Addingham Path Survey
Members of the Friends of A Dales High Way gathered
in Addingham at the weekend to conduct a survey of the route's
paths around the village.
They chose a day following a period of heavy rainfall to
ensure the paths would be at their worst.
In fact most of the paths were fine, but 3 grot-spots were
identified where some surface work might improve the situation.
A report has been prepared and will be shared with Bradford
Council's Countryside Service and with Addingham Parish Council.
The Friends are prepared to offer volunteer support for any
works that might be identified.
After an enjoyable circular walk, taking in both the main
Dales
High Way route and the alternative through the village, the
party retired to the Swan Inn for a fine meal and business
meeting.
14 Dec 2021
Storm Arwen Recovery
People and businesses along the route of A Dales High Way
that were hit hard by Storm Arwen are beginning to recover at
last.
The Station Inn at Ribblehead, which has been without
electricity, gas, water or phone since the storm struck on
Friday, today announced they were back in business! They had
remained open throughout offering a blazing coal fire and
bottled beers to cash customers.
Power lines across Batty Moss towards the viaduct were
damaged (see photo above) and the road towards Ingleton was closed,
with the road towards Hawes difficult to pass.
Elsewhere across the region, thousands of homes remained
without power as power companies Northern Powergrid (NP) and
Electricity North West (ENWL) were criticised by customers for
"woeful communications".
1 Dec 2021
New waymark post for Trench Wood
A working party from the Friends of A Dales High Way
met on Wednesday to put up a new waymark post near the start of
the trail in Trench Wood.
Bradford Council Countryside Service supplied the post, the
permission and the loan of the tools,
Julia Pearson, Chair of the Friends, provided the experience
and expertise, making sure they did it right. Chris Grogan
supplied the cake.
The Countryside Service have recently resurfaced the bridleway
that takes A Dales High Way into the
woods, along with some other popular paths that link lower
Baildon up to the top of Shipley Glen.
They suggested that a waymark post be installed at a fork,
where the bridleway takes a sharp left turn downhill, whilst the
Dales High Way continues straight on along path that gently works
it's way up to the Glen top.
After a fine morning's work, the working party retired to
hold the Friends' 2021 Annual General Meeting.
13 Nov 2021
North Yorkshire tops RSPB birdcrime report
North Yorkshire has again topped the league table of shame
for raptor persecution – the seventh year in a row.
Conservation charity RSPB (Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds) said 26 of the 137 confirmed
incidents where birds of prey were illegally killed in 2020
happened in the county.
The organisation said, of these two thirds were directly
related to grouse shooting and a further four incidents to other
types of shooting. Victims in the county included 16 buzzards,
two peregrine falcons, two red kites and one goshawk.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, whose area is
mainly in North Yorkshire, said the report made grim reading.
The RSPB said: “Wildlife crime data, court convictions and
peer-reviewed studies based on satellite tagging and bird of
prey populations show that raptor persecution has the most
negative conservation impact on raptors on land managed for
driven grouse shooting.
“In order to support the largest possible number of red
grouse for clients to shoot, the RSPB says that some estates
kill protected birds of prey despite all birds of prey being
protected by law in the United Kingdom.
“In April 2020, North Yorkshire Police officers found five
dead buzzards on a grouse moor on the edge of Bransdale in the
North York Moors. Four of the birds were confirmed to have been
shot, and the injuries of the fifth were ‘suggestive of damage
from a shotgun pellet’.
“Based on population studies for significant species, it’s
believed the true number of raptors killed is far greater, with
many crimes going undetected and unreported.”
2 Nov 2021
New stile at Feizor
Yorkshire Dales National Park ranger Nathan Allen has been
busy fixing fencing and installing a new stile on the approach
to Feizor, on the route of A Dales High Way.
Nathan posted the results on his Instagram page.
The new stile will help speed up those last few metres before
an inevitable and well earned stop at Elaine's Tea Rooms!
21 Oct 2021
Ingleborough gate repair
Repairing a broken gate on the path up to Ingleborough is
just one of the jobs that new Park Ranger Ian Colledge has
tackled since he took up post recently.
Ian, 25, a former National Park Authority apprentice with
roots in Ingleton, has become the new Yorkshire Three Peaks
Ranger, with responsibility for maintaining paths on
Ingleborough, Pen-y-ghent and Whernside. He takes over from Josh
Hull.
The gate is on the approach to Ingleborough summit, just
before the remains of the old shooters' hut on the route of
A Dales High Way.
Ian said "This broken gate was reported by one of our
volunteers. A few screws later and it’s good to go. It needs a
new gate and post, but this quick fix should see it through
until then.
“I’d probably have to say Ingleborough is my favourite of the
three peaks and that’s mainly because I’ve got family that live
in Ingleton. Growing up I spent a lot of time going up
Ingleborough and it was the first of the three peaks that I did
– I was six or seven when I first went up it. Without
Ingleborough and all the time I’ve spent on it, I would never
have had that interest in the outdoors and I would never have
had the thought to do this kind of work in the first place."
You may well bump into Ian along the way - if you do please
stop and let him know how much we all appreciate the hard work
he and his colleagues do to keep the paths in such good condition.
2 Oct 2021
Saltaire Festival Sunshine
Sunshine greeted visitors to Saltaire Festival this weekend,
returning after a two-year absence due to the pandemic.
The second weekend of the festival included a funfair by Shipley Glen Tramway, a Continental Street Market along
Exhibition Road and a Makers Fair at Victoria Hall.
Picnickers in Roberts Park were be treated to music in the
Bandstand.
Last weekend saw an open-house event with gardens around
Saltaire welcoming visitors.
Though the Festival is somewhat pared back from the usual
busy schedule of events, it has proved none-the-less popular
with visitors looking for some respite from the restrictions of
the last two years.
The World Heritage Site of Saltaire is the start of A Dales High Way.
18 Sept 2021
Great North Bog Initiative
The Great North Bog Initiative is one of five landmark
projects that will receive £16 million awarded through the first
round of Natural England’s Peat Restoration Grants.
The awards were announced last Friday as the first stage of a
£50 million investment, building on the government's pledge to
restore approximately 35,000 hectares of peatland in England by
the end of this Parliament.
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, together with the North
Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership
and Manchester University, will carry out restoration work on
degraded blanket bog across 15 sites in a new collaboration
called the Great North Bog Initiative.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: "Our peatlands are
remarkable habitats which provide homes for many precious
species and hold enormous amounts of carbon. By restoring 35,000
ha of damaged and degraded peatlands in England, 9 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide would be prevented from being released
by 2050 which would make a significant contribution to
combatting the devastating impacts of climate change and
biodiversity loss."
The early route of A Dales High Way crosses Rombald Moor, important for it's upland peat bogs.
The Great North Bog is a landscape-scale approach to upland
peatland restoration and will build on the work already
undertaken by individual schemes, such as Moors for the Future
Partnership.
1 Sept 2021
Appleby Horse Fair Returns
The traditional Appleby Horse Fair which attracts thousands
of gypsies and travellers returned last week after the 2020 fair
was cancelled due to the pandemic - only the second cancellation in its
recent history.
The
event normally takes place in June and has been going since the
1750s.
Some businesses in the town have decided to close over fears
the fair may prompt a rise in Covid cases. Pop-up clinics are
being made available for those who have not yet been vaccinated.
Les Clark, deputy chief executive of Eden District Council,
said despite people's fears over the spread of coronavirus, it
was the right that the gathering should go ahead.
"We could either wrap around that support, like we normally
do, or we let things happen unplanned and ad hoc, which would be
very difficult to control," he said.
Additional police resources were on hand after reports of a "fued" between two groups.
Four people were charged with disorder offences after several
arrests were made on Friday.
But on the whole, the fine weather meant another enjoyable
week for the thousands who visited Appleby.
16 August 2021
Skipton Gateway project to start next summer
Visualisation of new access to Skipton Railway Station
(above).
North Yorkshire County Council hope to have plans for a £7.8
million "Gateway" scheme for Skipton finalised by next June, with
work starting shortly afterwards. The project should be finished
by Spring 2023.
The project will improve access for walkers and cyclists from
the railway station, with additional links to the bus station,
town centre and the college.
A recent public consultation has shown overall support, but
with some adjustments needed.
North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie said: “We are
looking at alternatives for Broughton Road by putting the cycle
lane on the highway as opposed to it being segregated from
traffic and we are also taking steps to calm traffic.
“The project has had good support overall and what it is
aiming to do is improve cycling and walking options not just for
residents but also visitors because Skipton is the gateway to
the Dales after all.
“When people arrive by train or bus we want them to feel like
they are right in the centre of an area with improved facilities
for all.”
Walkers tackling A Dales High Way in sections make particular
use of the railway station.
The scheme is supported by the County Council, Craven
District Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
1 Aug 2021
Relief as Public Toilets reopen in Saltaire
Walkers planning to set out on A Dales High Way will be
relieved to find that the public toilets in Saltaire, shut for
four years, have reopened after a £15,000 refurbishment.
The block at the Caroline Street car park was closed along
with the Saltaire Tourist Information Centre by Bradford Council
as a cost-saving measure - a move that was much criticised as a
retrograde step for a World Heritage site.
Two months ago the newly formed Shipley Town Council decided
to take over the licence to run the site, rent-free from the
District Council, initially on a year's trial basis.
The money has been used to deep-clean the facilities, repaint
it in the heritage colour "Saltaire Green" and generally repair
the toilets.
The toilets will be open between 8am and 8pm during the
summer months, in normal circumstances, including weekends.
There will be no charge and they will be cleaned once per day.
Councillor Mike Connors, Chair of Shipley Town Council, cut
the ribbon on the refreshed toilet block last Saturday.
He said: "We ultimately owe the re-opening of this
much-needed facility to Robbie Martin, who had the foresight to
successfully petition for the creation of Shipley Town Council.
Without the new town council, it is unlikely that Saltaire's
toilets would have been re-opened in 2021, if ever."
19 July 2021
New Group for Dales High Way walkers
Social media has always played an important part in letting
people know all about A Dales High Way. The Friends' have their
own Facebook Page which they use to pass on the latest
information about the trail.
However, more recently Facebook Groups have grown in
popularity, allowing members to communicate directly with each
other, to ask and answer questions and to share tips, photos and
film.
So the Friends have launched a brand new Dales High Way
Facebook
Group, which is open to anyone who has or plans to walk or run
the route.
The first batch of members are already engaged in sharing the
latest news with each other and those who are currently on the
trail.
"I really love to see people's photos and hear their tales,"
said Chris Grogan, who administers the Group.
" I am sure the Group will be very useful for those planning
to tackle the challenge that is A Dales High Way. It is a great
way of letting walkers engage directly with each other, sharing
tips, answering queries and supporting those setting off for the
first time."
New members have to request to join the group and are
approved by the admin Chris. It's a very easy process.
8 July 2021
Friends' Summer Newsletter 2021
The new Summer Newsletter of the Friends of A Dales High
Way is now available as a downloadable pdf file.
It's been a strange year, but thankfully we are beginning to
get back towards some sort of normality, and walkers are
returning to walk A Dales High Way
once again.
Julia Pearson, who chairs the Friends, considers what wild
treats can be found along the Way, as she bumps into some
walkers just setting out along the route for the second time.
There's an in-depth account of the very first Ultra-marathon
race along the trail, run by Punk Panther Marathons. Winner
Daniel Hendriksen completed the 90-mile run in under 21 hours!
Remarkable.
The Friends' were on hand running the checkpoint at
Settle.
Bradford Council has been busy with some important upgrades
to the route that falls in their patch, along with improvements
on Ingleborough courtesy of the Yorkshire Dales National Park
Authority.
The return to full normality - expected on June 21st - has
been put on hold for at least a month, as there are worrying
signs of a further wave of infections. But hopefully the
roll-out of vaccinations will help us get there soon.
In the meantime, get back out on the Fells once more and
enjoy the summer!
19 June 2021
New footway alongside busy Otley Road section
A potentially dangerous short road section near the start of
A Dales High Way has been made safe, thanks to work by Bradford
Council's Highways department.
The 200 metre road section leads from Weecher Reservoir onto
Bingley Moor. Traffic along this stretch is very fast and the
only verge on one side was difficult on foot due to a drainage
ditch. This has now been stabilised and filled over with gravel,
and bollards have been erected to separate it from the traffic.
The improvement had been requested by walkers from the
local Walkers are Welcome groups and the Friends of A Dales
High Way. The section is used by other local trails, including
the Welcome Way and Bradford Millenium Way.
Originally it was anticipated that walkers' groups would raise
money towards the cost of the work, but in the end the council
received additional government funding to cover the full cost.
This means a much safer passage for walkers. Our thanks must
go to Kevin Whittaker of Bradford Highways in particular for
making this happen!
1 June 2021
Runners complete first Dales High Way Ultra
17 runners set off on the first Dales High Way Ultra,
organised by Punk Panther Ultra Marathons, with 12
finishing the gruelling race on Sunday morning.
Jason Millward set a blistering pace throughout the race, and
as he was tracked dropping from the Howgill Fells it looked
certain that he'd smash the record set only 2 days before. Alas,
Jason was forced to withdraw at the final stage.
First to finish was Daniel Hendriksen, in just 20 hours 56
minutes. Daniel then went on to complete the 100 mile circuit
taking in the additional High Cup Nick circular!
Second place on the Dales High Way went to Mark Kennedy, who
came in 2 hours later. Second spot on the long race went to
Andrew Merrick, who came in alongside
the first woman to finish, Jane McCarthy, who set a new woman's
record for the route at 23 hours and 2 minutes. Both also went on to
complete the 100 miles.
Javid Bhatti was the other runner to complete 100 miles, with
a further 8 runners completing the 90-mile Dales High Way.
Race organiser Ryk Downs said: "The race started in
torrential rain, which lasted until Settle, and the timing meant
everyone had to go through the Howgills in the dark, which was a
huge challenge. All runners thoroughly enjoyed themselves saying
that the route was stunning, yet brutal to run, especially in
the conditions. They all said they would be back next year,
several experienced runners saying it was the best race they had
ever done!"
The Friends of A Dales High Way ran the Settle
checkpoint and had a great time. The Friends received a generous
donation of £170 from the race organisers.
Photos: (top) Daniel Hendriksen presented with the Winner's
Trophy by Ryk and Beverley Downes. Jane McCarthy receives the
Women's Trophy and Andrew Merrick Runner-up Trophy from
organisers Ryk Downes and Steven Brown (bottom left) and David &
Bridget from the Friends at the Settle checkpoint (bottom
right).
14 May 2021
New record set before race begins
A new Fastest Known Time record for running the route of
A Dales High Way has been set just
hours before the Punk Panther Ultra marathon set off.
The record - an incredible 20 hours 31 minutes 23 seconds was
set by Mark Kerry as he ran into Appleby at 7.45 pm on Friday
night. Mark, a "Montane Ambassador", had set off from Saltaire
in the dark at 11.13 pm on Thursday night, running with a
support crew including a rota of pace runners.
He was blessed with good weather conditions.
After Chris Grogan congratulated him on his achievement, Mark
replied "Had such a great day out. Fantastic route."
Meanwhile, the first Punk Panther runners left Saltaire just
after 6 am Saturday morning, as rain started to fall. Heavy rain
is forecast for the duration, making this a very tough
challenge, but the runners were all cheerful and in good
spirits.
Photo shows Mark Kerry.
8 May 2012
"Stunningly Brutal" Dales High Way Ultra
Runners are gearing up to take part in the Dales High Way
Ultra marathon next week.
The race covers the whole 90-mile Dales High Way - a route
described as "stunningly brutal" by one runner after a recce of
the route for the organisers last July.
Runners have up to 36 hours to complete the race, with an
optional additional 10-mile loop up to High Cup Nick at the end,
for those wanting to push the limit to 100 miles.
The race was initially planned for last May, but had to be
cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Due to current restrictions, all checkpoints will be
outdoors, and only 21 runners are expected to participate. They
will leave Saltaire on Saturday morning, May 8th on a staggered
start from 6 a.m. onwards.
The race is organised by Punk Panther Ultra Marathons UK,
led by Ryk and Bev Downes. The races are professionally
organised, with established checkpoints along the route and
qualified medical support. Each runner also carries a tracker so
that their progress and position can be followed throughout.
Competitors can gain 5 or 6 points towards qualification to
the prestigious Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). The UTMB race
involves around 106 miles (170km) of running and a
circumnavigation of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western
Europe.
Members of the Friends of a Dales High Way will be
running the race checkpoint at Settle on Saturday
afternoon.
Photo shows Ryk Downes and Helen Clayman set off to recce the
route in July last year.
1 May 2021
Gentleman Jack filmed in Saltaire
Saltaire, at the start of A Dales High Way,
once more became a film set as a section of the mill was made over
into a busy street scene.
Work on the set continued for several weeks, building shop
fronts, including a pub, a tailors and a chemists.
Filming took
place over two days this week, with parking in lower Saltaire suspended
for the duration. A
huge white crane, with Warner Brothers set lighting and rigging
written on it, was also at the filming location.
The new second season of the BBC/HBO drama, created by Sally
Wainwright, covers the further adventures of 19th century
landowner Anne Lister, played by Suranne Jones. Timothy West is
amongst actors in the new series.
Other scenes were filmed nearby at Haworth Moor's Penistone
Country Park in February.
16 Apr 2021
Glovershaw Beck improvement
A recently repaired section of path alongside Glovershaw
Beck, near the start of A Dales High Way,
has been improved further.
The path was originally repaired with an innovative "green
revetment" last August, after floods had washed away a section
of banking.
But further flash flooding over the winter had caused a
partial collapse of the new banking. The original contractors returned to fix the problem, and over two days
re-engineered and extended the revetment with a more contoured
face.
The beck floor has also been cleared.
It is hoped the new look revetment will better carry the
surge of flood water when it returns. The repair has come just as
walkers begin to return for the new season.
2 April 2021
View from the Riverbank
Three presentations on different environmental projects in
the Eden Valley are on offer to all this spring, hosted by
EDEN Rivers Trust (ERT).
View from the riverbank features three virtual talks
via Zoom – river restoration, natural flood management and the
eradication of invasive non-native species. It will begin with
River restoration in the Upper Eden, Thursday, March 18,
6.30-7pm, with Lev Dahl, River Restoration Manager, who gives an
exclusive virtual tour of a couple of recently completed river
restoration projects in the Upper Eden.
Natural flood management in the Pennines follows
on Thursday 22 April, with Dr. Jenny Garbe, the Trust's Natural
Flood Management Project Manager, on covering leaky dams, tree
and hedge planting, and how they all contribute to reducing the
risk of flooding to Eden’s Communities at Risk.
Finally Ditching the invasive species in Trout Beck and
beyond on Thursday 20 May, with Dr. Jenny Garbe, Trout
Beck Project Manager and Jenni Payne, Volunteer Coordinator, who
will talk about their battle against one of Eden’s most prolific
alien invaders – Himalayan balsam.
The projects cover the Upper Eden valley, where A
Dales High Way enters its final stage, finishing
at Appleby-in-Westmorland. This part of the Westmorland Dales
became part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park in August 2016.
Each 30-minute talk will be followed by a Q&A session where
you can ask your burning questions. Joining in is easy, though
you will need to register in advance to book your place. Once
you have registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with
the details of how to log in.
15 march 2021
Government Roadmap - when can Trail Walking Resume?
Walkers planning to tackle A Dales High Way this summer can
begin planning in earnest, with the new government roadmap
offering a potential timeline for the easing of current
restrictions.
The 4-part roadmap suggests that by 17 May hotels, B&Bs and
hostels can re-open, and by as early as 12 April walking
holidays will be possible for those hiring holiday cottages or
camping.
All the proposed dates are given as the earliest for each
step change, subject to the success of the ongoing vaccination
program and the continued reduction in the infection rate.
Travel restrictions remain in the initial stage, with some
restrictions lifted on 8 March. By 29 March the "Stay at Home"
rule ends, but the advice to only travel locally remains in
force.
Step 2, on 12 April, expect an easing of travel restrictions,
with non-essential retail opening and pubs, restaurants and
cafes able to offer outdoor service. Self contained
accommodation - holiday cottages and some camping facilities,
will become available.
Step 3, on 17 May, sees outdoor events and entertainment
open, with outdoor gatherings of up to 30 people allowed.
Hotels, B&Bs and hostels reopen with pubs, cafes and restaurants
able to offer table service indoors.
By 21 June, Step 4, all restrictions are expected to be
lifted.
Social distancing and Covid-19 hygiene rules will continue
throughout.
1 March 2021
New Online Map Tools to aid Trail Planning
Some new online map tools have been developed to help those
planning to walk A Dales High Way.
The new map features have been developed by Skyware Press,
who publish the Dales High Way Route Guide and Companion, and
are free to use on this website.
Tony Grogan, co-author of the books and a director of
Skyware, said: "We have been offering an online map of the route
for some time, which allows people to zoom in and pan around and
explore the route in detail. But, taking advantage of the
current lockdown restrictions, we have spent some time adding
new features, which we hope will help those planning and walking
the route in the future."
The online map uses Ordnance Survey Map API mapping which
shows topographical detail at several different zoom levels and
allows users to explore the whole route with ease.
"There is a new feature which shows the Skyware strip-map
coverage, as shown in the Route Guide, allowing the coverage to
be seen in a wider context.
"There is also an new Geolocation Tracking feature, which is
aimed at users of mobile devices like modern smartphones, which
are GPS enabled. This allows you to track your position relative
to the route, and hopefully will help reassure walkers when
needed."
There are a couple of caveats: the geolocation tracking
feature uses mapping which requires a good strong signal to
download - which may be sometimes unavailable along the trail,
especially in more remote locations. This feature also tends to
drain battery charge quicker when in constant use, so should be
used sparingly.
"These are still in early development, so we'd very much
appreciate any feedback. Email us at "friends (at) daleshighway
(dot) org (dot) uk and let us know what you think" said Tony.
These tools should only be used as an aid; walkers on the
route should use the Route Guide or map and a compass for
primary navigation.
13 Feb 2021
Surprising Lockdown Stats for Dales National Park
There were some very surprising results from visitor surveys
in the Yorkshire Dales National Park through the Covid-19
pandemic last year.
Despite severe lockdowns in early spring and late autumn,
visitor numbers overall remained high, with more first time
visitors to the National Park and many more younger visitors.
The surprising stats were laid out by Kathryn Beardmore,
director of Park Services, at the virtual meeting of the Park's
Management Plan Annual Forum, which was held on 20 January.
Typically, only 44% of visitors are under 55 years old, but
last year this shot up to 70%. For many this was their first
visit to the Park, including a third of visitors to Malham and a
half of visitors to Aysgarth.
Walking was one of the chief attractions, with as many
visiting Malham Cove in between July and October as any other
year, and more walkers climbing Pen-y-ghent in this period than
previous years. Over 80% reported being "extremely satisfied"
with their visit, despite many facilities being closed.
Pre-Covid tourism figures showed a steady increase between
2015 and 2019, with a 30% increase in staying visitors in the
summer months (April to September), and a very welcome 40%
increase in the winter months (October to March). Undoubtedly
the award of International Dark Sky Reserve status for the
National Park last December can only help.
PHOTO: Light pollution photo shows National Park Dark Sky
Reserve.
1 Feb 2021
Ingleborough Rescue Highlights Concerns
Concerns that people are ignoring Covid-19 restrictions to
visit the Yorkshire Dales were highlighted this weekend when two
walkers had to be rescued from the summit of Ingleborough.
Volunteers from the Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO)
based in Clapham were called out by North Yorkshire Police at
4.30 pm on Sunday, after a couple of walkers had lost their way on the
summit due to low lying fog, ice and snow.
The CRO noted that the couple, who had driven up from
Rochdale, had set off at 1 pm, wearing lightweight jackets and
smooth-soled footwear as well as using Google Maps for
navigation.
Superintendent Mike Walker said: “This couple were incredibly
fortunate to have come through this experience without injury
and be able to tell the tale. We very clearly advised members of
the public this weekend to stay at home and when taking
exercise, stay local to stop the spread of Covid.
"Quite simply driving miles and miles, out of your village,
town or city to visit an open space is not a necessary journey
and is not acceptable. Neither is arriving at a challenging
walking location, inexperienced and unprepared in treacherous
weather conditions.
"By making an irresponsible and ill-informed decision, the
safety of others such as the Cave Rescue Organisation volunteers
is also put in jeopardy and if any injury resulted, pressure
upon already stretched NHS resources."
On the same day another walker was rescued from the hillside
below Blua Crags, above Settle, after she slipped on steep, frozen
ground, sustaining a suspected ankle fracture.
14 Jan 2021
New Year - New Hope
After a year to forget, at last there's hope that 2021 will
be different. Today the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine begins
being administered to people across the country.
The government intends that over 20 million of the most
at-risk citizens will have been vaccinated by April. With their
current record of delivering on plans though, that seems
optimistic. But by early summer we should be able to return to
long-distance walking, even walking holidays - as we did briefly
in the late summer of 2020.
It comes at a time when second wave infections and
hospitalisations due to the new Covid-19 strain are passing the
peak of the first deadly wave last April. But hopefully this
will begin to be reversed as the vaccine is rolled out in
numbers.
At the moment, only local people are eligible to go out
walking along sections of A Dales High Way. North Yorkshire now
falls within tier 3, Cumbria falls within tier 4. In these tiers
you should avoid travel outside your local area. These
restrictions look likely to be tightened, at least in the short
term.
But now is the time to be optimistic and start planning for
the summer, when hopefully once again we can set off across the
glorious high country of the Yorkshire Dales and Eden valley.
4 Jan 2021
