A Grey Day on Ingleborough Hill.
Start. Ingleton (Storrs Common).
Route. Ingleton - Fell Lane - Crina Bottom - Red Gait Head - Quaking Pot - Limestone Load - Ingleborough - Swine Tail - Humphrey Bottom - Harry Hallam's Moss - Raven Scar - Nook - White Scar - Crina Bottom - Fell Lane - Ingleton .
Notes. Some days you just go through the motions, I'd planned a big day out today but was greeted by grey skies backed by a biting wind, the threat of rain hung in the air, a wander across the whole of the Ingleborough massif was shortened to the hill itself, if I was lucky I'd stay dry. When it comes to taking pictures I'd have been better off leaving the camera in the bag, grey days mean a flat landscape, no shadows to add life to the scene, I suppose if you're going to capture the hills in their many guises grey days and all, then out of the bag the camera has to came.
I parked on the edge of Storrs Common where the B6255 plunges from the high limestone dales, there's a few parking spaces on the road side and in an old quarry at the top of the hill. A short walk over grass saw me ascending the stoney surface of Fell Lane. Guided by dry stone walls I wandered on, a mile and a half of easy walking followed before I passed through the final intake to enter the oasis that is Crina Bottom. Tucked away in the folds of the hill this is a lonely place, a haven of green amidst grey limestone, tussock grass and peat bog. Wandering over the surface of a well constructed path I soon passed the pot holes at Red Gait Head, the ascent became steeper before I found myself scrambling onto a peat and grassy shelf christened the Limestone Load, another steep scramble followed allowing access to the flat top of Ingleborough. Pea soup and a howling gale greeted me, I hankered down in the summit shelter before making a hasty descent. On a compass bearing I made my way to the northern end of the plateau, here I successfully joined my descent path.
Soon under the cloud base with my route laid out before me I made the steep descent to Humphrey Bottom, a paved path guided me across the vast expanse of peat, bog and sphagnam moss, on reaching a dry stone wall I turned left, the wall guided me to a stile allowing access to the extensive limestone pavements of Raven and White Scar. A large number of cairns adorn the edge of the escarpment, I allowed these to guide me in a southerly direction, faint paths and sheep tracks steered me between large expanses of limestone pavement. Eventually a lone rowan tree appeared on the skyline, to the right of that another cairn, between them the land disappears over the edge of the plateau, a green trod descends here, my handrail back to Crina Bottom, all that remained, a long walk back down Fell Lane.
Fell lane looking to Crina Bottom.
The Gragareth skyline seen over Twisleton Scar End.
Seen from Fell Lane the hills of Bowland.
Seen through Crina Bottom, head in cloud Ingleborough.
Nestled between limestone scars, Crina Bottom a fine example of a Dales farmstead.
Crina Bottom with the hills of Bowland across the skyline.
Viewing the long ridge leading from Gragareth to Crag Hill, in the middle distance the lower slopes of Whernside descend to Twisleton Scars.
Ascending to the Limestone Load looking to Little Ingleborough.
Striding out across the Ingleborough summit plateau.
My descent route with Humphrey Bottom just visible under the cloud base.
Hazy views across Twisleton Dale, mighty Whernside dominates the view, with the white limestone pavements of Souther Scales clearly visible.
Looking to Simon Fell and Park Fell off route today but well worth a visit.
Park Fell over Humphrey Bottom.
Traversing Humphery bottom with views to the Whernside massif for company.
Views across Raven Scar, the tiny cairn just visible on the horizon was my aiming point.
Ribble Head Viaduct seen across Souther Scales with Blea Moor rising behind.
Harry Hallam's sheepfold looking to the northern face of Ingleborough.
Not so long ago this was a tiny dot on the horizon, a fourteen foot tall beacon, it's purpose lost in the midst of time.
It's certainly a lonely place this plateau below the mountains dark escarpment, not a human being in sight.
Where the scars end and the green pastures of Twisleton Dale begin.
Ingleborough viewed from Nook, still donning a crown of cloud.
Seen across White Scars a lone tree marks my descent route.
Ingleborough seen over the limestone scree and scars above Crina Bottom.