Day 12: Horton in Ribblesdale to Malham

Not such a good night's sleep in my less than isolated tent. Lot of noise on the site. Woke at 5.30 with a light rain falling on the tent. Made cup of tea and wrote up yesterday's blog. Rain was on and off and my tent door was correspondingly open and closed. I watched the young people on their school trips and DoE expeditions get up, cook, and break camp while I ate my break fast from the comfort of my sleeping bag.
Packed away my equipment and prepared a separate bag of spare foodstuffs etc to join the Higgins luggage service to Malham.

Anita and Simon made their fond farewell and we were off walking for about 9.30. There was low cloud and we were soon climbing into the mist. It was clearly not going to be a day where we we’re going to see much

I can report a very grand new staircase has been put in for the final part of the path to the Pen y Ghent summit plateau. Met various people on their way down – runners doing the 3 peaks, walkers doing the 3 peaks, walkers just doing the 1 peak.

Here we are at the top looking pleased with ourselves and very wet. It was not long before other people arrived and we can do summit photos.

The QR code on the summit trig point invites you to find out what you can see. Which is easily answered, not very much.
On our descent down the tricky and sloppy rock-steps we meet hoards of people going up. Mainly a large party of schoolkids looking rather under-equipped for the conditions. Also 2 lads walking in bare feet. Bizarre. Wet, cold, sharp stones, and not on a recognised pilgrimage route. After the Horton turn off we lost the crowds. Met a local couple out walking their dog. We told them about the summit queues and they revised their plans. The man told me it was heart warming to see me out walking with my dad. Simon's two weeks growth of white stubble is clearly not doing much for his appearance.

We get to lower ground and are still surrounded by white with little visibility.

We climb Fountains Fell in the mist and rain and meet two stone men. It's a shame, because on a better day it feels as though it would be really good up here.

There is so little to show you that I am reduced to taking pictures of sheep

We descend to a wall above Tennant Gill Farm where we at last find some shelter for lunch. I brew tea and slice up a very tasty spiced tea bread. Simon unexpectedly produces a pork pie which we also share. Even more unexpectedly the mist briefly lifts and we have views.

A group of cavers arrive and we exchange a few words. Then it's a grassy stroll towards Malham Tarn.

The landscape is now much more gentle, and what's more, we can see it.

It's turning into a very charming walk through splendid limestone scenery

Pendle Hill suddenly looks a lot closer than yesterday. We walk into Malham where we are booked into the youth hostel and where we are due to meet Sally and Martin for a pub tea. As we near the hostel we here someone shouting behind us. It is Martin, who tells us we have walked past both the pub and hostel. We point to the YHA sign just ahead. Martin brings Simon's rucksack to the hostel while we book in and I wash socks and put wet tent into drying room.

Then off to The Crown and an evening with Sally and Martin. Have a great time, and they very generously treat us to our dinner. This will totally skew the spreadsheet stats, but never mind. After they leave it feels as if all of the energy has left the pub. So we move to The Lister Arms

This has a much better fire. There are a Dutch couple at the next table, she painting some watercolours. They take our photo and we get chatting. A group of DoE supervisors arrive, they had been quite uncommunicative in the previous pub but were positively gregarious here. Interesting how difference in pub ambiance changes people’s behaviour
Distance walked today: 15 miles
Total distance walked: 193 miles
Distance left: 77 miles

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