Dales Way, Buckden to High Gearstones

CHRIS was on the drag for picking me up so we got away later than planned for the 2.5 hour drive to meet the other cars at Ribblehead then leave a car there, and all drive down for the start of the next section of the Dales Way. It took 3/4 of an hour to get down to Buckden as there was no direct route.

Consequently it was 10.50 am before the 5 of us set off for the 13.5 mile section of the Dales Way to High Gearstones. It was hotting up as we took the path up Wharfedale. Hubberholme was only a mile in, but we paused to look at the church which had a lovely 300year old oak rood. Gradually the river had less and less water till there was none. It can’t be often this happens.

At Oughtershaw we realised we’d probably been walking too long in the heat so stopped for a rest in a shady spot opposite an old school designed by Ruskin no less , now being converted into a house

A new friend of Chris's had joined us for the walk. She is lovely. However we’d not all walked together before. As we were about to sit down in the shade, she said she was going to pass out. She went rigid as Ailie and I tried to get her to sit down, and give her sweetness. She’d drunk lots of water, but she’d left home at 6.30 am and not eaten since. It was now 2,

We are a disparate group - Chris is a law unto herself, and likes to wind things up by keeping Margaret waiting. Margaret is “head down, on a mission, get there ASAP,” and not a team player (neither is Chris). So though we all thought we were going at our own pace maybe we had subconsciously been moving faster than was best for us, Thankfully Jenny, who has done more long distance walks than any of us, soon recovered and we made a point of stopping every hour for a little rest.

We climbed higher on open moorland till we got to the “champagne moment” when the mighty bulk of Ingleborougn came into view. At 1710 ft we reached the highest point of the Dales Way. We were on Cam High Road, an old Roman Road. We saw the sheep clipping just before - a hot job for the clippers but the sheep would be thankful. At the high point we joined Tbe Pennine Way. This led steeply down to a very dusty grit road used by forestry lorries, till we reached High Gearstones where we’d left the car to take us the 1.5 miles up the tbe Station bunkhouse at Ribblehead.

It was great value. We paid £50 each for 2 rooms of bunk beds, shower, kitchen and loo, our dinner and breakfast. Ailie and I shared, Chris shared with her dog Poppy, and Margaret and Jenny went for the 2 bunks in the kitchen/sitting area, upstairs by the loo.

After a shower and sorting the car shuffle back from Buckden, we had some wine I’d taken in a cool bag, then supper.

A great day. I had to do a montage as I couldn’t decide which shot I liked best that gave a flavour of the day.