It was a crisp and very cold winter morning when 15 people met up for an 11 mile walk over Ingleborough. The third of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, it followed on from the Groups ascents of Pen-Y-Ghent and Whernside late last year. It was also the first walk of new leader Steve Gilleard.

The Group left Clapham car park and headed up towards the Church of St James which was beautifully lit by the low winter sun. Just after here you are faced with a stretch of track uphill which, quite unusually, starts with two short tunnel sections. The origin of these tunnels is down to the whim of the mid 19thC residents of nearby Ingleborough Hall for privacy, Thwaite Lane was basically lowered and the tunnels built so people couldn’t see into the gardens! As the track levelled off at the top we turned sharp left along Long Lane which was to be our route for the next couple of kilometres. The sun was giving out a little warmth at this point as well as casting some great light across the countryside and particularly on the limestone of Thwaite and Norber Scars. A brief pause was had as we looked down on Ingleton Caves and Trow Gill which we would come to pass later and at the very end of Long Lane a drinks stop was taken.

From here the terrain changed from track to a wide path over the limestone which could be uneven in places but a good pace was to be made. As we went the view of Pen-Y-Ghent ahead came more and more into view across the limestone pavements. We continued on the plateau above Crummockdale and made our way towards Sulber and the crossing point of the Three Peaks Walk. This marked the point where human traffic would undoubtedly increase as it was roughly half way between our destination summit and Horton-in-Ribblesdale. It was also the point where we turned our back on Pen-Y-Ghent.

We headed up through the gully near to Sulber Pot and began our ascent. It is a long climb from here as you pass Simon Fell on the right and, with time going on, lunch was declared to break up the monotony of the path. We settled down on the leeward side of a wall with a grand view of the summit and all the people going up looking like ants.

Upon resuming the walk it was clear that as we went upwards the wind was certainly picking up speed thus sending temperatures down. We were all well wrapped up though and everyone reached the summit plateau in their own time and safely. The views were very good although a bit of haze was visible in places but that didn’t detract from the vista to Whernside or over to Pen-Y-Ghent. After a group photo around the trig point it was decided we’d lingered in the cold wind for long enough and so the descent began in earnest.

Our way down was over Little Ingleborough which has a great path along the top. This however was countered by the descent down a very uneven path of rough and ready steps which took a lot out of everyone. A pause was had at the bottom of here before we continued down to our next drink stop at Gaping Gill pot hole. Upon reaching the pothole some went round the edge and down the steps whilst some dropped down first and crossed over a little upstream. As we snacked people took a moment to go and look over the edge into the dark abyss. Once a year an opportunity arises for the public to be lowered down and one has to say it is on the ‘to-do’ list.

The last leg of the walk led us along the good path to a double ladder stile and downhill along the wall towards Trow Gill. Now a dry gorge, Trow Gill was thought to be an underground cavern formed by water which has now taken an alternative route through the Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill cave system. At some point in time the roof of the cavern is believed to have collapsed thus forming Trow Gill as we see it today.

We joined the good track which would take us all the way back to Clapham going via the entrance to Ingleborough Caves which we did not enter as it was closing! Now a tourist attraction you can descend underground to view various mineral deposit formations such as The Mushroom Beds and The Bloomers. The remains of a woolly rhino were also discovered within the cave system as recently as 2001.

With the sun getting lower in the sky it was making for a grand finale to the walk and it didn’t disappoint as we neared The Lake and the Folly created by Reginald Farrar of the aforementioned Ingleborough Hall. The track continued on bending round to the Sawmill and its old wooden cart and ‘garage’ before emerging on the road back in Clapham. We made our way back round the church to the car park, passing the Clapham Millenium Stone which some had missed on the way out! It features many images of aspects of the village and its environs including John De Clapham (Owner Of Clapdale Castle), 12th Century Monks, The Village Hall, St James Church, Ingleborough Hall and a Cave Rescuer to name a few.

Arrival at the car park indicated the end of the walk. For some it had been a first ascent of Ingleborough whilst others had been there before but all were in agreement that it had been a wonderful day and that, for a first-time leader, Steve had done a really good job. After a change of shoes we headed for the local – The New Inn – where a good discussion of the days events took place over a beverage or two.