Simon's Seat

I finally got round to climbing to Simon's Seat, on the Bolton Abbey estate, when a friend and I decided we'd make it our Bank Holiday Monday adventure. It was, at least, a dry day though dull and overcast and pretty chilly at altitude. To be honest, it wasn't as nice a climb as I had expected. In part that was because the footpath we chose to ascend was blocked about halfway up at a gate, and we had to strike out through the heather on little more than a sheep track, which proved to be really hard going. Finally regaining a track, as we climbed there were some good views of the heather clad moors all around. Some of these are managed grouse moors; the Bolton Abbey Estate runs organised shooting parties. 

I think I expected Simon's Seat to be more like a mountain but in fact the steep climb arrives at a wide moorland plateau around 400m, and Simon's Seat (485m) is one of the rocky outcrops of millstone grit up there (see photo above, on the skyline). So it is 'climbing TO Simon's Seat' rather than 'climbing Simon's Seat'. There is a trig point there (see below) but that required an additional scramble up the rocks that I didn't feel I could manage. There were a few other walkers up there, and some young lads bouldering (free climbing on small rock formations). We just slumped down on a rock and ate our sandwiches...   

Walking back down was a little easier, as the track was more defined, though steep in parts. Again, the views were far-reaching, and the heather added a lovely wash of purple across the hillsides. 

I'm glad I did it, as it was the first time I've ventured right up there - but I think it'll be the last too. I'm not old... but I'm no longer young either! It was about 23000 steps according to my phone app, about 10 miles, but the steep, rough terrain made it feel arduous.  

Wild country

There's a minor road out of Ribblesdale from Stainforth that goes over the fells to the hamlet of Halton Gill in Littondale, which then joins up with Wharfedale. There is very little up there apart from a couple of farms and their stone barns, and quite a few hardy Yorkshire sheep. The scenery, however, is magnificent. The Pennine Way follows the road for a short distance before climbing to the trig point on the western end of Pen y Ghent (the 'whale hump' mountain in my photo below) and then dropping down into Horton in Ribblesdale. It's wild and all very beautiful in a minimalistic way. 

It was so windy up there that I took these photos from the safety of the car, through its open window!

Ribblehead

I'm fortunate to live within relatively easy reach of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, though I tend to visit Ribblesdale, on the western edge, rather less often than some of the other dales. It has a very different character. This is 'Three Peaks' country (Pen y Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside) and is bleaker and more open than many of the other Dales areas. 

We had a camera club outing up there recently, and it reminded me that it is quite spectacular and scenic. I've rarely been there on a sunny day and the weather did not disappoint! There were billowing storm clouds, though we didn't get any rain until later in the day so we were very fortunate.  

My top photo shows the eastern flank of Ingleborough, though the actual peak can just be seen jutting out beyond and was in the cloud for much of the day. Any climbers won't have had a good view! The rocks in the foreground are some of the many glacial erratics that litter the area. 

North east of Ingleborough lies Ribblehead, with the famous viaduct: 24 arches that carry the Settle-Carlisle railway across the wonderfully named Batty Moss. Built between 1869 and 1874, it necessitated a workforce of 2300 men, who lived in shanty towns near its base. Over 100 men died during its construction and it was the last major railway structure to be built primarily by manual labour. Plans to close the line in the 1980s were fought off and regular trains still use it, as well as frequent steam excursions. In fact we saw a steam train crossing it while we were there, though my lens isn't long enough to get a good photo from that distance.

The area has a number of outcrops of limestone pavement, and an array of interesting plants grow deep in the grikes (clefts).