The weather wasn’t great for a non-photographer to take passable shots, but here are the pick of a (mainly bad) bunch:
Day 1
On Draughton Moor, heading towards Skipton:
Looking down to Skipton (and looking forward to a cup of tea):
Popping over a well-built (and quite tall) stile (on Day 3 of the trip we climbed over what felt like dozens of ladder stiles, which had superseded adjacent wall stiles; most of those ladder stiles were too narrow to allow a person with a backpack to turn around to descend backwards. Not a problem for me, as I usually descend forwards or sideways – but it caused a few tights shuffles for Mick):
That pimple on the landscape ahead is Sharp Haw, up which we’re headed just as four other groups are on their ways back to their cars:
The near lump is Rough Haw, taken from the top of Sharp Haw. That’s the direction in which we’re headed next:
Low water in Winterburn Reservoir. That boat house (on the right) isn’t going to be much use just now:
Toptastic campsite location at Gordale Scar, albeit the toilet facilities and yard area could do with a bit of a clean-up. It seems that no rubbish left by a camper has ever been thrown away, it’s just all been stacked and hoarded.
Day 2:
After a series of multi-faffs, which saw the first mile take the best part of an hour, we finally got into our stride and up onto Ewe Moor, giving good views (even though the photo doesn’t illustrate it well!) back to Malham Tarn: 
Along this By-Way the National Park is filling in troughs in the ground by dumping loose aggregate into them. Didn’t strike me as a sympathetic way of rectifying erosion, but then it’s not a subject about which I know anything, so I’ll trust that the National Park knows what its doing:
Great Scar, Settle Scar and Attermire Scar, just before Settle:
Heading down to Settle. It was about this point that we started to hear a pot of tea calling our names:
Having dragged ourselves away from the food and drink of Settle, we reached Stainforth Force, where Mick posed for a picture:
So did I, although what I first notice from this photo isn’t the waterfall or the bridge, but the bad hair day I seem to be having!
Day 3:
Not great weather as we cross the Clapper Bridge beyond Wharfe. Apparently it’s a popular spot, but not that early on a grey day:
Two trees stand in the vast limestone pavement (in the pissing rain), just below Ingleborough. Again, the snapshot doesn’t come close to doing it justice:
Not long afterwards the decision was made to make the mad dash for the early train, and with the weather being decidedly wet during the descent, and with us being in such a rush, the camera didn’t see the light of day again on this trip.
There is a difference between say a week long trip and something like the LEJOG or your Cape Wrath route. On the latter routes you know you are going to get a mixture of weather and you will take the rough with the smooth, but on a short backpacking walk, with a bad start and a bad forecast thereafter it is just pure masochism to continue.
ReplyDeleteSounds like fun, despite the iffy weather. We haven't managed to get away yet, together or singley (singly? Alone!) the wind has been too bad.
ReplyDelete(Must lay off the Heinz...)
Conrad - Too true! Had this been a Big Walk, we almost certainly wouldn't have changed the itinerary simply because I fancied a hot shower either, but that's the joy of trips where the main objective is just 'walk for 3 days then go home'.
ReplyDeleteLouise - It was blustery enough where we were (where the wind wasn't forecast to be overly strong) - it must have been tent-flatteningly fierce up in the north of Scotland. Hopefully the whole of the UK will return to more seasonal conditions soon, and you can get your postponed trips in.
ReplyDeleteHello G + M. I'm pleased to see you've left some of the DHW till later. It's one that I quite fancy. Being a person of leisure, I will of course be choosing the Fair Weather Alternative. You'll be most welcome to join me...
ReplyDelete(Word = 'chances'. Of Fair Weather, perhaps?)