A Dales High Way

Otley venue for anniversary fair

Otley Walkers Are Welcome are celebrating their own 10th anniversary next month with a Walkers Fair, which will feature talks by original trail authors Colin Speakman and Chris Grogan.

Colin will talk about 50 years of the Dales Way - now one of the most popular long-distance walking trails in the country.

Chris will be talking about her upbringing on a Dales hill farm and how that led her to create A Dales High Way.

Mike Bartholomew of the West Riding Ramblers will talk about disabled access to the countryside.

As well as a variety of stalls, there will be the opportunity to share experiences, photos, and maps about trails in Britain or anywhere in Europe. "Walkers will tell walkers about routes and areas they know: English, Scottish and Welsh trails, the Italian Dolomites, Lapland, France and Germany, etc, etc. Walking groups and interest organizations like the Ramblers will be represented."

The fair takes place on Sunday 18th November at the Otley Courthouse from 11am till 4pm.

Chris has enjoyed a busy year celebrating A Dales High Way's 10th anniversary, with a series of talks about the trail at various venues, and a number of led walks, which have all gone well.

The highlight of the year was undoubtedly the series of led walks along the entire route, all achieved using public transport. 22 walkers joined the event overall, starting off from Saltaire on a bright May morning, and ending with a triumphant September finish at Appleby-in-Westmorland (see photo above).

See Otley Walkers Are Welcome here. See the 10th anniversary events here.

19 October 2018

Companion support for Mend Our Mountains

You can support the current Mend Our Mountains campaign and pick up a signed copy of the new edition of A Dales High Way Companion as a reward.

The current crowd-funding campaign has just three weeks to run, with a target of £20,000 towards the £46.000 fund for the improvement of a busy path leading to the summit of Whernside from Bruntscar. This is a popular route for both Three Peaks walkers, and Dales High Way walkers taking the Whernside optional route.

Other rewards on offer include a handcrafted oak finger post sign with inscription, a day out with a National Park Ranger, a helicopter ride or an overnight stay in a local luxury hotel.

In 2016 Skyware Press, who publish the Dales High Way guide books, supported a similar successful campaign to raise £17,000 for path repairs on Ingleborough. Chris Grogan said "Walkers have had so much pleasure over the years from walking A Dales High Way and we feel it's important to help put something back into keeping these paths in good condition."

The rising popularity of the Three Peaks Challenge Route is now causing major headaches for residents of Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

With an estimated 100,000 walkers taking on the challenge each year, Richard Welch, a North Yorkshire County councillor for Ribblesdale, told the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) residents feelings were running high. "Every weekend it is absolute pandemonium. The Three Peaks walk is making people's lives a misery." he said.

A new Yorkshire Three Peaks Route Guide, produced by Skyware Press this year, advocates starting and finishing the route at Ribblehead, making use of the early morning train service from Leeds.

YDNPA members have agreed to look at possible alternative start points, routes and other options.

See the Mend Our Mountains crowd-funding appeal here. See the new Yorkshire Three Peaks Route Guide here.

1 October 2018

High Way the hard way

A new women's record has been set this week for running A Dales High Way by Catherine Bradley-Richardson, who covered the 90-mile long distance trail in just 35 hours!

Catherine, who works for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, set off on Sunday morning, September 2nd. She had pacer support from three runners for the first half, up to Ribblehead, but finished the run on her own, late Monday afternoon.

Her actual running time was 27 hours 19 minutes, with some refreshment and rest stops along the way, where she had road support at various locations.

Catherine had originally intended to join three runners who tackled the trail in 2016, including a colleague at the National Park. "I was unable to do it with Matt Neale due to injury 2 years ago...so let’s see what happens!" she said before the start.

In November 2016 three men, Matt Kneale, Mark Collinson and Dave Dixon completed the run in just 26 hours.

Catherine said "It is such a fabulous and varied route. It really does show off the Yorkshire Dales superbly! Although the weather was poor from Sedbergh onwards it was still very enjoyable! I was glad to have previously reccied the Howgills section as it was thick fog and driving rain in Monday morning."

Wow. Well done Catherine!

See the 2016 run report here.

9 Sept. 2018

Baildon Welcomes High Way walkers

The Baildon Walkers Are Welcome group have chosen A Dales High Way to launch their first Challenge Event.

Walkers met up this morning at 9 a.m. to join walk leader Paul Robinson for a 17-mile hike over Rombalds Moor to Ilkley and Addingham, before crossing Skipton Moor for Skipton.

A Dales High Way was devised 10 years ago by Baildon Walkers are Welcome Vice-Chair, Chris Grogan, and her husband Tony. Chris is also secretary of the Friends of A Dales High Way and has had a busy year organising a number of 10th anniversary events.

Some walkers had planned to leave the walk at Ilkley, whilst another group were planning to join up with the walk at White Wells for the final stretch to Skipton.

Baildon was awarded Walkers Are Welcome status in 2013 and have proved to be one of the more active groups in the region. They organise a number of guided walks for all abilities, from local town trails and family-friendly shorter walks, to longer hikes.

The national Walkers are Welcome scheme started 11 years ago in Yorkshire. Hebden Bridge was the first Walkers are Welcome town. Now there are over 100 towns and villages accredited as Walkers are Welcome communities – including Baildon, of course.

See Baildon Walkers are Welcome here.

1 Sept. 2018

Rail strike blow to Trail plans

The announcement of new rail strikes has disrupted plans for the final two Anniversary Walks by the Friends of A Dales High Way.

With 7 of the 9 planned walks along the full length of A Dales High Way - Walk the Trail 2018 - already completed, the final two walks were scheduled for the Saturdays of August 25th and September 8th.

But a series of strikes by the RMT rail union on Northern services are earmarked for three consecutive Saturdays:- August 25, September 1 and September 8.

The walk planned for August 25th has been pulled back a week to August 18th, as it involves using the Western Dales bus from Dent which only operates on a Saturday. The walk heads from Sedbergh over the Howgill Fells to Newbiggin-on-Lune, and involves a stunning six-mile ridge walk with some of the finest views in the Yorkshire Dales.

The final walk has been pushed on one day to Sunday September 9th, which will involve a much later start and finish. The walk sets out from Newbiggin-on-Lune to cross the Orton Fells heading down into the Eden Valley to finish at Appleby.

Chris said: "It's a real shame, as we have had to hastily re-arrange the dates, which means a number of walkers who had planned to join us will no longer be able to. But so far the walks have been a hugely enjoyable experience for all concerned."

See Walk the Trail 2018 here, and the RMT announcement here.

14 Aug 2018