Sunday, 22 September 2019

Pennine Way day 12: Pen-y-Ghent - Malham

Saturday 21 September 2019
Miles:  15.4
Total miles: 196.9

Well it was quite breezy in the night and made the tent shake about a bit, but nothing came adrift, it was just noisy. I got up before 7am and was away by 7.30am. I reasoned that if I got up top early it would not be too busy... little did I know! Even before I got to Hull Pot I could see people in the distance and when I reached the path that went up Pen-y-Ghent I could sew a steady stream of people coming down. There were hundreds... all doing the three peaks challenge. By the time I got to the top, and went down the far side, I think I had passed about 1,500 people going the other way. Amazing.
Hull Pot, by the way,  is indeed quite a big hole.. cavers go down it, but I'm not sure I would.
So up the hill I go, saying hello every five seconds for a solid hour. When I get to the top it is blowing a full gale, I find a seat in the lee of a wall and sit watching people milling about,  looking all healthy and determined. There are all sorts, ages and levels of apparent fitness. The gent next to me is from Manchester and offers me a cup of Bovril which I accept gratefully. If the wind on the other two peaks is like it is here, they will need all the Bovril they can get.

Then it is a very steep, scrambling descent down the scarp face of Pen-y-Ghent and a long plod on to the next highlight, Malham Tarn. This is an altogether delightful place, once a private estate and now a NT Field Studies centre, whatever that may be.. the PW goes around it and then on to Malham Cove. It is a fine cove as coves go, but heaving with people.

Hull Pot. 

Pen-y-Ghent .. just come down the steep descent visible on the left side

None of my photos really does this lovely place justice. In this one you can see the main house 

The limestone pavement above Malham cove

The cove itself. Bigger than it looks..


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