Great and Little Whernside

Yes folks, its another Yorkshire Dales 2000 foot top, and this time there’s a loyalty bonus - a 600 metre top just because I’m that sort of bloke.
Having successfully put the knipemobile through the MOT without too much fuss, I decided to strike while the iron was hot, as it were, or at least drive whilst the car is working – and went to Kettlewell for the bagging (yet again) of this  damn great lump of a Pennine.

We went up via Dowber Gill – probably the most interesting way, I think. Near the top of the gill, there’s an iron cover on a lump of concrete. Sliding this to one side reveals the shored-up entrance to Providence Pot. It looks scary. It is scary. its a very complicated vertical maze which ends up in Dow Cave, about a mile away. I looked down it and went “Oooer…..!”

A steep path takes the intrepid Whernsider up to Hag Dyke Farm. Hag Dyke farm is a scout hut. Today it was occupied by some of the better quality of yoof, crawling about in the juncus dressed in British Army battledress and covered in green Oil of Ulay face rub. The idea, apparently, was to creep up on Hag Dyke where some older military types were trying to spot them and occasionally sending out spoiler patrols. From the little crag above the house, it was apparent that one group of five were getting very close and the patrol had just walked past them without noticing them. Bless ‘em. What fun.

We progressed to the summit for a turkey and tomato butty, a mars bar and some dribbling (Bruno did the dribbling).

I have to say that it was a bit parky on the top of Great Whernside today. I had to put some layers on. Cloud was touching some nearby fells and the wind was a bit searching.
It was, in fact, a bit autumnish….   
Bugger
An easy walk and some bog trotting brought us along the ridge and up on to Little Whernside where the summit cairn appears not to be on the highest bit. But never mind.

We retreated back to the GW/LW col or bealach and followed the bridleway to Park Rash. The last time I was here, maybe eighteen months ago, this path was a mess, churned up by off-road motor bikes. But it seems to have recovered. Remarkably quick, that……  You could barely tell….
Anyway, at Park Rash there’s added interest from the First Century British (Brigantian) defences – deep ditches and ramparts and so on , and a field full of suckler cows including Beano the Bull. We took a slight detour. Discretion is the better part of being trampled to death by dog-hating moo cows. Bruno agreed. They can get a bit mad, these beasties.

A green lane brought us back to Kettlewell where TGO Challenger Heather Thomas-Smith leapt out from a gang of ice-cream eating girl guides and gave Bruno the bottom of her cone. TGO Challengers have a habit of popping up…..
We did 13 miles and 2200 feet of uphill.
It were grand. I’d do it again.