14/10/22 - Whernside and Ribblead's Station Inn

Distance - 8 Miles

Geocaches - 2

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, September 2018, Walk 19

The Yorkshire 3 Peaks is a classic hill walking right of passage. In 12 hours, maniacs need to complete Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-Y-Ghent - a distance of 24 miles and over 5000ft of ascent.

I am attempting the same but over 72 hours.  My challenge will also incorporate two pub crawls, two full English breakfasts, suet pudding with chips and a balti chicken and mushroom. Cruelly, I am denied a certificate for this endeavour.

The first one to tackle is the highest. A great big lump of a hill that has one saving grace.  The Ribblehead Viaduct is an impressive feat of engineering and I get to walk under it, whilst I still have the ability to see my hand in front of my face.

Marching past Ribblehead Viaduct

It's a gentle but relentless climb up past Bleamoor sidings. I hear the train-a-coming and the disappointment of it being a diesel powered, Northern shunter rather than a steam locomotive dissipates when I get a wave from the train driver.

Bleamoor Sidings

An aqueduct, and a waterfall that is more impressive in real life than in photo and I am into the clouds, with nothing more to visually represent.

Gill Force - better in real life

Whernside top is flat and lengthy - with the height gained, its a case of plodding for a mile and a half through the driving rain, fully hard-shelled up. Half way down the drop to Bruntscar, and I am through the mist to almost see the views from the top.

Coming down Whernside's southern flank

Back to Ribblehead, where there is a comforting pub - the Station - to toast one down, two to go.

Halloween decorations placed lower than head height at the bar means that every second drink of my Settle Brewery Ribblehead bitter is accompanied by an in take of fake cobweb.

Eponymous Bitter - Cobwebs out of shot

If proof is needed that the world is a better place after a pint, I leave the pub to blues skies and a view of what's been walked.

Whernside, from a pub garden