Pen-y-ghent 8-9 October 2021

We went to Yorkshire Dales this weekend as the weather here was better than in the Lakes. We left our car in a lay-by, walked back to the bridge, and followed the stream for a half a kilometre before pitching our tent on rampant heather. We knew about the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge this weekend so got up early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

The red and blue lines show out track in the first and second days. Shift-click on the track link will open it in nakarte.me.

There are many caves around Pen-y-Ghent. This is Hunt Pot.

And this is Hull Pot. You need a rope to get down (which we unfortunately left at home). In wet weather the stream on the right makes a magnificent waterfall.

The runners occupied our path so we had to walk on the tussocks.

Cross Pot.

A lace of lichen.

Fern grows at the cave entrance.

It was an overcast day with only occasional drizzle. We crossed the road and walked on the limestone pavement towards Pen-y-Ghent Gill. Here the eroded limestone is covered by moss, forming regular geometrical features on the ground.

Nature's tombs

A more familiar limestone landscape above Skirfare.

Hawthorn grows in the cracks.

We got down to the gill and went up. The steam sometimes disappears under the ground, but then comes out in full power. A picturesque waterfall on the other side of the valley.

There is a waterfall in front of us, but it is only visible from the other side of the stream.

This is a derelict hydroelectric power station that produced electricity for the farm on the other side of the stream.

The water from a tributary was brought down in a pipe and used to turn the turbine. We found some 10-year old images of this power station on the internet: the building was still intact but there pipe already sprang a leak. The stream here comes out from under the ground.

An atmospheric picture of the Dales in the rain.