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ROUTE 3

Pen-y-ghent

Start/finish	National Park car park, Horton in Ribblesdale: SD 807 725
Distance	11km (7 miles)
Ascent	560m (1840ft)
Grade	Level 2
Time	2hr
Terrain	A mixture of good paths and tracks with a short section of road
Map	OS Landranger 98: Wensleydale & Upper Wharfedale
Refreshments	Pubs and café in Horton in Ribblesdale
Public transport	Train via the Settle–Carlisle line or Bus 11 from Settle

From some angles Pen-y-ghent has the profile of a sleeping lion or the sphinx rising high above upper Ribblesdale. The run is straightforward, reaching the summit of one of Yorkshire’s iconic mountains in just a few kilometres. Pen-y-ghent is often the first peak climbed when walking/running the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

The route follows the main path ascending Pen-y-ghent from the west, summiting via the rocky southern escarpment. A short scramble completes the last few metres of the escarpment up on to the summit plateau. However, there is little to worry about and the section is soon over. The descent follows the paved/rocky summit path back towards Horton in Ribblesdale before taking advantage of the new Three Peaks path laid by the YDNP. This extends the run by a few kilometres and joins up with the Pennine Way to bring you back to the start.

Safety

The last few metres of the steep climb on to the summit plateau involve an easy scramble. CARE should be taken in wet or wintry conditions.

Pen-y-ghent’s profile

The steep rocky profile of Pen-y-ghent is caused by its geology. Layers of harder millstone grit cap bands of limestone and shales.

1 Turn R out of the car park and follow the road past the Pen-y-ghent Café and then the campsite. Cross the road just before the church and turn L on the public footpath. Turn L along the road and then immediately R over the footbridge signposted ‘Pen-y-ghent via Brackenbottom’. Turn L and run up the road, past the old primary school, out of the village to a farm 1.3km.

2 Turn L before the farm, signposted ‘Pen-y-ghent Summit’. Follow the well-worn footpath alongside the wall as it climbs steeply up through the fields. The gradient lessens and the route becomes a series of flat terraces interspersed with small limestone steps. Continue ahead for a couple of kilometres, heading for the foot of Pen-y-ghent summit (south side). The final part of this section rises steeply up flagged stone steps to meet the Pennine Way 3.6km.

The steep final ascent up Pen-y-ghent (photo: Alice Ellwood)

3 Turn L and climb the steep path that leads to the summit of Pen-y-ghent. The path climbs steeply then crosses a short, flat section before climbing very steeply to the summit plateau. Run across the plateau on a good paved path as it rises gently to Pen-y-ghent’s trig point 4.3km.

4 Cross L through the wall and head NW downhill, taking a rocky path that soon becomes paved. The path bears R at the escarpment. Run down the rocky path along the edge and then down through the escarpment to a prominent bend in the path, marked with a Pennine Way signpost 5.3km.

5 Continue to run downhill, following the Pennine Way down a gravel path. After a kilometre the angle lessens. Pass through a gate and continue down through a second gate to a major track junction signposted ‘Pennine Way and Yorkshire Three Peaks 6.9km.

Running on Pen-y-ghent’s southern slopes (photo: Alice Ellwood)

6 Run straight ahead, following a small gravel path signposted ‘Yorkshire Three Peaks High Birkwith via Whitber’. This is a new path and may not appear on some maps. Follow the path as it ascends Whitber Hill. Turn L along the path as it crosses rough moorland and descends over a small stream. Follow the gravel path through a kissing gate and then downhill to reach a track junction signposted ‘Yorkshire Three Peaks and Pennine Way’ 8.6km.

7 Turn L through the gate, signposted ‘Pennine Way, Horton in Ribblesdale’. Run along the grassy track to descend past a couple of ruined barns. Bear L through the gate over Sell Gill Pot stream. Run down the stony track, which becomes a walled lane as it drops back to Horton in Ribblesdale. The track emerges at the Crown Pub. Turn L back to the starting point 11km.