Yorkshire Dales walk: Malham Cove loop from Settle (14 miles)

Walk Details: A circular walk in the Yorkshire Dales through lovely limestone scenery. CAR SHARING IS ADVISABLE IF POSSIBLE..
TRAINS BACK AT 16.30 or 17.58.. I THINK THE 16.30 TRAIN WOULD BE A BIG RUSH BUT WILL SEE HOW THE WALK GOES & NUMBERS ATTENDING.

Firstly we leave Settle train station up a fairly steep road giving nice views of the valley below. We then eventually come to Scalebar waterfall which is a slight detour. After we follow a long dirt track that gives stunning views onto Attermire scar and all the limestone cliff faces. A slow steady ascent to reach a crosroads in paths. We take a path that skirts round onto the top of Malham Cove which is a very interesting rock formation an old limestone pavement from the ice age. Here is lunch stop after the optional descent to the bottom of the cove to get a different perspective.

After lunch we head up Mastiles Lane which is again more limetone formations in like a mini gorge. We then follow the settle loop all the way back to Settle which is varied terrain which can be boggy ground but always giving nice views of the dales.

More details:

• Meeting Time: 10:20am
• Start Time: 10:25am
• Meeting point: Settle Railway Station, Station Road, Settle, BD24 9AA
• Length: 14 miles / 23 km
• Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet / 600 mt
• Difficulty: Hard
• Duration: around 6-7 hours
• Walk Leader: Ryan

Public transport:

• direct train from Leeds (9:20).
• direct train from Manchester Victoria (8:15).
• If you travel from Sheffield, you will need to change in Leeds. Sheffield (7.51) to Leeds (8.45), then change in Leeds (9.20) and arrive at Settle (10.20).

What to bring:

• required: walking clothes, hiking shoes, enough food and water for a full day
• recommended: raincoat, warm fleece, comfortable backpack, suncream, sunglasses, phone
• optional: hiking poles, hat, cap, camera, torch

Notes:

• Please make a booking only if you are seriously interested in attending the event.
• Make sure you do some hillwalking in the weeks before this event, otherwise you will feel exhausted and might not be able to complete the walk. This hike requires an adequate level of fitness.
• This is a hilly walk. Make sure you understand the elevation gain and distance mentioned in the walk description. Ask yourself if you are able to complete this walk.
• Be aware that if you are very slow, the rest of the group (including the walk leader) might not wait for you. The walk needs to be completed within the expected time window as some people have a long journey to do before being at home. Hence we will keep a reasonably fast pace all day, without having long breaks.
• If you think this hike is too long or hard, you are welcome to join and make it shorter. If you look at the route you will see that it is possible to take few shortcuts. If you need help with this, please let me know and I will explain you the possible shortcuts.
• It might be useful to have the hiking route on your phone, so that in case you need to take a shortcut and/or can't keep the same pace of the group, you know where to go. However there are always people in the area and you could ask for some help. We won't be in a remote place.
• If you have knee pain when walking downhill, try using hiking poles.
• Fit and friendly dogs can join. But please keep your dog on a lead when we find livestock.
• Please don't come with flat trainers and/or jeans. You need comfortable walking trousers and shoes with good grip (so that you minimise the risk of falling down and potentially getting injured).
• The route​ is planned in advance using Komoot. The walk leader typically does not recce the walk before the event. It is possible to find muddy terrain and/or slippery paths.
• It might be very windy and cold when we are on top of the hills. So you will need to bring some warm clothes with you.
• Be aware that in case of extreme weather conditions this event might be canceled or postponed.
• Any important news or updates before the event will be posted in the comments section. Make sure you check them. You can also enable automatic email notifications in your Meetup profile's settings.
• ​We have a WhatsApp community which you can join after attending at least one event.
• We would like the group to offer more walks, and of different level. But we need more people to help by creating hiking routes and/or leading walks. If you are interested to be involved, please talk to the organisers. In case you don't have experience, we will help you.

Terms and Conditions:
Anyone joining this walk is responsible for their safety and health (including guests). The group does not have any insurance policy covering injuries. If you RSVP to this event, you must agree to these conditions.

If you have any questions, please contact the event organiser and/or write a message in the comments section.