Ingleborough and the Norber Erratics

Fed up of tramping through mud, on one of my non-working days when the forecast was for some decent weather, I decided to head to limestone country last Wednesday. Letting the traffic die down I set off from home at 9:30 and drove over to Clapham, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. It didn’t take long; less than 90 minutes. I thought I’d try tackling the shapely Ingleborough, with a mind to return to the village via the Norber erratics if I had the energy. A fairly big “if” as that would be a lengthy route.

After parking up I booted up and dithered about whether to wear my gaiters. I decided I would but it turned out that on well drained ground I didn’t need them. But better safe than sorry. I’ve had enough of muddy pants after the past few months of seemingly endless rain. (That’s an exaggeration, of course, but it’s seemed like that).

I set off and walked through the village. Being mid week and out of the holiday periods it was quiet. There were a handful of other walkers about and a coach party of primary school children who I soon left behind. A young couple had left the car park a little before me and we ended up passing each other several times as we made our way to the summit.

I decided to pay the £2:50 charge and head up through the woods belonging to the Ingleborough Estate up to Ingleborough Cave (which also belongs tot eh estate). You can avoid paying as there’s a couple of alternative routes, but I reckoned that would be a gentle start to the walk through pleasant woodland where the bluebells were beginning to bloom. There was a pungent scent in the air as there was plenty of “stinking nellie” (wild garlic) springing up too.

Ingleborough Cave

After passing Ingleborough cave I was out in open country, making my way up towards Trow Gill

The valley started to narrow

the limestone walls of the limestone gorge looming over the young couple who’d overtaken me as I stopped to take a photo, kindly providing some scale!

The high limestone cliffs closed in to form a narrow gap

A short scramble at the end and then I continued up the valley.

One theory is that there was an underground cave system here and that the gorge was formed when the roof collapsed. Alternatively, it could have been a glacial meltwater channel, similar to Conistone Dib I walked through a few weeks ago. Who knows. But it’s certainly an awe-inspiring sight as you walk through the ravine with cliffs towering above you. It’s quite mind boggling to think that the limestone was formed under a tropical sea from the remains of dead sea creatures over many millennia. It’s hard to imagine just how many of them died to form the thick layer of rock here and the limestone cliffs and pavement in this part of the Dales.

Carrying on and emerging from the valley Ingleborough came into view.

I deviated off the main path slightly to have a look at Gaping Gill a 322 ft deep pothole which leads to one of the largest known underground chambers in Britain.

Water from Fell beck. the stream that cascades down into the cavern, eventually re-emerges next to Ingleborough Cave.

The stream re-emerging next to Ingleborough Cave

I caontinued on my way heading towards Ingleborough. The route initially climbing steeply up a paved path towards the subsidiary summit of Little Ingleborough, which, despite its name isn’t very little.

There was a cold wind blowing from the north east and walkers descending from the mountain all commented on how cold it was at the summit.

I stopped for a while about two thirds of the way up to refuel before the final push. In fact, most of the hard work is dome on reaching the summit of Little Ingleborough. After that, there’s a flattish ridge before a final relatively short steep pull to the summit plateau

On the way along the ridge I passed this fellow who must have given up the ghost.

Not too far to go now.

Reaching the summit plateau I peered over the edge to take in the view of the hills and limestone pavement to the north. Long distance visibility wasn’t too great although I could just about make out the Lakeland fells over the waters of Morecambe Bay.

I stopped at the summit shelter for a while for another bite to eat and chatted with the young couple who I’d been overtaken and being been overtaken by several times on the way up. They were from Bristol and were having a short holiday in a cottage at Ribblehead. We took a group selfie but I’ve not included it here as I never post my own picture on this blog – I’m much too camera shy.

After a while I set off along the ridge overlooking Ribblehead and Whernside

and then continued along the path in the direction of Horton in Ribblesdale.

It levelled out and as I made my way towards the east, the bulk of Pen-y-Ghent started to dominate the view

I soon reached the limestone pavement which covers much of the ground around hereabouts.

Reaching the Pennine Bridleway and I turned right heading west. My intention was to follow this route for a while before veering off to visit the Norber Erratic field and then back to Clapham.

I passed lots of limestone cliffs and pavement. It dominates the landscape around here.

There was a fair network of paths criss-crossing the moors around here that aren’t marked on teh OS map and I veered off my intended route a little. But spotting a distinctive cairn that I recognised from my last visit to the area I headed towards it and joined the path that I knew would take me towards Norber.

Ingleborough re-emerged on the horizon. The weather was improving a little and although there was still a cold wind, a little shelter with the sun beating down started to warm me up. My gloves could now be removed and pocketed, but I later found one had dropped out somewhere. Luckily I didn’t need them again but a new pair is going to have to be purchased.

The path passed through a narrowing limestone gorge between stretches of pavement

and then opened out with good views over the countryside, which was now being lit up by the sunshine breaking through the clouds.

Pendle Hill could now be seen in the distance.

I started to approach the bolder field.

the fields here are covered by these glacial erratics, rocks that had been picked up and carried by a glacier during the ice age and then dropped some distance from their source once the glacier melted.

The erratics here are gritstone rocks, but they were deposited on limestone. Over time the softer limestone was eroded away by acidic rain, but the hardier gritstone, much less susceptible to erosion, sheltered, protected and preserved the limestone underneath them So today, many of the large boulders are “propped up” by the limestone, standing proud above the ground, perched on their “pedestals”.

I followed the path, descending down towards the path back to Clapham. There were more boulders scattered on the slopes and in the fields below

I carried on the path heading below the high limestone cliffs towards Clapham

through fields of sheep with their lambs. I realised that I hadn’t seen many so far this year, reflecting my limited walking opportunities due to the poor weather.

I joined the old Thwaite Lane which took me back to Clapham

This had been a long walk – at just over 14 miles, somewhat longer than I’d intended. Despite the climb up the mountain of Ingleborough quite a lot of the route was relatively flat, particularly on the return leg which also included significant downhill sections – some rather steep and not so easy on the knees. It had been a long day but I’d made the most of what might be a weather window (the rain returned the next day). and I’d enjoyed the walk. I hope to get back out again very soon.