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Aye Gill Pike above Dent.

Start. Dent.

Route. Dent - Barth Bridge - Hole House - Lunds - Aye Gill Pike - Rise Hill - Little Snaizwold Fell - Black Hill - Cowgill - Ewegales Bridge - Ewegales - Riving - Little Town - Hackergill Farm - Coat Faw - Laithbank - Sike Fold - Whernside Manor - Mill Bridge - Deepdale Beck - River Dee - Church Bridge - Dent.

Notes. At a mere 1,824ft Aye Gill Pike is the highest point on the ridge of Rise Hill, around four miles of stunning high level walking. Don't under estimate this traverse, wet ground makes for an energy sapping ascent, but your efforts are rewarded with magnificent views over lush green dales adorned with a mosaic of meadows bordered by limestone walls, small communities shadowed by the immense bulk of Yorkshire's hills, and you'll probably have them all to yourself, go on be greedy, take a wander over Aye Gill Pike.

I left Dent via the road to Sedbergh, when the road kissed the river a finger-post invited me to Barth Bridge. Once across said bridge I made for the second junction on the right, with a narrow tarmac lane under foot I started on what turned out to be a long ascent, a lot longer than anticipated. Passed a number of farmsteads I climbed, once I reached Lunds a walled lane ushered me onto the fell, this lane terminated at a sheep fold, from there a dry stone wall was to be my friendly guide. West over marshy ground we picked our way before swinging north to reach the final intake, I crossed a stile in the field corner before starting the long traverse over Rise Hill.

With my new found friend to my right I wandered east, stiles allowed safe crossing of the many walls strung across the fellside from Garsdale, the climb was long but every step guided me into fine vistas, I stopped many times to drink them in. I shunned the trig point gracing the summit, instead wandering north to a disused quarry, the views over Garsdale were staggering, again I drank them in before re-joining my friend. Back on track we crossed Rise Hill before descending to civilized Snaizwold Fell, this top is dry, lush and green with limestone scars cutting through the shallow top soil, a perfect spot to brew tea and rest aching muscles.

Refreshed I descended along the edge of a forestry plantation, here I bid farewell to my friend, replacing him with a fence line, fences aren't as interesting as dry stone walls, we descended in silence, over Black Hill to reach Cowgill. Between the dry stone walls of this ancient track I continued descending, eventually stepping onto the valley road at Cowgill village (a few houses and a church). My route back followed the Dales Way, an 81 mile foot-path linking Ilkley with Bowness on Windermere, I'm told it's an excellent walk, the stretch through Dentdale certainly was. Way-marked paths ushered me passed Dales farmsteads, I stopped to drain my flask at the entrance to historic Whernside Manor (a couple of handy benches accommodated aching limbs) before joining the banks of Deepdale Beck at Mill Bridge. Deepdale Beck gave way to the River Dee which in turn guided me to Church Bridge from where I made straight for the bar of the Sun Inn at Dent.

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