The English Pennine Way - Days 6 - 7 — Long Walks, Organics & African Stuff

Day 6 - Rest day at Malham.

**Gordale Scar, Malham. © Duncan Smith**

Today I walked out of the village, about 8 km, to visit Gordale Scar, an incredible cut, deep into the surrounding limestone hills. No one is quite sure what caused it, but it may have been due to some sort of glacial action. There was an overhang of rock 20 m out from the base of the hill. It’s quite incredible that it can stay there. Of course would be spider-men relish this, as they hang upside down, like flies, trying to climb it. Good luck!

On the way back I visited Janet's Foss, a small waterfall just off the road. It isn't very high, but an unusual feature is a fact that the rocks are covered in petrified moss. As the river falls over moss growing alongside the river, limestone in the water reacts with it and forms a petrified layer over it. As time passes, the falls gradually move imperceptibly forward every year.

At Malham I wanted to call into a gift shop to get myself a hat and another sweater. As I wandered around I was amazed to meet Joe and Pauline Walters, two old friends of mine, both in their wheelchairs. They were equally surprised to see me! They were staying near Keighley, and have been holidaying there every year, on a farm that caters for people with disabilities. They've been there a week already, just travelling around. What a nice surprise, it made my holiday!

**My beautiful friends, Jo and Pauline Walters at Malham village. © Duncan Smith**

It also made me realise that the pain and discomfort I’d been suffering from my blisters was nothing compared to what Jo and Pauline go through every day. The fact that they will never be able to see some of the magnificent English countryside that I see on my walks, made me feel sad for them. Maybe some higher being had put them both in Malham at the same time as me, to spur me on to finish the PW, harden up and stop being a soft-cock! I was originally doing it for my own self-satisfaction and to raise $2,500 for Action Aid. But I reassessed my reason there and then. I would dedicate it for Jo and Pauline and others who were wheelchair-bound and don’t have my health. I'll get over my blisters, they can’t get over their disabilities. We had delicious Devonshire cream teas and a nice long chat at the café. They left to get back to the farm for their evening supper. It was such a lovely surprise to see them, it made me feel very humble.

Back at the YHA I decided to lighten my load and not camp anymore. I spent some time sorting out what gear I would leave there, and collect it after I’d finished the PW. Tent, sleeping bag, stove and fuel, and some food/cloth items. I realized that the huge weight I had been carrying, combined with the scorchingly hot days, contributed, big time, to my blisters. Better to travel light and enjoy the walk. It’s a bit like life in a way. Shed all the burdensome stuff you accumulate and don’t really need and enjoy the journey from there on! Having got rid of many items, would now mean that the 24 km a day I’d anticipated walking, was doable. I determined to stop at hostels and B&B’s for the rest of the trip. It should be relatively easy to finish the PW.

Day 7 - Malham to Horton-on-Ribblesdale

Quite heavy rain to the start of the day, but when I began, the weather eased off. The rest of the day was pleasant walking with a cool breeze and occasional sun. I left Malham around 10 o'clock with a lighter pack and a much brighter step. It felt so much better!

**Malham Cove at Malham. © Duncan Smith**

I took the path to Malham Cove, a wide amphitheatre of limestone, with a small beck issuing from under it. It was very impressive. A few climbers were scrabbling over the face of it with ropes and other tackle. My ascent was much more pleasant, as around to the left of it was a steep, stepped path to the top. Once there, a vast area of a limestone pavement was revealed, fissured and contorted like a human brain. They are called “grykes and clints”. Clints are the blocks of limestone that form the pavement and grykes the gaps and fissures that separate them, which can be a metre deep.

**From the top of Malham Cove looking south. © Duncan Smith**

I picked up the PW again and walked into the wide, dry valley of “Watlowes”. It was eroded when the ground was frozen during the Ice Age, and a torrent of water was released from the glaciers. This water has now disappeared to leave the dry valley.

**The Dry Valley called “Watlowes”, Malham. © Duncan Smith**

The path went up a steep slope and doubled back on itself. The views from Comb Hill, at the top, towards the cove were fantastic. The PW then leveled off and covered miles of gently rolling hills, crisscrossed with stone walls, penning in sheep.

**My nephew Matthew, at the water sinks, Malham. © Duncan Smith**

I came across the “water sinks”, a strange phenomenon. I had been following a small stream when suddenly it disappeared from sight. Beneath my feet, hidden streams had carved out caverns and caves over centuries. Many potholers, cavers or spelunkers, as they are called, flock to these limestone areas to explore the underground network of caves that abound. My stream had simply disappeared into one of these vast caverns beneath my feet.

Malham Tarn hove into view, an incredible phenomenon, as all around the lake is porous limestone. However, this vast area of water sits on a large area of non-porous rock, called gritstone. On its far bank, Malham Tarn House sat, an imposing old mansion among forest and now home to a “Field Studies Centre”. I’d been there a few times on various courses they’d held. Through the woods were scattered myriads of wildflowers.

Once out of the woods, I turned right to cross more gently rolling green fields towards Tennant Gill Farm. The countryside here suddenly seemed very BIG for some reason! I could see for miles with only one tiny road picking its way, seemingly apologetically, across the landscape.

From Tenants Gill farm I began to climb again. Gradually moorland began to replace the lush meadows of the valley, becoming wild again. As the path climbed higher still, the views became even more spectacular, and the sky seemed even bigger! The light was a bit dull, but I could still see quite a long distance.

**The “Two Men” on Fountains Fell. © Duncan Smith**

I climbed Fountains Fell, at 700 m, with the “Two Stone Men” cairns sitting atop. The name derives from Fountain Abbey, that was the land-owner centuries ago. A number of ancient coal mines litter the area, many of the old shafts are filled in, but some are still open and fenced off to prevent people from falling in.

Once over a stone wall, I could clearly see Penyghent in the distance across a valley. It looked like a big black sentinel at 750 m. To reach it, I had a long walk down into a valley and back up again. The descent was relatively easy but very steep. It became quite cold as I climbed down, so donned my jacket.

Before turning off the road and up to Penyghent, a lot of cars had stopped. Strolling among them were many cows, but worse still, a large bull was standing, defiant, right in the middle of the road, holding up the traffic. I shooed him off the road, much to the amazement of the car owners and their passengers. The cows gently followed. The tourists had been sitting in their cars patiently for some time.

It was a gentle ascent of Penyghent at first, then a slow trudge to the top as it got steeper. The last bit was particularly difficult and I almost needed ropes to complete it. The views from the top were broad and spectacular. Had the weather been clearer I could have seen the peaks of the Lake District to the West. I came off the hill and joined a small road taking me down, and met a young German on his way to Malham. He thought he could reach it in 2 hours, I told him it had taken me 4.5 hours to get here from there! With a “Humph,” he strode off, manfully, to prove he could do it quicker, I think.

En route I took a diversion to see the incredible pots of “Hull Pot” and “Hunt Pot”. Hull Pot is an open chasm, 90 m long, 15 m wide and 15 m deep, with an seasonal waterfall. Hunt Pot is much smaller.

**Hull Pot. Note the people, top right**

The final 1.5 km was very pleasant with two limestone walls on either side of the path gently shepherding me down to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Horton is a small village of around 500 people, two pubs, a Post Office and a shop.

Here in the Yorkshire Dales, “green roads” (i.e. grass-covered) were used as trade routes over the hills linking various valleys and villages together. They are still visible today running between these attractive dry-stone walls, typical of the Dales, and a pleasure to walk through. I quickly found my B&B for the night and a nice comfy bed! Ah!

**Horton Scar Lane, near Horton-in-Ribblesdale. © Duncan Smith**

I walked 24 km in 8 hours.

Back to Day 5 - https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-day-4

Onwards to Days 8 and 9 - https://duncangoeswalking.squarespace.com/blog-pages/the-english-pennine-way-days-8-and-9