PEN-Y-GHENT TO THWAITE

Friday 14th. May 2010. PHOTO: Peter and Judy Scott.
By 8am I am making my way from my camp the Halton Gill Road sonn passing Churn Milk Hole to climb the steep stepped path of Pen-y-Ghent on another dry and fine morning. However the mist was kissing the trig point on the hill's long summit sitting 2372' above sea-level. On the way up the track passes the gritstone edge of Pen-y-Ghent seen much clearer from Horton-in-Ribblesdale and I lapsed into memories of a rock-climbing visit with Ruth Conway - a scan of my climbing guide shows that the trip was made on 18th. July 1983, our agenda was the Classic Rock route "Red Pencil, I led the direct finish and we also climbed the routes; Damocles Groove, Pagon's Purgatory and Nose Cracks. I recall that it was a very warm day and after our climbs we repaired to trig point to admire the view. Low flying jets screeched overhead so close you could have poked them with a walking pole, gun-powder explosions echoed from the Whernside quarries and below us in Halton Gill sheepdogs barked and the sheep bleated adding to the general cacophony! So much for peace and quiet of the countryside! Down in Horton I stopped at the cafe, signed the book and had an expensive cup of tea and a bacon sandwich. Then back to the walk and quickly passing the reveered Crown Inn and up the route of the Ribble Way along the walled route of Harber Scar Lane and into classic Dales scenery of field vale and limestone walls. It's a fifteen mile section to Hawes and once more I got my head down and my feet in gear completing the distance in under five hours. This allowed me a bit of luxury in rehydrating and also a chance to buy some more food before setting off to make my way along the next secton to Keld. I quickly arrived at Hardraw and started the long climb up Great Shunner Fell when to our mutual delight I met old friends from my climbing days with the Derwent and Oread Mountaineering Clubs in Derbyshire - Peter Scott and Judy Woods, so this part of the Way is becoming a real stroll down memory lane! We sat and had a good blether but I have many miles to go and had to say farewell after an exchange of email addresses etc and continued on the lonely track (today) up to the summit shelter of the fell then down to Thwaite as a lone Golden Plover kleeped me off the hill, now well paved and so another famous Pennine bogfest has had it's teeth drawn. I got a good camp about half-a-mile above the Village the proper ending to another great day on the fell.