MANY will have climbed Pen-y-Ghent, but this walk is for those who have not.
A popular mountain in the summer, now is the time to visit as the crowds disperse. Take the detours to Plover Hill and Hull Pot for a fuller appreciation of this fine mountain.
Start off at the car park in Horton in Ribblesdale and walk along the road towards the church, past the famous 3 Peaks café (presently closed). Just before the church follow a faint path to the left and cross the river at a wooden bridge.
Join a tarmacked lane past the old primary school and through the trees to the wonderfully named farm of Bracken Bottom. Turn left through a small gate next to the farm and join the path that climbs gradually towards Pen-y-Ghent.
The path is presently being repaired in its lower reaches. The outline of Pen-y-Ghent during the climb is dramatic; a ring of cliffs making the final descent looking almost impossible. It is a reflection of the millstone grit summit cap, defying all attempts at erosion!
The climb towards the cliffs is pleasant, the views opening up towards Ingleborough in the west and the broad valley of Ribblesdale below. The climb changes though as you pass through a gate on the dry stone wall on the shoulder of the mountain. Turn left and the path steepens, become rocky and provides some minor scrambling as it heads towards the summit. It is not the best place for those with a touch of vertigo! The climb emerges dramatically on to the summit plateau of the mountain and suddenly the previous tough climb is all forgotten.
A final half mile along the plateau brings you to the trig point and seat at the summit of Pen-y-Ghent. The views to the right are towards Fountains Fell.
There is a choice of route at the summit of Pen-y-Ghent. Either head along the broad ridge (following the line of the wall) for over one mile to Plover Hill, thus adding a second ‘Dales 30’ mountain or take the obvious path on the far side of the wall which heads north west. A word here about the wonderful job the Friends of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks are doing in repairing some of the worst sections of the path. The recently repaired steps below the summit of Pen-y-Ghent make for a much pleasanter ascent than previous as well as protecting the surrounding moorland.
The descent of Pen-y-Ghent back to Horton initially follows the route of the 3 Peaks challenge. After the repaired stairway the path skirts the flanks of Pen-y-Ghent before turning west and dropping directly down the hill.
At its foot and where there is a big choice of paths, I would strongly recommend taking the short detour to Hull Pot, a dramatic collapsed cavern forged from the limestone bedrock. It is an extraordinary place.
Return to the main path but instead of following the 3 Peaks trail west continue south through a gate and follow a wide track that will lead to Horton in one-and-a-half miles.
Fact Box:
Distance: Roughly six miles (extra 2 miles to Plover Hill, there and back)
Height to Climb: 500m (1,640 feet)
Start: SD 808726. There is a large car park near the bridge in the centre of Horton.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard. On footpaths and good tracks but a tricky climb with minor scrambling near the summit.
Refreshments: There are two pubs in Horton.
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 OL2) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. 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 in Long Preston, near Settle (Beginners or Intermediates). All dates and information on the website. Next available date October 15.
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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