On Saturday the 20th of November a small band of hardy souls embarked on a trip to the Dales with a plan to walk up Ingleborough from Horton in Ribblesdale but with an open mind as to the exact route to take. The meeting point was at the main car park at Horton which at 10am was relatively quiet.
The plan was hatched by Caroline and joining for the day were Andrew, Angela, Steve Green plus Bev and Dave M with Anna. Despite being a group of seven, the weather forecast was not exactly magnificent. Rain and a strong westerly wind was expected to close in at about midday so the direct route to the summit was taken up and down again.
The conditions underfoot for the whole of the walk were excellent. Due to past problems with erosion a slab pavement has been laid over large sections of the path. This also meant that navigation was no issue, although the visibility for us remained good throughout.
On the summit the visibility deteriorated in cloud and drizzle and the buffeting wind increased. The temperature also dropped as the anticipated weather system passed over. There were many other groups of walkers on the summit plateau at the same time as ourselves, having approached from several different directions. It was surprising how busy it was since we had seen very few people during our ascent. Luckily we arrived at the summit shelter before anyone had grabbed the prime, out-of-wind seats. Lunch was taken and our steps retraced to Horton.
The return leg to the car park was in light rain but with occasional strong winds blowing from behind us. Most likely any other route option would have curtailed the enjoyment of the walk. The highlight, however, after arriving in the car park was to be invited on board Steve and Bev's van. Here we were offered a hot brew and home-made cake which was a lovely way to finish off a pleasant day on the hill.
Thanks to Steve and Bev and to Caroline for planning the day out. Walk started at 10am, finished by 3pm and distance of 10 miles.
