Day 1: Alum Pot

The trip proper started with our arrival at the Hill Inn, Chapel le Dale, where we had an excellent lunch snack, before heading for the hamlet of Selside, beside the Settle - Carlisle railway line. "There's a special due through today - hauled by 'Princess Elizabeth' - due off Garsdale about 4.30". Perhaps we would see it?

We dutifully paid our 50p admission (Alum Pot and the associated caves are on private land) and headed up the lane. Alum Pot is a fearsome hole in the ground, over 200 feet deep, marking the end of a system of caves below the moors a little higher up. A particular curiosity is that the waters which gather in the pot finally join the river Ribble from its opposite bank....

Above the pot, the Long Churn cave system can be entered at points where its low roof has collapsed, and with torches in hand, we made a brief exploration of the fascinating tunnels and watercourses (without straying too far from daylight), before eventually returning to Selside. The railway can be seen from much of the short walk, though there is a stretch where the line is just obscured by a low ridge - which, of course, is where we were when a long, steam-hauled train passed....

It should be stressed that caves are dangerous, not to mention dark and often dirty. Some of the caves in the system have deep vertical pitches. We were guided in our explorations by Wainwright's "Walks in Limestone Country". None of the above should be taken as a recommendation to visitors

Day 2: Whernside

A path leaves Dent in a southerly direction, heading up the wooded Flinter Gill, until it reaches the "Occupation Road", a former "green way" which skirts the contours for some distance. Sadly, its surface has deeply rutted in places by the 4-wheel drive brigade, and we had to pick our way carefully at times.

The "Occy" ends at the top of the motor road from Dent to Kingsdale. Crossing the road here, we began the slog up the grassy western flank of Whernside, highest of the "Three Peaks" at 2419'. The views from here are extensive, despite the hazy day. A four-coach blue "caterpillar" ran slowly across Ribblehead viaduct, nearly 1400' below us. "They're OK when they're caterpillars" remarked John, later in the day as a military jet shattered the peace "it's these butterflies they turn into that annoy me"

After resting on the busy summit, we began the gradual descent via Whernside Tarns, back to the valley of the Dee, arriving back in Dent as the church clock chimed 5pm. An excellent walk!

Day 3: Wild Boar Fell

I've stood near Ais Gill summit, on the Settle and Carlisle railway, many times - usually waiting for a "steam special" slogging its way up Mallerstang, and gazed up towards the summit of the cragged fell which overlooks the line. Wild Boar Fell is reputedly the last place in England where a wild boar was killed. Today we would climb to the top of the fell, at 2324' - and see quite a number of trains too...

We gained the open fell where the road crosses the line, and headed past Ais Gill viaduct, stopping a little while to look at Ais Gill itself, a fine rocky ravine. We then began to climb slowly past Angerholme pots, a line of shake holes and potholes, before gaining the summit ridge a little way beyond some fine patches of limestone pavement.

Up to this point, our view had been entirely to the east - now we could see to the west too - and it was clear that the weather was not so good in that direction. The skies gradually darkened, and a little while after lunch, as we inspected the fine cairns overlooking the railway, the rain began, a hard, stinging rain that made it very difficult to walk, our route taking us straight into the wind. Then, after half an hour or so of misery, it stopped, and a little while later the sky cleared - and for the rest of the route, we had a fine afternoon.

We descended from Wild Boar Fell along the ridge onto Swarth Fell and beyond, before picking our way down to the road a mile or so south of Ais Gill - then back to the car and back to Dent.

Dent is one of those precious few places which seem little affected by the 21st century - or even the 20th, come to that. Cobbled streets, stone-built and stone-roofed houses, quiet little corners - a wonderful spot!

Day 4: The Howgills 

The main route out of Dent - the only route for large vehicles - is via the small town of Sedbergh, at the foot of this little known, compact group of rounded grassy hills, which reach a maximum height of 2220' at "The Calf". Today we would climb The Calf - but sadly, would not enjoy the potentially extensive views of the Lake District.

We followed the standard, well trodden path via Arant How - to the clouds at about 1600', and a strong cold wind that persuaded us to keep going, pausing only for seconds at the summit before heading on northwards towards Cautley, taking lunch once we had dropped out of the mist and the wind.

Passing the fine waterfall at Cautley Spout, we made our way to the river Rawthey, where we joined the route paralleling the river back to Sedbergh.