Hardraw Force & Cotter Force from Hawes

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Route: National Park Centre, Haylands Bridge, Sedbusk Farm, Simonstone Hotel, Hardraw, Hardraw Force, New Bridge, Holme Heads Bridge, Cotter Force, New Bridge, Appersett Viaduct, Spillian Green Sike, Pike Hill, Hawes

Date: 24/02/2013
From: Hawes

Parking: Roadside parking in Hawes
Start Point: Hawes
Region: Yorkshire Dales

Route length: 8.1 miles (13 km)
Time taken: 03:26
Average speed: 2.4 mph
Ascent: 477m
Descent: 492m

Points of interest: Hardraw Force, Cotter Force, Appersett Viaduct

Believe it or not, England's three highest waterfalls can all be found in the Yorkshire Dales; there's Cautley Spout, highest cascade; Gaping Gill, highest unbroken (but falls underground) and Hardraw Force, highest unbroken above ground. In addition to these modest giants, the Dales is littered with many other, lesser-known beauties such as Aysgarth and Linton Falls, Catrigg Force and Janet's Foss. One of these hidden gems is Cotter Force, a wonderful tiered waterfall at the foot of Cotterdale.

We parked in Hawes in the heart of Wensleydale as it offers the most convenient starting point for the walk, picking up the Pennine Way which heads through the town. The route passes through both Hawes and Hardraw so makes an ideal pedestrian highway between the two. The path crosses the River Ure on Burnt Acres Road, utilising a very nice old bridge to do so before striking out across the open farmland towards Hardraw.

Abbotside Common guards the northern side of Wensleydale

River Ure

Hardraw village takes its name from the tall waterfall that hides behind it down a deep ravine. In actual fact, the waterfall is wholly owned by the Green Dragon Inn as Hardraw Beck and the gorge of Hardraw Scar (containing the waterfall) form part of the Inn's 15-acre grounds. As a result of this, which may come as a surprise to some, there is a modest fee to pay to the Inn in order to visit the falls; £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children.

A frozen Wensleydale

After making our payment we made our way through the pub and out to the grounds outside where a path winds its way alongside the river into the narrow Hardraw Scar. A tall rock wall marks the end of the gorge with the towering Hardraw Force pouring over a ledge in the middle. It's a fine sight.

The path down Hardraw Scar

Hardraw Beck

As I mentioned at the start, Hardraw Force is the highest unbroken waterfall in England, plummeting over 100ft into the plunge pool below. It was a bitterly cold day, enough to freeze the water that had fallen on the surrounding rocks and give them a delightful white and silver coating. The only real downside was it was so cold we didn't want to be hanging around for too long.

Hardraw Force in all its glory

Hardraw Force

The frozen rocks below the spout

We retraced our steps back to the pub and out to the road, prepared for a short section of road walking to the River Ure at New Bridge. It's a quiet road and we only encountered a couple of cars on the way before we reached New Bridge are were able to return to the footpaths. The path runs parallel to the River Ure and was extremely muddy underfoot but it's not long before another brief road crossing is required to access the path to Cotter Force.

The path leading alongside the river

The paved path leading to Cotter Force

Cotter Force can be found at the end of a 500m long paved path, nestled in a wooded valley. I think that it's a stunning fall, consisting of a wedge of terraces that fan the water out in a particularly appealing pattern. It bears some similarities to the famous Aysgarth Falls but on a much smaller scale. It's a delight.

Cotter Force

The cascading falls

A closeup of the upper shelves

A slow-shutter photo which I am particularly fond of

It certainly was cold!

After leaving Cotter Force, we were once again forced to retrace our steps alongside the river to New Bridge this time turning south and entering the tiny hamlet of Appersett. The settlement comprises only 23 houses but lends its name to the nearby viaduct, once carrying the western end of the Wensleydale Railway. It was opened in 1878 before the structure saw its last train in 1959. It is now a Grade II listed building.

Sara heads towards Appersett Viaduct

Abbotside Common

A snow shower threatens to engulf the valley

Abbotside Common

The weather had taken a bit of a turn so we decided to take the most direct route back to Hawes, a series of rights of way that cross numerous fields and enters Hawes from the west. There are a variety of routes that can be taken, including a slightly longer one that visits Gayle and its tremendous refurbished mill. One for another time I think. In summary, this is really a walk of two halves with most of the interest and excitement experienced in the first half. Both falls are places that need to be deliberately visited rather than passed on the way so they are a bit difficult to fit into a nice circuit. That said, both sit in the shadow of Great Shunner Fell and can easily be included as diversions to a very rewarding walk.

Yorkshire 2000s - Whernside & Ingleborough

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Route: Ribblehead viaduct, Bleamoor Sidings, Blue Clay Ridge, Slack Hill, Grain Head, Cable Rake Top, Whernside, High Pike, Bruntscar, Philpin, Philpin Sleights, Southerscales Scars, Humphrey Bottom, Ingleborough, Green Hill, Black Rock, Park Fell, Colt Park, Gauber Road

Date: 12/02/2012
From: Ribblehead

Parking: Lay-by at Ribblehead viaduct
Start Point: Ribblehead viaduct
Region: Yorkshire Dales

Route length: 13.9 miles (22.3km)
Time taken: 06:20
Average speed: 2.5mph
Ascent: 1028m
Descent: 1035m

2000s on this walk:
Whernside (736m), Ingleborough (723m)

Additional summits: Park Fell (563m)

Other points of interest: Ribblehead viaduct, Braithwaite Wife Hole, Southerscales Scars

I took advantage of a weekday off work in February to go for a long walk around the latter half of the three peaks challenge; a circuit from Ribblehead up Whernside and then across to Ingleborough, the two highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales. Given the amount of snow we'd had over the weeks preceding, I was hoping for a decent smattering allowing a wintery walk without the need for any specialist equipment. You'll see later on that I was probably just on the limit. Funny how the weather at 700m differs from that lower down.

Being a walk during the last throes of winter, time was of the essence and I set off from Wakefield nice and early to get to Ribblehead at a decent time. Despite this, the morning rush hour conspired against me meaning I didn't arrive until 11:00, a bit later than anticipated. It was obvious driving along the valley past Pen-Y-Ghent that the Dales had had significantly more snow than Wakefield and it was still present on the high hills. Parking at the lay-by next to the Ribblehead viaduct, I kitted up and set off.

The viaduct is a magnificent sight as it spans the Ribble valley. Built between 1870 and 1874, the bridge is 400m long and 108m high and is currently a Grade II listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument. The path runs alongside the entire length before climbing up the 100m to meet the tracks as they head towards the Blea Moor tunnel.

The Ribblehead viaduct sitting beneath Whernside

A close up of the famous arches

The path as it follows the railway line towards Blea Moor

The path follows the railway line for a couple of miles before rising up and crossing a bridge to stride out onto the lower slopes of Whernside. You can see the Victorian engineer's ingenuity as a series of steps carries Force Gill over the railway tracks adjacent to the footbridge. From the bridge, it is also possible to see the entrance to the Blea Moor tunnel, the longest tunnel on the Settle-Carlisle railway.

The Victorian diversion of Force Gill

The railway as it plunges into Blea Moor tunnel

Beginning the steady climb up Whernside, the snow began to deepen and I was thankful that I'd decided to wear my gaiters. The path was marked out by footsteps in the snow from previous walkers but is easy to follow in fine weather, particularly due to its popularity with the three peaks challenge.

Gaining height, the snow quickly deepens on the path up Whernside

From path, you can see the falls on Force Gill, perhaps the most viewed waterfall in the Dales but one of the least visited. Alas, I fall into that category as I stuck to the path to avoid any navigational misdemeanours.

Force Gill resists the frigid temperatures

Climbing steadily past 500m, the path follows a wall before turning left and heading towards the summit ridge. After the final steep little climb onto the ridge, I was greeted by the coldest wind chill I've experienced so far in my short walking career. With no thermometer to hand, it's difficult to say what the temperature was but it did make short work of freezing the water in my drink tube and left some spectacular icy sculptures on the fence posts. Following the ridge to the summit is arguable the most interesting section of the walk up Whernside as the ground sweeps away into Greensett Moss and Winterscales Pasture.

Snow drifts alongside the path

The ridge at the top of Whernside

The horizontal wind-blown icicles

It was a magical spectacle

'The roof of Yorkshire'; Whernside is the highest peak in the county at 736m, though the actual trig pillar sits across the county boundary in Cumbria. As with many hills in the Yorkshire Dales, its name is thought to derive from the old Norse words "quern" (millstone) and "saettr" (summer pasture). Views were obscured the day I visited but you're able to see Blackpool Tower on a fine day (with the aid of some binoculars) as well as the fells of the Lake District and splendid views of Ribblehead and Ingleborough.

The trig pillar on top of Whernside

It's fair to say that the summit shelter, with its thick coating of ice, looked less than appealing so I didn't hang around for long before continuing along the path as it begins its descent towards High Pike. Following the path to Bruntscar, the snow and wind dissipated once I reached the valley floor, the perfect time to grab some lunch.

Not quite as sheltering as anticipated, time to move on.....

The path as it descends off Whernside

Philpin Lane - out of the snow, for now

Ingleborough can be seen across the valley. What a sight it is

Following the three peaks route, I followed the farm lane out to Philpin Lane, crossed Low Sleights Road and strode out onto Southerscales Scars, a classic example of limestone pavement. Along the path you pass a large depression in the ground; Braithwaite Wife Hole. I can only speculate as to why it's called that.....

The limestone pavement at Southerscales Scar

Panorama of Braithwaite Wife Hole

The route up Ingleborough crosses Humphrey Bottom, an immense area of marshy ground. Helpfully, as a result of the three peaks no doubt, much of the boggier sections can be crossed with the aid of wooden boards and a well-pitched stone path. It's a reasonable distance to the foot of the steep slopes of Ingleborough and I was once again back in the snow as I approached. The final section onto the ridge is probably my favourite part, a steep 100m climb straight up the side. Luckily, people had passed before me and there were some reasonable footsteps in the snow to follow.

The wooden boards as they carry to across Humphrey Bottom

The foot of the steep 100m climb up onto the ridge

The path zig-zags up the side

Reaching the top was like stepping into another world. The snow here had formed waist height drifts and was generally ankle-deep throughout the final walk to the summit. The name Ingleborough derives from the fact that there is a suspected Iron Age hill fort on the summit. The word 'burh' means 'a fortified place'.

Snow drifts make the going tough

The cairn guiding you to the summit had a good coating of ice

The summit can be a very popular place, especially on a weekend when large numbers of visitors are drawn from miles around. I, however, was greeted with splendid isolation when I reached the substantial shelter that offers a safe haven from the wind. This time, despite the ice, I utilised the shelter for a quick breather and tea break and took a few pictures.

The large Victorian summit shelter on Ingleborough

Not the most ideal place for a brew, but, it'll do

Proof I actually made it!

As you can see from the photos, the clouds had closed in again while I was at the summit so, not hanging around long, I retraced my steps back towards the route I would take back to Ribblehead. The path leads northeast along the ridge above Souther Scales Fell, descending to Black Rock before a brief climb up Park Fell. Unlike the route up to the summit, this path had had little traffic and the going was difficult due to the depth of the snow. The climb up Park Fell was particularly tiring.

The path above Souther Scales Fell

There were some very deep snowdrifts

The clouds finally lifted and presented this fine view of Ingleborough and its surrounding fells as the sun began to set. Wonderful.

Ingleborough and Humphrey Bottom

Part walking, part jogging and part leaping through the snow, I beat a hasty retreat down the flanks below Park Fell by following the dry stone wall down to Colt Park.

The route down off Park Fell into Ribblesdale

Colt Park

From Colt Park, I rejoined the main road and made my way back to the rather lonely looking car parked at Ribblehead.

The car cuts a lonely figure as the light fades

This was probably the more adventurous walk I've done and gave a real taste of what winter walking involves without some of the risks that might be associated with higher or more remote areas. It was a totally new experience for me and one I would like to repeat. It was great to take advantage of the weather and see these iconic mountains in all their winter glory. I also gave me the chance to experience them without the usual throngs of other hikers that regularly visit the area. Next time though, I would like to see a view.....