Castleton | Saturday 1 February 2020


Walk Leader: Andy Miller
Participants: 12
Mileage: 16 miles
Ascent: 3,200 ft
Walk Register: Yes
Walk Report: Robert Cope

 

Undeterred by forecasts of high winds, twelve of us assembled at the car park in High Castleton for our weekly dose of North Yorkshire fresh air.  Well it was certainly fresh - just opening the car door required super-human effort!

Our route was a clockwise vertical oval starting in the northwestern corner.  Initially down into Castleton and along the Esk Valley Walk to Danby.  From Dandy we headed south climbing up and over Ainthorpe Rigg, then down and across Danby Rigg and Little Fryup Dale - conveniently arriving at the very impressive Yorkshire Cycle Club/Cafe in Great Fryup Dale for our morning coffee stop.  

Suitably refreshed (albeit some of us still envious of the appetising looking cyclists’ breakfasts!) we continued south and up the very picturesque Great Fryup Dale to Wood Head.  The increasingly steep valley sides meant only one thing - a tough and steep scramble out of the dale close to the impressive Yew Grain Scar!

Now up on Danby High Moor the high winds suddenly reappeared with a vengeance!  We headed due west into the wind with our lunch time target (and shelter) being the sole deserted building in the distance.

Following lunch we continued westwards across Danby High Moor before turning north and re-joining the Esk Valley Walk close to Wether Hill.  Dropping down to Danby Head we stayed on the Esk Valley Walk through Danby Dale and all the way back to our cars.

Thanks Andy for an interesting, picturesque and diverse route - in pretty challenging conditions at times!

Photos by Robert Cope

Photos by Liyang Tang