep valley of Sleddale and more particularly Bank Gill lies between so head south away from the target and drop down some rough but manageable ground to the high moorland track/road known as the Cam Road. Turn left and walk for nearly one mile till the road meets the Wharfedale/Hawes vehicular road. You are now heading north, back towards Hawes.
After less than half a mile follow a farm track from the road forking to the right which soon passes under a mountain to your left. The bulky area is known as Wether Hill but the summit is called the more attractive name of Drumaldrace.
The high point (signified by a large cairn) lies only 200 metres off the track, a barely visible path on the ground does lead there but best take a compass in case. Return to the track and enjoy the views east over Addleborough and down in to Wensleydale.
Immediately after the track passes through a gate in a wall take a bridlepath heading due north that picks its way down the hillside. After passing through two further gates a footpath leaves the bridlepath to the left and heads directly towards Gayle and Hawes passing over a number of stiles before arriving at Gayle at the stone bridge near the mill.
* Fact Box:
Distance: Roughly 11 miles (18km).
Height to Climb: 580m (1,900 feet)
Start: SD 870895. Park on the road near the Wensleydale Creamery.
Difficulty: Hard. A long day mainly on good tracks but with 2 detours in to rougher ground maybe needing some compass skills in bad weather.
Refreshments: Hawes has plenty of places to eat and drink.
Be Prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer 297) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass (essential on this walk). You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.
* Jonathan Smith runs Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales:
He has published two books on walks in the Dales, The Yorkshire 3 Peaks and The Dales 30 mountains. Available direct from the Where2walk website.
Book a Navigation Training day (Beginners or Intermediates). All dates and information on the website. Next available date September 24.
Join one (or more) of the “3 Peaks’ Guiding Days; September 7, Pen-y-Ghent, September 8, Whernside, September 9, Ingleborough.
Jonathan’s popular website, Where2walk.co.uk also features hundreds of walks across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs.
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