~Whernside and Ingleborough~
2nd March 2013
Ingleborough from Simon Fell
Scroll down for photos and a description of the walk....
Hellifield Railway Station
Today's conundrum was how to route a good walk around the timings of two steam-hauled charter trains on the Settle-Carlisle Railway. Here at Hellifield the engine for the first train lies in wait for the carriages, which will arrive diesel-hauled from Tyseley (Birmingham).
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Britannia - All Steamed Up
The locomotive was boiling up like a kettle full of holes, does this make for better photos, or not?
BR Britannia Class 7MT 4-6-2 No. 70000 Britannia
Izzy the Dog is with me today and we catch the 09:40hrs train and head for Ribblehead. The three-carriage train is full; is that the fine weather or something to do with the annual and limited £10-a-ticket offer for travel anywhere on Northern Rail.
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Ribblehead Railway Station |
Batty Moss |
At Ribblehead, cloud cover is advancing, but offers no threat to a good walk in this vast open countryside. On the right, the three chaps ahead of me are all photographers marching briskly towards their vantage points.
Ribblehead Viaduct
Izzy is cautiously examining the sink holes! Whernside completes the scene.
Blea Moor Tunnel South Portal
It takes about 45 minutes to walk from Ribblehead Station to this point and consequently, it's generally quiet. One other photographer joined me; Ingleborough is in the background.
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Under The Bridge - 0.5s intervals
Heading Into Blea Moor Tunnel
And then with the aid of my newly-aquired jet pack, Izzy and I flew over to the other side of the tunnel to see the train emerge....
Britannia - Blea Moor Tunnel 3rd March 2012
Actually, this one was taken on the corresponding Saturday, one year ago - I was planning ahead.
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"Three Peakers" |
To Whernside |
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Greensett Moss |
Arten Gill Viaduct |
The ground throughout this walk was partially frozen, the exception being the slushy, muddy bits of the Whernside ascent. The "Three Peaks" season is back in swing, now that there are almost 12 hours of daylight.
Whernside Edge
It's steeper than it looks!
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The Wall |
The Summit |
The Steep Descent
With time on my side and a desire to fill that time in a productive manner, I decide to aim for Ingleborough. But will I get back to the line in time to see the second train of the day?
The Easy Bit
Southerscales Scars
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The Boardwalk |
Ascent from Humphrey Bottom |
This is a new route of ascent for me and not one I shall be using very often. The ascent from Humphrey Bottom was steep and icy.
Ingleborough Summit
A bank of mist came over whilst we were on top.
Simon Fell from Ingleborough
I had intended to head for Horton-in-Ribblesdale, but if the train was on time, then I wouldn't see it on a walk to Horton. However, if we follow the edge of the fells, Ribblehead Viaduct will be in view for much of the way
Whernside from Simon Fell
Hints of brightness across the dale.
Braithwaite Wife Hole
You may notice a ring of sink holes to the right of Braithwaite Wife Hole.
Along to Park Fell
The path follows the wall, right along to the northern edge of Park Fell.
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Izzy The Dog |
Ribblehead Viaduct |
We walked at quite a pace along the edge of the fells, but in the end, didn't quite get close enough to the railway.
"Union of South Africa" at Ribblehead Station
60009 Catches The Sun
The "Union of South Africa" on her weekly Cumbrian Mountain Express trip.
Pen-y-Ghent
The map doesn't clearly show rights of way from Park Fell to the Gauber Road, but there are gates in walls and a well-worn path, so if it doesn't say, "don't" ... just get on with it.
Railway Cottages
These can't have been built for the "workers", more likely the managers and owners?
Ribblehead Railway Station
We arrived at the station with 20 minutes to spare. I think that worked pretty well, both trains, a good walk and time well spent!
Walkers: Me and Izzy The Dog
Time taken: 7 hours 10 minutes over a distance of about 15 miles.
Route: Ribblehead Station, Batty Moss, Blea Moor Tunnel, Whernside, The Easy Bit, Southerscales, Braithwaite Wife Hole, Humphrey Bottom, Ingleborough, Edge route to Park Fell, Gauber Road, Ribblehead Station.
Weather: Bright, less bright, dry, cool and calm.
Greetings: Many 1,2,&3 peakers, nobody else on the edge route around the rim of Simon and Park Fell.
All photos copyright Richard Ratcliffe 2013 ©
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Take me back to the start ....