Where was everyone? There were only two other cars there.
Feeling surprisingly none the worse for wear after yesterday's exertions in the New Inn we strode off northwards, which was as well as that was the correct direction for Ingleborough.
To beat myself up further I decided to carry oodles of kit I really didn't need, just so as to carry a bit more weight to ease the legs and lungs back to Chally fettle. We passed the (shut) Ingleborough Cave and were soon on open moorland in our shirtsleevs. Curlews and skylarks accompanied us as we strolled towards the bulk of Little Ingleborough (horribly badly named!) and then puffed and panted up the steep bit to eat locally caught pork pies as we watched a apir come struggling up the hill behind us.
It's wonderful to watch someone else suffer for a change...
But where was everybody? the forecast for today has been lovely all week and its Easter Bank Holiday. We almost had the place to ourselves.
That is, until we popped onto the flat bit at the top of the hill ~ which is where they must have all been hiding, watching gleefully as we struggled up the steep bit...
These Yorkshire Dales are quite grand, aren't they? We could see the lot ~Over to Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent and over to Great Shunner Fell. Dave was convinced he could see Coronation Street from there as well, what with us being 'up north' and all.
Dave has a way with animals and I had to drag him away from one particular sheep that he was canoodling with. The sheep looked like she was enjoying Dave's attentions so this could go on no further. So instead, for his fun he started counting the coach-loads of walkers heading sweatily and red-faced up towards us. He got to over two hundred until he gave up.
We were back at Rick's Bar by lunchtime, thoroughly smug that we had been out and ticked another hill off the list. Just a few thousand left, then.
Great weather, great views and all bodily parts performing okay.
But for the toss of a coin, I would probably have been one of those at the top watching you slog it up. However, my route selection method told me I was walking from Stainforth taking in some of the best limestone scars in the Dales - Smearsett and Attermire, via Giggleswick and what a cracking day it was. A bit sunburned by the time I got home :)
ReplyDeleteGood job you set out when you did - here is Ingleborough at 8:40 - covered in a cloud bank...
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii266/walkingplaces/blogs/P1030787.jpg
Ingleborough is almost my most climbed hill (Penyghent beats it by two ticks) - although I can claim to have visited the summit area eleven times one day whilst doing line searches for an eejit who was hiding in a cave (long story, too much explanation) but it is my favourite - though I've never been up there armed with a pie. I must put that right.
ReplyDeleteBeing, as I am, a softy southerner, the Yorkshire dales is an area i have always driven trhough to get to the Lakes or Scotland.
ReplyDeleteLittle did I realise (until my Lejog two years ago) how absolutely stunning the place is. It's also massive in area ans so I think it would be really easy to find 'away from the throng' places.
Obviously the big three, Whernside, ingleborough and Pan-y-Gent are always going to be busy, but there are little gems tucked away all over the place to explore.
I will be back!
(ooh, and there aren't too many Welsh there either... so you are guaranteed a warm welcome in the pubs and hotels.)