Over Christmas break, Kelly and I walked up the isolated cloud-whipped rock wedge of Ingleborough (shown above) in the Yorkshire Dales. We really earned our pints on this ascent. Though the valley was warm and green, clouds skidded low over the adjacent ridgelines. The low country of neatly sheep-trimmed pastures and stone walls gave way to limestone bluffs and sinkholes. Beyond the bluffs, the moss, heather and grassland of the moor ran up into the mist.
The steep, warm climb up the face and the waves of sleet made for tricky moisture management. An excellent stone stairway led up the mossy hillside. Dense fog during some sections made for a strange ambience. An interesting stone wall had been built of stone courses that stepped their way up the slope.
From the rocky summit, we descended through a great expanse of vividly colored moor. We crossed at a double stile, and hunkered in the shelter of the wall while scarfing snacks. The route down the lower slopes led through interesting limestone features, and we found a hot fire and a warm pint at the Golden Lion in the village of Horton-on-Ribblesdale while we waited for the train.
