When you live near London and you are driving home from The Lake District, it stands to reason that you will need a comfort break on the way home. Most people will stop at a service station and probably pay through the roof for a mediocre coffee. They might even stretch their legs for a bit and stop off at a town along the way. I fancied something different on this return trip south. Some exercise was in order and so what could be better than enjoying a fell run up Whernside- the highest fell in The Yorkshire Dales at 736 metres. He who dares wins as Del Boy would say!
Why Pick Whernside?
Other than being the highest fell in the national park ( a very good reason to conquer it ), Whernside is also located in a great area. The north west part of The Yorkshire Dales feels wilder and more remote than areas further south like around Malham. You’ve got a little-known tarn with its own beach and of course the stunning Howgill Fells. It is just my opinion of course, but I certainly feel this corner of the national park is its finest.
If it wasn’t great enough already, The Ribblehead Viaduct is the cherry on top of the cake in this area. The Settle to Carlisle Railway Line crosses the landscape and the viaduct is quite the sight in such a wild and remote place. A train line is not what you expect to see. Click here to read an excellent article about the line and many other railways too if you feel like it.
The Running Route
Other than taking in the viaduct and the summit of Whernside, my only other wish when planning the route was to make it a circular. I try and do this with all my hikes, runs and bike rides, as it just keeps things more interesting. It isn’t much fun retracing your steps when you could be continually forging new ones along the way. The maps below shows what I finally came up with.
Distance-13.03 km.
Ascent: 508 metres
Steps to climb and descend: Too many to count
Number of gels consumed: 1
Number of slips: 1
Those stats above may be a deal breaker for you right there if you are very new to it. It took me around 1 hour 30 minutes to complete the circuit and I’d say you should be used to running for this duration to fully enjoy it rather than endure it. The climbing is taxing as is the descent, where you’ll be using muscles you maybe haven’t used for a while just to fight gravity on the way down. Trail shoes are a must. Even with this quality pair I still had one slip on the way down. Wet rock and a tiredness aren’t a good combination it turns out!
Leg One- Ribblehead Viaduct To Whernside Summit
The whole route is brilliant, but I’d probably say that for me the first half is the best part. it offers so much variety in a relatively short distance. After passing by the viaduct, you follow a clear route into what feels like the back end of nowhere. There isn’t a tree in sight and you stick close to the train line too. There were some chaps doing some work on what must have been a signal box along the way and I couldn’t help but think they’d fallen on their feet when it came to workplaces. Thank goodness the weather Gods were being kind lower down.
Eventually you cross Little Dale Beck and pick up The Dales High Way, a 90 mile route along the spine of England- The Pennines. There is an idea for one heck of a trek in the future.
This is where the climbing begins and it is pretty steep from the off. There are no bogs to negotiate though, as it’s all well surfaced with either steps or stone slabs to make it easier to traverse. The waterfall to your left isn’t a bad distraction from the burn in the legs either.
Into The Clouds
I can well imagine that many of the fells in these parts are used to seeing clouds and the day I completed the run up Whernside was no exception. The views all but disappeared around 500 metres up and it was a case of simply following the path laid out in front of me.
As I neared the summit of Whernside, so I met the first people on the run. A bit further on and I met some more people, this time in the form of two other fell runners who were also heading to the summit. We shared the last couple of hundred metres together and then took some photos on the summit. It was blowing a near gale and it was no place to linger for too long, so the snaps were quickly taken, good lucks were given and then we went our separate ways. I was relieved to be heading down if I’m honest. The temperature decreases by 1 degree for every hundred metres you gain so I have read. The thought of a temperature about five degrees warmer than it currently was gave me the incentive to keep going and head back down into the dale.
Making My Way Down
The first part of the descent was quite technical and care needed to be taken with the steep rocky steps. This is no place to injure yourself, so it’s worth slowing down a little to ensure you make it down in one piece. I have since discovered this gem of a website, completely focused on fell running. Hopefully, I will look a bit more gracious on the next run after exploring this site. There really is a website for everything these days isn’t there?
After a while though I was relieved to find the gradient ease a little and the path become easier to run on. I also finally exited the cloud base and the fine views opened up once more.
Once you’ve clocked the viaduct, you follow a clear path towards it, which takes you through a couple of farms. I was lucky enough to share the fields with sheep, who were probably wondering why I was wearing shorts on such a grim day.
Eventually, you pass underneath the viaduct and you slowly warm down, as you approach your car. It was tempting to pile straight into mine and put on warmer clothing, but I did the sensible thing and stretched first. This run followed by a four hour drive would lead to very stiff legs indeed without it.
If you have the time and desire, there is also the option to walk over to The Station Inn. Check out their website for more information if you’re tempted. I guess a pint and some grub will have been well earned.