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Two Days in the Dales - part 2 of 1 2

by Paul Gallagher Published 01/10/2011

I think that that the South of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is probably my favourite. The landscape here is stunningly varied, with a vast area of moor land at its centre. It is truly awe-inspiring to walk onto the tops of Twistleton Scar or Ingleborough and see the swathe of limestone pavement spread out at your feet like a giant fingerprint. It is worth mentioning here to take caution when you walk on this geology.

The deep gaps between the rock formations (grikes) can drop away to several metres deep, so when hopping from clint to clint (the slabs of limestone separated by the grikes!) be very careful. Furthermore, this rock feels 'grippy' when dry but becomes almost ice-like after a very brief shower! The forces obviously continue in the south with the stunning Scaleber Force just above the town of Settle and the mighty Goredale Scar close to the awesome Malham Cove, which was once a giant waterfall (during the last glacial period).

Also in the Malham area, just a short walk from Gordale Scar, there is Janet's Foss which gently flows over an flat almost vertical slab of limestone into a fairytale, leafy tree-lined gorge. If you head out to the sloping outcrops above Austwick, you will find the Norber Erratics, which are huge boulders that stand proudly against the skyline having been dropped like small pebbles from a retreating glacier nearly 15,000 years ago.

So far I have mentioned the natural wonders of the Yorkshire Dales but it would be remiss of me not to mention the amazing Ribblehead viaduct. Completed in 1874 to carry the Settle-Carlisle railway, it spans a distance of 400m, stands at a height of 32m and was built by navvies. Incidentally, if you would like an image of both stunning limestone pavement and the Ribblehead Viaduct together, then the marvellous outcrops of Small and Middle Scars are an amazing vantage point and just a short walk from the A864.

I could go on and on, and I have many miles of the Dales to visit and explore, which is exactly what I intend to do over the coming months, as the light gets better with the shorter days. My advice is to get a good map, your camera and boots and get out there. It will not be disappointed!

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