3 Mile Sunrise Walk - Stanbury | Top Withens

Distance: 3.3 miles

Ascent: 500 ft

Walking: Andrew

Weather: Broken cloud

OS Map: OL21 - South Pennines

Starting point: Bully Trees Farm, Back Lane, Stanbury

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D750 / Nikon 24-70 mm f2.8

No comment necessary this time

8 Mile Circular Walk - Barden Bridge | The Strid | The Valley of Desolation | Simon's Seat | Howgill

Distance: 8 miles

Ascent: 1600 ft

Walking: Andrew, Tim & Mark

Weather: Overcast.

OS Map: OL2 - Yorkshire Dales, Southern & Western Areas

Pork pies: B&M Collins & Sons butchers, Cleckheaton

Starting point: Barden Bridge (free parking in a limited number of spaces by the river).

Photography: Andrew using Nikon D750 / Nikon 24-70 f2.8 mm

Our first walk together in nearly a year so we thought we'd head for the Yorkshire Dales and make it a good one.

Barden Bridge crosses the River Wharfe just below the ruin of Barden Tower, a 16th century hunting lodge, and dates back to 1659

Walking along the eastern bank or the River Wharfe, there are a number of points where the trees have been cut back to reveal views of the river.

The thunders through a narrow gap in the rocks at the Strid. A number of people have been killed here over the years attempting to cross the gap

Posforth Gill Waterfall from a distance.

Crossing Posforth Gill in the Valley of Desolation. The valley gets its name from the aftermath of a violent storm in 1826 caused a landslide and uprooted trees. 

Looking up Barden Fell from close to Great Agill Bottom.

Looking back the way we'd just come.

Tim passes Truckle Crags. The summit of Simon's Seat is now in view ahead

Mark's contractual obligation selfie.

Looking back down towards the Valley of Desolation.

Hen Stones.

Small conifers are popping up all over the place up here, spreading from plantations further down the hill.

The view to the SW with Barden Lower Reservoir in the distance.

Considering it was early(wish) on a Monday morning, I was surprised how many other people there were at the summit.

The view NW over Skyreholme .

The trig point is perched on top of the pile of boulders.

Quite a few grouse around today, both the red and black varieties.

Some impressive large Yorkshire flag stones have been dropped by helicopter ready to be used to improve the path and reduce soil erosion. Looks like a mammoth task if you ask me.

Looking up Wharfedale to Appletreewick.

The path starts to get quite steep here alongside a plantation of huge conifers.

The view up Wharfedale from Howgill.

An old barn at Howgill.

The return leg follows the Dales Way along the River Wharfe.