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Dales High Way in December
From: Diane Taylor
Date: 18 December 2013
Just back from walking from Saltaire to Skipton along the High Way. My friend and I had a brilliant day in sunshine! The way down from Ilkley Moor to Addingham Moorside was very slurpy and I suggest in the winter the detour round Addingham to the A65 is cleaner than the mud slides we enjoyed going across the fields. The stepping stones were good!
The mapping was so clear and the waymarking excellent: we did not consult a map once...well actually we did not have maps for the whole route and having walked the start of The Lady Anne Way last week we took the risk expecting your guide to be enough and it was!
How did we walk 18 miles in December? We left Saltaire at 08.20, enjoying low mist down in the valley and the sun really rising. We reached Skipton at 3.15..... recommend this stage as an excellent winter's day walk!
Craven Heifer, Stainforth
From: Rhona
Date: 25 July 2013
Hi, Just to let any walkers know that the Craven Heifer at Stainforth is closed. We arrived after a days walk having booked rooms and found this out the hard way.....
Luckily we were able to go onto the hill inn and its lovely. If you've booked anything at the craven heifer you will need to rethink...... Thanks Rhona
Update: Feb 2014: I understand the pub has now re-opened, but please check with them directly about accommodation - Tony.
Angry Buzzard at Flasby!
From: Laura
Date: 21 July 2013
Hi there, just wanted to advise walkers to watch out for a rather angry buzzard which swooped at me many times on Thursday 19th. I'd turned off the road at Flasby, had negotiated a small enclosure containing sheep and then was making my way across an exposed field towards a metal gate when the attack began. I then tried to follow the beck rather than the line of the path, in order to have better coverage from the trees, but the buzzard followed me some distance. Not knowing how long it was going to follow me, I decided to retreat and took the road from Flasby to Hetton instead. Managed to escape unscathed! Hopefully it was just me it wasn't so keen on but other walkers in the area should take care as they can cause quite nasty head injuries.
Bag transfer
From: Carol
Date: 15 July 2013
Does anyone know where we might leave bags in Saltaire/Appleby where they can be picked up/dropped off by baggage transfer service? We won't be staying over in these towns so have no B&B and have just been suggested to phone some B&Bs, but wonder if anyone else has had this experience? thanks. Carol
Reply: Thanks to those who replied via our Facebook page. Carol was able to negotiate arrangements at the Ibis Hotel in Shipley and the Midland Hotel at Appleby. It's worth asking your baggage courier company for advice.
Cattle question?
From: Rhona
Date: 11 Jun 2013
I am hoping to walk the Dales highway in the summer and have a question! Silly as it may seem I have a bit of a cow phobia – mainly because they always seem to chase myself and my dog L I was just wondering how many fields of cows we are likely to have to walk through during the walk and if they are possible to avoid without an extra-long detour….. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated!!!
Chris replies: Hi Rhona, we often walk the route with our dog Jess and so we understand your worries – you have to be careful with dogs near cattle, especially cows with young calves.
It’s hard to say exactly where you might meet some cattle – almost anywhere is possible.
However, you’re most likely to come across cattle in the low level farming areas – a few at the very start, climbing onto the moors and coming down from them. But the likely area is the very last section, between the Orton Fells and Appleby. This is dairy country and it’s hard to avoid them. There are, however, fairly quiet country roads close by to escape to if necessary – check the maps.
You might choose to avoid:
1) The descent from Addingham Moorside to Addingham (check the website for an alternative road route here.)
2) Rutter Mill to Hoff and possibly Hoff to Appleby (use nearby quiet roads).
You’ll also come across some cattle on the high fells – possibly between Malham and Settle, but fell cattle are generally pretty passive with plenty of space to give them a wide berth.
Trust your instincts and turn back if necessary. If you feel threatened, let the dog go (dogs can generally outrun cattle) and get yourself to safety before calling it back.
Unfortunately there have been a couple of tragedies lately involving walkers with dogs and cattle, so do take care.
Walking north to south?
From: Gill Pursey
Date: 15 Mar 2013
Not sure if this question has already been discussed but wonder whether it is equally possible to walk the DHW from Appleby to Saltaire?
Chris replies: Yes Gill, it is. See my blog Backwards. The route is currently being waymarked in both directions.
Parking
From: Richard
Date: 17 Feb 2013
Hi there. I was pointed in the direction of the Dales High Way - looks like a great route. Planning to give it a bash starting tomorrow - where's the best place to park at the start? Thanks
Chris replies: There's a couple of day car parks nearby, including one on Victoria Road, but no long term parking I know of. You could try finding a space on yourparkingspace.co.uk . Or you could try and make a deal with an accommodation provider. If you're using Brigantes to organise your walking holiday, I believe they offer secure car parking. Other than that, it's better to arrive by train. I don't know if anybody else knows of any places along the route?
Ascent Profile for the Dales Highway
From: Ian Antill
Date: 7 Jan 2013
Has anyone got the ascent profile for this walk please ?
I can generally cope with distance but it depends how much ascent (and descent) is involved as to how much my knees can cope with for each daily chunk.....
Tony replies: Take a look at the detailed route map on the website here Ian. Scroll down for route profiles.
A Great Walk
From: Judy Booth
Date: 10 Sept 2012
We have just completed the Dales High Way which we did in two chunks. We started in January during a week of fine and sunny weather getting as far as Ribblehead, and completed the walk in much warmer weather at the end of September. As we live near Skipton we were able to return home each night for the early part of the walk and also take advantage of the train. (We could have used the train more if there were more reliable links with the local buses which do not run in the evenings in any case. Luckily our daughter was able to provide some transport.) The first two days in the book would have been too far for us to walk anyway, but in January we had short days which curtailed the distance we could do.
Our itinerary was as follows:
January
Day 1 - lift to the station and train from Skipton to Saltaire. Picnic lunch on Rombalds Moor. We walked to Addingham and caught the bus back to Skipton. Lift home with daughter.
Day 2 – left a car in Hetton and got a lift to Addingham. Had lunch in Skipton and then walked to Hetton and drove home.
Day 3 – lift to Hetton and walked to Settle. We took the optional route and had lunch in Malham and got the train back to Skipton from Settle. Unfortunately the train was late so we missed the last bus home and daughter had to pick us up.
Day 4 – Drove to Settle. We took a picnic lunch as we did not think the tea room in Feizor would be open. It was and we were quite comfortable sitting outside (in January!). Because of the day length we could not do Ingleborough that day but dropped down in to Horton-in-Ribblesdale, doing the last bit by torch light, and caught the train back to Settle.
Day 5 – We drove to Horton and left our car in the station car park. We climbed Ingleborough and had our picnic on the summit. We dropped down to the Hill Inn for a drink and walked on to Ribblehead where we caught a train back to Horton. (Lovely sunset behind the viaduct).
September
Day 6 – Unable to park at Skipton station so we caught the train at Gargrave and got off at Ribblehead. We walked to Sedbergh and stayed with Sandra at number 10 Main Street B & B. Ate at the Taj Mahal curry restaurant which was very good.
Day 7 – Bought a picnic lunch in Sedbergh then walked over the Howgills and stayed at Tranna Hill B & B in Newbiggin-on-Lune. Brenda kindly offered to run us to the Black Swan in Ravenstonedale and collected us after our meal.
Day 8 – To Appleby. We planned to have lunch at the Three Greyhounds in Great Asby but it does not open for lunch during the week. So we walked another 3 miles or so to Hoff where the pub has just reopened. They were not doing food but will be doing very soon when the cooker arrives. Train back to Gargrave and home.
The high spots – definitely the Howgills. We had never walked there before and the scenery was stunning. We did not see anyone else once we had left the summit of the Calf.
The low spots – the descent from Ingleborough is very steep and icy in January and my knees could not cope. The very last section of the walk was very muddy and churned up by cows in places and the path at the Cuddling Hole is still awaiting repair.
DHW - John, Martin and Liam - 28th Aug - 2nd Sept 2012
From: John Parkinson
Date: 8 Sept 2012
Hello, Just a quick line to say we did a variant of the Dales High Way over six days finishing last weekend. We enjoyed the experience very much; so thank you for bringing it to life. We know the effort involved must be considerable.
All three of us are fairly experienced walkers but we all underestimated the challenge of the walk at the outset and on most days we were more than ready to arrive at our destinations! This may in part be due to the route variations we picked and partly because of the toughness of the basic route itself! Also, parts of the walk were very wet underfoot ( although it barely rained on us); not just bog but very unpleasant deep mud particularly around Addingham and especially around Sharp Haw before Flasby. This latter area caused me to burst forth with some impromptu and very anglo saxon expletives; to the surprise of some other walkers (whose presence I was unaware of!). My apologies to them.
On a serious note, these sections really did slow us up and were no fun at all. Finding our way through housing estates in Addingham was another lowlight. I wonder if one could keep to higher ground avoiding this section enroute to Skipton? After Skipton, we stopped overnight at Malham; a good call after the mud. Thank heavens for well drained limestone! The extra six miles to Settle that day would have been hard work.
The following day we cut north to take in Penyghent via Malham Cove, Malham Tarn and Fountains Fell ( a good climb in itself). A superb route finishing in Horton in Ribblesdale. We followed this up by Ingleborough, Whernside then down from the summit by a little used western path and along the road to Dent. Again only about 15 miles; but a tough walk and Dent was a very welcome sight that night. Back exactly on route for the last two days, the Howgills were great and lonely (what we could see through the mist) and the final day a very pleasant wind down despite the quite understandable damage caused to the last few miles of the route by recent flooding. Nearly 100 miles and we caught the train back to Leeds with exactly thirty seconds to spare! All our accomodation was good to excellent; so thanks to the Unicorn Hotel, Skipton, Malham YHA, The Crown Inn at Horton, Stone Close Tearooms at Dent and Tranna Hill at Newbiggin.
A really good time was had by all...good memories. Pity about the Addingham area...avoiding it would seem to be a good idea but not sure how practical this would be.
Many Thanks once again, John
Tony replies: With reference to your query about sticking to a higher level route around Addingham: we did look at several options when we were devising the route. One option is to stick to the high moor ridge between Lanshaw Lad and Addingham Moorside, which is more direct but much less interesting. Another option is to stick to the watershed between Addingham Moorside and Draughton Height but involves 2½ miles of road walking. A third option is to descend from Addingham High Moor via Straight Lane and Turner Lane, but again there's 1½ miles of road walking involved.
You can see more details of these options here.
We also explored several other options, including crossing Silsden Moor, but in the end all of these are less interesting and the Addingham route offers options for accommodation and refreshments. You are free, of course, to alter the route as you please.
A first-class walk
From: Bridget & David
Date: 12 Aug 2012
Congratulations Tony and Chris on a first-class walk; despite periodic drenchings we enjoyed every minute (except maybe the stampeding heifers!) Maps and instructions were excellent and the route was really easy to follow. The only regret was having to finish at Appleby - any chance of an extension?
Sherpa Van did their usual efficient job with baggage transfer and the B&Bs were excellent. We stayed at the following: Park Hill (Skipton): Beck Hall (Malham): Scar Close Farmhouse (Feizor): Croft Gate (Chapel-le-Dale): High Roans (Sedbergh): Tranna Hill (Newbiggin): The Limes, Colby (30 mins walk from Appleby but close to DHW).
There's a report of our walk at the link below if anyone wants to take a look:
http://adaleshighwayjuly2012.blogspot.co.uk/
Best wishes Bridget and David
Waymarking
From: Yvonne Alderson
Date: 31 July 2012
Congratulations on the waymarking achieved so far – hope the Yorkshire Dales bit will catch up in due course.
In mid July we walked up Long Lane and over to Sulber Nick – reminiscing about our walk of the Dales High Way in 2010. Just at the point where the Dales High Way joined our route that day there is a new marker post for the Pennine Bridleway – see photograph attached. It is obviously waiting to have a DHW marker added to it!
As you can see in the photo the weather had been very wet on the previous days – we were surprised to find so much standing water on the limestone. We thought the head of Crummackdale was amazing.
We used your Rail Trails book too – another inspiring book – thank you.
A Dales High Way
From: Rob Jones
Date: 12 July 2012
Congratulations to Tony & Chris Grogan for the inauguration of a fantastic walk. This has to be one of the best long distance walks in the north of England. The superb route guide was an ideal companion along the way. The route details are exceptional and so easy to follow. My brother and I completed the walk in the 3rd week of June over 8 days. Superb weather, for the 1st 6 days, although there was quite a lot of mud in places around Addingham. The only bad bit was the complete change, weather wise, for the last two days. We had howling winds and heavy rain over the Howgills, but managed to complete the walk over Hazelgill Knot and West Fell, to Ravenstonedale. However I have to agree with Mr Wain, who previously posted his account on the Dales High Way website as we did the walk during the same time scale as himself and his companion. The walk from Ravenstonedale to Appleby was one of the worst I have ever encountered on a walking expedition. The ground water along the route of Hoff Beck was exasperating, with several deep side streams to cross, but the view of Rutter Force in full flow, was breath taking. After passing Hoff, it was very difficult to follow the path alongside the river, which was under water, so higher ground alternatives had to be found. However, we have already decided to return next year to, hopefully, complete the last two stages in better weather. Overall, though, the walk is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone. Great paths, route, views and not too much road. We met many likeminded trekkers along the route, both on the Dales High Way and some on the Dales Way through Dentdale. They all helped to make the journey that bit more interesting, as we shared experiences.
As far as accommodation is concerned I would heartily recommend The Cravendale Guest House in Skipton, Beck Hall at Malham, The King William IV Guest House in Settle, which is very good, the Station Inn at Ribblehead, Wheelwright Cottage in Sedbergh, and Bongate House in Appleby. There must be a special mention to Bill & Ann at the Old Vicarage in Ravenstonedale who took great care of us, including drying out some very wet clothes. I would also like to mention Sherpavan baggage carrying who provided a faultless service each day.
Tony Replies: I'm glad to hear everyones surviving this long long spell of bad weather in good spirits and enjoying their walks. I think it's fair to say that the last leg along Hoff Beck is going to suffer due to constant flooding and will take a time to recover. If the going is bad it may be advisable to take to the roads from Great Asby - it's 5 miles and not very interesting, but they are fairly quiet (though local traffic can move fast, so take great care). You can still cut down from Broadmire Road to take a look at Rutter Falls. The roads are shown in the Route Guide. You can also avoid the worst of the mud around Addingham by taking the option to go through the village - also in the guide. Happy yomping!.
A Dales Highway
From: Trevor Wain
Date: 9 July 2012
What a fantastic walk! Many thanks for the concept and the superb route guide and companion book. We (two pensioners) do a long distance walk every June and this is up there with the best. The weather this year was mixed, we crossed both Ingleborough and Whernside in sunshine, were beaten back from the Howgills by ferocious winds which knocked us off our feet and necessitated a sitting glissade to return to the alternative route and had a final day following the Hoff Beck in spate, Rutter Force looking amazing, side streams all but impassible, riverside meadows like paddy fields and the path, at times, covered by the rushing waters of the swollen beck. Great Asby deserves a special mention for a large and comfortable bus stop which provided us with shelter for lunch. Worst moment? Perhaps the deep, glutinous, boot sucking, energy sapping mud of the path from Street Farm to the A65 at Addingham where too many cows in a confined corridor had produced a quagmire. Best moment? Its impossible to select one, the walk is crammed with wonderful views, marvelous paths, pretty villages etc. etc.
As far as accommodation is concerned I would heartily recommend The Tarn House Hotel just noth of Skipton, Beck Hall at Malham, The Old Inn at Chaple le Dale, and Tranna Hill at Newbiggin on Lune. There is little choice if you want to stay at Stainforth but The Craven Heifer, which could be so good, was very disappointing.
I'll have to return if for no other reason than to traverse the Howgill Fells.
Whatever the weather
From: Ian Thurman
Date: 25 June 2012
We're walking a shortened version of the DHW (Ilkley to Ravenstonedale) starting Sun 1st July. Given the recent downpours are there any problems we're likely to encounter en route?
Many thanks, The Wicking Man
Tony replies: Despite this now being the wettest April-June on record, I don't think you'll have many problems - I was walking in Cumbria a couple of days ago and the going underfoot was remarkably good. There are, of course, a few wet spots along the way and you may get a soaking by a sudden downpour. Good luck.
Bessy Beck's Tea Rooms Newbiggin
From: Roma Whiteley
Date: 21 June 2012
I organised a group from Cardiff Ramblers’ to hike The Dales High Way starting Sat 26th May finishing Sunday 3rd June. We enjoyed glorious weather at the start of week to quite cold by the end of the week, but only had half a day’s rain out of Chapel le Dale. It was a wonderful route and we thoroughly enjoyed it, enjoying some serendipity moments like ice cream coming off Hope Hill, again at Gordale Scar and a welcome cold drink at The Angel at Hetton on the hottest day and a coffee and cake stop at Elaine’s in Feizor. We stayed 2 nights at Craven Heifer Skipton, one night at The Buck Inn Malham, 2 nights at The New Inn Clapham nr Settle, 2 nights at The Bull Hotel Sedbergh and one night at Bongate in Appleby. We were well fed in all places, but we particularly liked Clapham, which although off the route was a delightful village. I organised mini bus transfers with Stainforth Private Hire and Woofs of Sedbergh to transport us at the end and beginning of some days to get us back in position..
I arranged pick up at Newbiggin on Lune at 5.30 but we traversed The Howgills in a shorter timeframe and arrived at the main road at 4.15. I was about to call Woofs to see if we could arrange an earlier pick up as the guide book said there was no pub or shop in Newbiggin. However, Bessy Beck’s Trout Fishery was open with a teashop, so we all enjoyed a cream tea, another serendipity moment while waiting for the bus! The Tea Room and Farm Shop is open from 10.00am - 5.00pm Wednesday to Sunday. Luckily for us it was a Saturday. You may wish to update your website with this information.
Thank you for a wonderful walk and as a newcomer to the Howgills I hope to return and explore further this area.
One of the finest walks in the north of England
From: Mark Townsend
Date: 12 June 2012
I spent 3 days walking the Dales High Way at the end of May and I think it is one of the finest walks I have done in the north of England. Many thanks for developing the route, writing such a lovely guidebook and waymarking it.
Highlights of day 1 include the wonderful old oak trees in Shipley Glen, the cries of curlew, lapwing and skylarks on Bingley Moor, the views over Ilkley and Wharfedale, Skipton Castle, the views from Sharp Haw, the pretty village of Hetton, Gordale Scar, the snack van by Gordale Bridge, the views from the top of Malham Cove, the amazing limestone scenery around Ing Scar and Attermire Scar and the hospitality of the Lion at Settle.
Highlights of day 2 include the wonderful riverside walking beside the Ribble from Settle, the superb teashop in Feizor, tranquil Crummack Dale, the views from Ingleborough and Whernside, the views over Dentdale on the descent of the Craven Way, the welcoming pubs in Dent, the views of the Howgills from Longstone Fell and the welcome at the Dalesman Country Inn.
Highlights of Day 3 include walking in the Howgills with only skylarks and sheep for company, the views over the Eden Valley from West Fell, Great Asby Scar, walking beside Hoff Beck and wandering around the beautiful old town of Appleby.
Regards Mark
best UK walk by far
From: Jimmy
Date: 15 May 2012
Just completed the dales highway and what an absolute delight, set away from the ibis hotel saltaire on saturday 5/5/12 and arrived in Appleby on thursday 10/5/12.
saturday night we stopped at the craven heifer skipton which made the first day longer but day 2 shorter, the food at the craven heifer was superb.
sunday night we stayed at the oast house settle, room was ok but nothing else to write home about, can recommend the indian restaurant but take your own drink as they dont serve alcohol, (co-op next door ).
monday was a great day going over ingleborough, we stayed at the bunkhouse at the station inn ribblehead, food and drink excellent.
tuesday took us to the bull hotel sedbergh for a night of luxury, excellent room with a shower and bath, evening meal and breakfast spot on.
wednesday was a great day over the howgills and stayed at the bunkhouse at bents farm, very basic but does the job but dont forget to buy provisions in sedbergh.
thursday was our last day and when we awoke the weather was atrocious so wearing waterproofs and rain capes we faced the elements and set away at 6 25am, we didnt stop walking till we got to the bus shelter at great asby, it never abated so we pushed on to appleby, every field was waterlogged and every lane was like a river but what a lovely sight rutter force was.
we got to appleby station in time to change into some dry clothes and catch the 12 43pm train home but what a brilliant, brilliant few days we all had.
Dales Highway Superb
From: Dave
Date: 11 May 2012
Day 1 May 4th 2012 Saltaire to the Craven Heifer (Skipton)
Absolutely great day, wild moorland, spectacular views, and historical interest. A nice pastie and tea at White Wells while taking in super views of the lovely Ilkley. Waymarking in progress looks good.
Craven Heifer great place to stay and good food too.
Day 2 May 5th 2012 Craven Heifer to Settle
B&B Oast House nothing to say about this !!!
The best day of any Long Distance Walk I have ever done ( and I have done a few)
Day 3 May 6th Settle to Ribblehead
Another great day out don't miss the superb Café in Feizor. Plenty people say the Station Hotel is a bit basic, we had a great time there, super food and excellent ale!!!
Day 4 May 7th Ribblehead to Sedbergh.
Weather still holding but all we meet assure us our luck will not hold. Good to be be Sedbergh again it's like a crossroads for walkers.
Cannot speak too highly of The Bull Hotel. Superb. We spread the good word about the DHW as lots of people have not yet heard of it yet!
Day 5 May 8th Sedbergh to Newbiggin (Bents Barn)
Again fantastic spectacular day, the Howgills on their very best behaviour. Magnificent!!!!! The Barn was ample for our needs in fact I recommend it if your needs are not to luxurious.
Day 6 May 9th Newbiggin to Appleby
Oh Dear, Oh Dear Oh Dear, what an anticlimax. We got the full wrath of the promised bad weather and the whole stretch was a water and mud course?. That lovely red mud which gives you Frankenstein boots. Ah well you can't win them all.
Cheers Dave
DHW
From: Neil
Date: 30 April 2012
Afternoon,
Just a quick note to say: what a fantastic walk! I did it last week over 6 days:
1) Saltaire - Skipton
2) Skipton - Settle
3) Settle - Horton (leaving the route just before Crummack)
4) Horton - Dent (rejoining on the 3 peaks path, taking in Ingleborough
and Whernside)
5) Dent - Newbiggin (over the Howgills in the wind and driving rain!
Visibility of about 20 feet...)
6) Newbiggin - Appleby
Definitely the most enjoyable multi-day walk I've done in the UK. Not sure I fancy the 3-day option, though.....
Cheers Neil
Blizzards and sunshine on the DHW (plus accommodation reports)
From: Vicky, Leeds
Date: 10 April 2012
We have just returned from a fantastic week walking the DHW. Blizzards on day 3 forced us to walk the road between Malham and Settle but this was followed by a glorious day to summit Ingleborough. A fantastic route with ever changing scenery. We will definitely be tempted back to some of the areas for further exploration, especially the Howgill fells. Accommodation was generally excellent and I've made some recommendations below, plus, unfortunately some advice about one to avoid for the time being! Congratulations on a brilliant route using lesser known paths.
Day 1: Craven Heifer, Skipton. Excellent value for money and very good food in the pub. A cut above standard pub fayre.
Day 2: Malham YHA. Everything you would expect from a youth hostel including helpful friendly staff.
Day 3: Craven Heifer, Stainforth. BEST AVOIDED. There seems to be someone new in charge, who said less than 10 words to us or any of the regulars. Food took an age to arrive (8.30 breakfast arrived at 9am) and was largely inedible. Customer service was non-existent. Not worth £70 by a long shot.
Day 4: Dale Head Farm, Chapel le Dale. Slightly off the route but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Room (with bath) was beautiful, Judith ran us to the pub in Ingleton for food (another Craven Heifer - very good!) and picked us up again and took us to meet the piglets and lambs the next morning. We will return!
Day 5: Holmecroft, Sedbergh. Good value B&B if a little over-fussy. Be prepared to be towelled down if you have wet kit before you enter the house! Ate at Duo cafe - very good.
Day 6: High Chapel House, Ravenstonedale. This DEFINITELY needs to go on the accommodation list! Wonderful hospitality and large comfy rooms with a view to die for. Good value too.
Day 7: Tufton Arms, Appleby. Lovely room but disappointing as there were hardly any other guest staying and there was a lot of noise from the town centre pubs. There had been a fight which had spilled out of a nearby pub in the early hours. Apparently not uncommon on a Friday/Saturday night. Nice eating options limited in the town centre - go to the Royal Oak on Bongate.
Wild camping along the route
From: Joost de Wall
Date: 21 March 2012
Hi All,
I am planning to walk the Dales high way this May with my wife while camping. I want to use the official campsites wherever possible. Along the stretch Saltaire-Malham there are no campsites along the route. My plan is to walk to Addingham, do some shopping and maybe have a meal. Then walk up to the moor between Addingham and Ilkley in the evening, pitch my tent for the night, and break up again early in the morning. Of course we will keep the impact on the environment to a minimum.
I know that wild camping is officially not allowed in the UK (except for Scotland). How is this looked upon? Done or not done?
regards, Joost de Wall
Tony replies: Joost, some people do wild camp in the Dales, but not much, and you're right, it is frowned upon. There are places, such as the back of the Station Inn at Ribblehead where it is tolerated. There are a couple spots between Addingham and Skipton, beyond Draughton Height, where you will probably be undisturbed. The alternative is to treat yourself to a B&B or pub room for your first night.
Information on the strip maps
From: Miles Rhodes
Date: 2 March 2012
I have a copy of the guidebook and jolly comprehensive it is too. However, I cannot find a 'Key' to the symbols etc on the maps which refer to the numbers contained in the black ovals. It's obviously not progressive mileage between the sections of the walk/or settlements. Am I missing something blindingly obvious ?! Please advise.
Tony replies: Miles, I assume you are referring to the Dales High Way Route Guide, and the section maps at the beginning of each of the 6 Sections. The numbers in the black ovals here refer to the more detailed strip maps. So, for example, on page 25 you have an overview of the 5 maps that cover Section 3 - Ingleborough, and the oval containing the number 11 near Settle shows the location of Strip Map 11 - Settle to Smearset Scar on page 26 (see the example at the bottom of the page here). These also match the numbers that appear in the Dales High Way Companion on the overview maps (e.g. page 49) and the following stage descriptions. I hope this makes sense.
Penguins and Polar Bears - the filming of Frozen Planet
From: Booktown News
Date: 24 January 2012
The BBC television series "Frozen Planet" captivated BBC viewers with its incredible footage of nature in action in the most extreme of weather conditions on the ultimate polar expedition. This landmark series brought to the screen the frozen wildernesses of the Arctic and Antarctic as you have never seen them before, and may never see them again...
Now, in Sedbergh, you have the opportunity to hear Frozen Planet cameraman Mark Smith recounting his close encounters with the wildlife in the Arctic and the Antarctic in a talk arranged by the Sedbergh support group of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
Mark, who is a former pupil of Sedbergh School, will be illustrating his presentation with a collection of stunning photographs and video footage on Thursday 9th February in Queens Hall, Sedbergh School, at 7.30pm.
Tickets (£8.00) are available from The Sleepy Elephant shop in Main Street Sedbergh or online from www.sedberghbooktown.co.uk/webshop.
One night stays, Croft Gate, Chapel le Dale
From: Martin Carter
Date: 12 January 2012
Due to unprecedented demand we now offer one night stays Sunday to Thursday inclusive.
Thanks
Martin Carter www.croft-gate.co.uk
Dales Highway Enquiry
From: Guy Anderson
Date: 12 January 2012
Hi Tony,
Having read the feedback on your website I am really looking forward to walking the Dales Highway with my Dad in May 2012 (your route book was ordered yesterday...) and am keen to understand the approx daily walking times. My Dad and I are early morning walkers and are looking to build up a hunger and thirst with approx 6-8 hours walking a day. With this in mind, does our planned itineray look reasonable?
Saltaire to Skipton (17.9)
Skipton - Settle (18.7)
Settle - Chapel-le-Dale (14.2)
Chapel-le-Dale - Sedbergh (15.7)
Sedbergh - Newbiggin-on Lune (10.9)
Newbiggin-on-Lune - Appleby (12.7)
Excited to be planning the route - open to all and and any suggestions and greatly appreciate any guidance you can provide.
Many thanks
Tony replies: Looks good. That's the most natural itinerary I think, but two tough days to start with - probably 8 hours plus with breaks. Please let us know how you get on.
Waymarking
From: John Holding
Date: 10 January 2012
Is the Dales High Way waymarked?
Tony replies: No, not specifically. Waymarking of the first part of the route is expected to start this year.
