Pen-Y-Ghent: 9.5 miles

NEW WALK!! One of the most challenging walks I’ve led as we take on the smallest of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks. Please consider your current capabilities, this is not a walk to ‘test yourself’ on!
Also, anyone who has an issue with heights, you are advised not to sign up. Ok, so hopefully I’m still going to have some company on this walk after ‘scaring’ you! Sturdy, good grip footwear is required.

The walk starts from the car park on the main through road in the village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, just past the now closed Pen-y-Ghent café. We walk through the village and onto the hamlet of Brackenbottom from where we pick up the 1.75mile ascending route up to the summit of PYG. This is the shorter but steeper route! From this point, it took me 1hr 25mins incl. a ten minute break.
The path up is very good until we reach the last and steepest bit, then the rocky paths are narrower as we wind our way around and up to the summit. In two places we will need to clamber over boulders to resume our ascent along the stepped rocky paths.

We will have a short break at the ‘summit plateau’ before completing the climb to the trig point where we will have our main break. There will be the opportunity to take additional breaks later in the walk.

After this, we traverse the at times boggy moorland (yes, even in bright, sunny, dry weather!) as we make our way over to the flat summit of Plover Hill. From here we take a steep descent down a path along the escarpment (nothing like the ascent though) before dropping onto a grassy track called Foxup Road.
This pretty flat track takes us all the way to the impressive geological feature of Hull Pot before we pick up a good solid track for the final couple of miles back to Horton.

So, a steep climb up to the trig point on Pen-y-Ghent at 2,273 feet, then the rest is a route over moorland before the solid sometimes rocky track gives us a straightforward final couple of miles back to the start.

Recce note: the recce was completed on 18/3, which was a warm, sunny, dry day but on reaching the summit plateau (short break) before the final ascent, a cooling breeze was evident so, even though I was warm up until this point, I was glad I had a t-shirt, sweatshirt & waterproof coat on.

The walk will be led at a steady pace: not too fast, not too slow. Please be ready to start walking at the advertised time.

Walk fee: £3. No dogs please. Bring a packed lunch, snacks & plenty of liquid refreshment.

Start time: 10.15 for 10.30am. Please aim for the earlier time of 10.15am to ensure we can get parked up, kitted up, use the facilities and pay for the parking using the ‘slow’ operating ticket machine and be on our way by 10.30am. The ticket machine is card-only.

Start point: National Park car park with toilets on the main through road in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Parking fee is £6. The car park is on two levels.
Car sharing is recommended to mitigate the cost of travelling and parking and to ensure we can all get parked up as there is only very limited roadside parking. Alternative parking is available at the Golden Lion pub, which allows walkers to use their car park for a lower fee of £4 but you will need to allow 10mins to walk to our start point.

After-walk refreshment will be at The Crown, the pub closest to our meeting point and the nicer of the two pubs.

I have no formal walk leader or first-aid qualifications and the Group does not have insurance. When you RSVP for any walk, you accept that you remain responsible for your own safety at all times. You are required to respect the walk leader and be mindful of the safety of others. Please keep to the pace of the group and don’t go off ahead even if you think you know the route.