Brighter Skies

LETJOG PEAK No 42: Whernside, North Yorkshire (736 metres)

Walk Date: Tuesday 15 August 2023

Walking days do not come much better than this. Of all parts of the country (and certainly with a nod to the Lake District, to Cornwall and to my new-found loveliness in the Welsh borders) there is nowhere in our fine land that I prefer walking in than the Yorkshire Dales. I have visited the area a good few times, and most recently I have walked through the Dales on the Coast to Coast trail last year, on my LETJOG trek two summers ago, and whilst completing the Pennine Way in 2019. But I have never before climbed Whernside, the highest peak in all of Yorkshire and an oversight on my walking CV that I am most pleased to have rectified now over these wonderful twelve miles on this latest leg of my LETJOG Peaks challenge. Aside from its own standing – and with a prominence of 408 metres this is considerable – Whernside is also one of the three renowned Yorkshire summits, along with Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent, that are often tackled together in a single day’s mission as the ‘Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk’ around the head of beautiful Ribblesdale: a testing 24-mile challenge for another day I think!

I was joined again today by my friend Mark, with whom I am sharing this three-day journey, and after yesterday’s rain it was especially pleasing to wake up this morning to bright sunshine for our climb up to the top of North Yorkshire. We stayed last night in nearby Ingleton, just about managing to come by some sustenance in the local takeaway, as our experience of finding a meal in these parts on a Monday night proved to be quite a challenge in itself! But loaded with water, and with provisions from the local Co-Op we were well-fed and stocked as we hit the trail early this morning. With the elements in our favour we enjoyed a super walk; I hope that the photos do justice to the wonderful landscapes of Ribblehead, Whernside and Winterscales.

With our walk done, a cuppa back in Ingleton village was most welcome. What a luxury too, to be able to put our feet up for a couple of hours in our rented apartment, ahead of a fine pub dinner spent reflecting on an excellent day on the mountain whilst seeing this corner of ‘God’s own county’ at its best. More to follow from the area tomorrow, on the next stage of my LETJOG Peaks adventure, as we attempt the climb to the top of Lancashire along the next ridge to the west of Whernside. I will be right back!

‘Brighter Skies’, my Blog heading for today, is borrowed from the title of a demo number by North Yorkshire band Shed Seven, that was released as a ‘bonus track’ to their 2017 album ‘Instant Pleasures’. The group was formed in York in 1990 and went on to become a central part of the Britpop music scene of the following decade, with 15 Top 40 singles and four Top 20 albums in the UK. ‘Instant Pleasures’ was Shed Seven’s first new album for 16 years; it sold well and featured the return of their original lead guitarist, York-born Paul Banks, marking something of a comeback for the band.