Distance: 8.3 miles
Classification: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall, County Top (North Yorkshire, and the whole of Yorkshire)
Weather: Glorious, welcome slight breeze, slightly colder on top
On another glorious day in 2013, we're having a few, we set off early up to North Yorkshire for the climb of Yorkshire's highest peak, Whernside. At 736 metres (2,414 feet), Whernside is slightly higher than it's near neighbour Ingleborough, which I climbed a few weeks before.
My walking partner, the Mrs, is still recovering from ankle ligament damage descending Simon's Seat, so she sunbathed on a patch of grass near to Ribblehead Viaduct while I climbed Whernside on my own. She had a nice day by all accounts, certainly more relaxing than mine!
I had read that Whernside didn't have any particular highlights in the way its Three Peak counterparts Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent do, but being higher than both is an attraction in itself, and the walk does begin at the picturesque Ribblehead Viaduct which is great setting for the start of the walk.
It is true that the climb up Whernside is more remote and desolate than Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent, but this suited me, as with it being such a nice day I was expected hordes of people on Whernside. I saw maybe 40 people on the whole of the walk, not many when you think this is Yorkshire's highest peak and one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
The climb itself isn't too strenuous, the sharp climb up to Little Ingleborough is much harder, the track up Whernside is a long, gradual slog, not bad at all. The descent though is difficult, it is steep and mentally tiring as you are constantly choosing where to put your feet. If you want to admire the views, make sure you stop as you may find yourself tumbling over or turning your ankle over here.
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| The start - Ribblehead Viaduct with Whernside behind |
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| Here we go! |
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| Looking at Whernside from Blea Moor signal box |
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| Force Gill waterfall - can look impressive, not today though |
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| The clear path up |
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| Another viaduct further along the line |
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| A look back at the path up |
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| Un-named tarn near the top |
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| A closer look at the Howgills with the shapely Yarlside dead centre |
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| Looking north with the Howgills on the right of shot |
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| Ingleborough and a faint Pendle back to back |
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| Whernside summit - 736 metres |
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| A closer look at the battered trig |
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| The tight walkthrough to the trig, what's this all about? |
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| Looking down at Ribblehead Viaduct from Whernside |
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| Lunch stop pic - still on the top |
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| A final look at Ingleborough - recently I've seen it called 'Yorkshire's Table Mountain', I can see why |
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| A closer look at Ribblehead Viaduct at the end of the walk |
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