Ok, so it's not a mountain as you'd probably think of when someone says the word 'mountain' but, at 2310 feet, Great Whernside does technically qualify as a mountain.
My brother and I had decided that we wanted to get out and climb a mountain. After some research I found a list of mountains within the Yorkshire Dales, which was perfect for us. I looked over the potential routes and made notes of landmarks along the way that we could use to help guide us.
06:30 on the morning of the climb and I receive a message from my brother, "my asthma is playing up, I don't think I'll be able to make it today." Bugger! After a few minutes cursing him I made the decision that I was going to go it alone. I was confident of the routes and was confident I'd make it, so I set off.
After stopping to take some pictures of Harmby Waterfall on route, I arrived in Kettlewell around 09:30, I checked the map and familiarised myself with the terrain, then set off. The weather in the valley was great, not quite blue skies but it was sunny, although it didn't look too promising higher up.
I pretty much started climbing from the outset which I found quite tough as I wasn't as fit as I thought, although I was carrying a fair pack (that's my excuse anyway). As I got higher, the views across Wharfedale were stunning. I walked along the edge of Dowber Gill, which leads to Providence Pot, the entrance to a cave system, known as the Dowber Gill Passage, which is reported to run directly under the kitchen of Hag Dyke Farmhouse, now run as a scout hostel by the Ben Rhydding Scout and Guide Group. At this point (1525 feet) the weather had started to change, I was experiencing the odd snow shower and the fog had come in.
I checked the map to make sure of my route and continued on my way. The fog was making the route fair difficult as I was unable to see any markers on the moor above Hag Dyke. Thankfully, a couple of chaps had headed up before me and I was able to follow their footprints, taking me over the moor and on towards the summit. The summit is only 500 feet above Hag Dyke but this is the most difficult part. There's a rocky climb which leads to open moorland, although I saw very little of it. There's no 'defined' footpath, although there are markers on the moor which provide reference points of direction. These were only visible when almost upon them, certainly no more than 50 metres away...
I struggled on, up some stone steps and into a field of rocks. These 'erratics' were quite spectacular as they started to emerge from the mist. A little further and the trig point came in to view. I made my way over to it and the rock field, with the snow on loock very much like a desolate, lunar landscape. It was incredibly windy but I decided to go live on Facebook to let everyone know where I was and what I'd just done.
It was too cold, windy, and foggy to spend any real time on the summit so I made my way down. As I came down the fog lifted, the sun shone on the mountain, and all looked instantly better.
Harmby Waterfall
View down Dowber Gill
Sat looking into the fog above Hag Dyke
On the moor
The rock field by the summit
At the summit of Great Whernside
My brother and I had decided that we wanted to get out and climb a mountain. After some research I found a list of mountains within the Yorkshire Dales, which was perfect for us. I looked over the potential routes and made notes of landmarks along the way that we could use to help guide us.
06:30 on the morning of the climb and I receive a message from my brother, "my asthma is playing up, I don't think I'll be able to make it today." Bugger! After a few minutes cursing him I made the decision that I was going to go it alone. I was confident of the routes and was confident I'd make it, so I set off.
After stopping to take some pictures of Harmby Waterfall on route, I arrived in Kettlewell around 09:30, I checked the map and familiarised myself with the terrain, then set off. The weather in the valley was great, not quite blue skies but it was sunny, although it didn't look too promising higher up.
I pretty much started climbing from the outset which I found quite tough as I wasn't as fit as I thought, although I was carrying a fair pack (that's my excuse anyway). As I got higher, the views across Wharfedale were stunning. I walked along the edge of Dowber Gill, which leads to Providence Pot, the entrance to a cave system, known as the Dowber Gill Passage, which is reported to run directly under the kitchen of Hag Dyke Farmhouse, now run as a scout hostel by the Ben Rhydding Scout and Guide Group. At this point (1525 feet) the weather had started to change, I was experiencing the odd snow shower and the fog had come in.
I checked the map to make sure of my route and continued on my way. The fog was making the route fair difficult as I was unable to see any markers on the moor above Hag Dyke. Thankfully, a couple of chaps had headed up before me and I was able to follow their footprints, taking me over the moor and on towards the summit. The summit is only 500 feet above Hag Dyke but this is the most difficult part. There's a rocky climb which leads to open moorland, although I saw very little of it. There's no 'defined' footpath, although there are markers on the moor which provide reference points of direction. These were only visible when almost upon them, certainly no more than 50 metres away...
I struggled on, up some stone steps and into a field of rocks. These 'erratics' were quite spectacular as they started to emerge from the mist. A little further and the trig point came in to view. I made my way over to it and the rock field, with the snow on loock very much like a desolate, lunar landscape. It was incredibly windy but I decided to go live on Facebook to let everyone know where I was and what I'd just done.
It was too cold, windy, and foggy to spend any real time on the summit so I made my way down. As I came down the fog lifted, the sun shone on the mountain, and all looked instantly better.
Harmby Waterfall
View down Dowber Gill
Sat looking into the fog above Hag Dyke
On the moor
The rock field by the summit
At the summit of Great Whernside
Now then, Mr Warrior! Good work with climbing up there. I've not done Great Whernside before. In fact I didn't even know it existed until seeing this thread, so there you go, every day's a school day!
It looks like navigation might have been a bit of a bitch at the top. Was it a misty whiteout the whole time up there? Boulder fields covered in ice; that's ankle-break territory if ever I knew.
It looks like navigation might have been a bit of a bitch at the top. Was it a misty whiteout the whole time up there? Boulder fields covered in ice; that's ankle-break territory if ever I knew.
Yeah, from about 1500 feet it was like that. You'll know yourself that photos don't show just how foggy it was. There's also no defined path above Hag Dyke, just the odd marker post. However, in those conditions you couldn't see from one to the next.
The video shows part of the 'path' up.
The video shows part of the 'path' up.
Looks pretty brutal, mate! Good practice for navigating though :P
Oh definitely! I was planning to wild camp up there but gave that idea up pretty sharpish. I don't know what the temperature was but it was fair chilly.
As I climbed down the fog lifted, the sun came out and lit up the dale.
I'm planning to do all 30 mountains in the Yorkshire Dales this year, hopefully the weather will be a little better for the others.
As I climbed down the fog lifted, the sun came out and lit up the dale.
I'm planning to do all 30 mountains in the Yorkshire Dales this year, hopefully the weather will be a little better for the others.
Oh wow! What time frame are you hoping to get them done in?
Haven't really decided on a time frame as such, just want to do them this year. I'm thinking of knocking a few off at a time where possible, even if that means wild camping on one overnight and doing another the day after.
