Enjoy some of the best views in the Yorkshire Dales, especially on the summit ridge

Summary

Contributing to part of the Dales 30, Great Whernside is one of many mountains in upper Wharfedale, starting and finishing in the modest village of Kettlewell. Although the route can be challenging on foot in parts, as the terrain is slightly rougher. This makes for an excellent microadventure high up in the fells of the Yorkshire Dales.

The Hike

It was New Year’s Eve, almost a year of being in a global pandemic, and hoping 2021 would be a better year for the world. We decided on ending 2020 by enjoying the simplicity of the great outdoors, and a chance to disconnect from social media and reconnect with nature.

Upon arrival towards Kettlewell, the fog was very low in the valley and we both looked at each other thinking, “oh well this is going to be interesting? We’re not going to see a thing, are we?” Suddenly the fog cleared, snowy peaks greeted us with crystal blue skies. It seemed to have accumulated only on the south side of the Dales, lucky for us, as we both sat there smiling with excitement itching to explore the idyllic Yorkshire Dales. We began the hike from the main car park in Kettlewell, here, we walked through the sleeping town and made our way east onto the winding slow-rising path towards Hag Dyke. As we climbed higher, picturesque views of nearby fells came into sight, covered in a light dusting of snow and pockets of fluffy clouds that loomed over. The captivating views lifted our hearts and made our souls sing, it was eerily peaceful.

The higher we climbed, the heavier the snow was beneath, paths became less visible, and it was proving to be difficult to navigate. Needless to say, we were still enjoying ourselves roaming the wind-swept landscape. I could see the plateau of the flat summit, but how were we going to get there, there wasn’t a path. “I think we need to go up there?” As I followed directions on my watch. “Are you sure? It’s dangerous this!” The snow became deeper, the terrain became steeper, the clouds were coming in and I couldn’t help but think to myself, this is amazing! We are completely cut off from the world up here!

As we emerged onto the plateau, we were above the clouds but could see they were moving in fast. The expansive flat section was guided with tracks from other hikers, and led to the summit of a boulder field, taking us to the trig point of Great Whernside. However, we were submerged in thick cloud making views non-existent. Whilst sitting there having our soup, at the blink of an eye the cloud cleared, suddenly we were captivated with an outstanding view of cloud inversion. A sense of euphoria filled us.

Onwards, as the path leaves the ridge, we descended sharply on what would normally have been very wet was extremely icy, and therefore we had to be very cautious. During our descent, the sun sat in the clouds and created an almost eclipse effect which had us in awe as we gazed into the twilight. Following this, we made our way to the final, and probably my most enjoyable part of the hike along the old mining tracks towards Top Mere Road. As the sun set, it created the most spellbinding, shades of pink over the white fells, merging into a golden orange that set into dusk above the misty valley below. The tranquillity and silence felt almost spiritual, as we meandered our way back into Kettlewell.