Ingleborough through Crina Bottom.
Start. Storrs Common.
Route. Storrs Common - Fell Lane - Crina Bottom - Red Gait Head - Limestone Load - Ingleborough - Swine Tail - Humphrey Bottom - Harry Hallam's Moss - Raven Scar - White Scars - Fell Lane - Storrs Common.
Notes. Ingleborough rising above Ingleton casting dark shadows over the green fields of Twisleton Dale, it's flat top makes this the easiest to recognise of Yorkshires many summits. Various layers of grit stone and limestone give this hill it's distinctive shape. The summit plateau which actually tilts slightly to the south is adorned by many ornaments, the obligatory trig point, four sided wind shelter equipped with view indicator, a couple of large cairns, one the remains of a hospice built in 1830, pulled down the day it was opened, the Brigants, the largest of the northern hill tribes ringed the summit with a defensive wall, the remains of which can still be seen today.
I've opted to ascend the hill the easy way, from the south through Crina Bottom a typical Dales farm tucked away in the folds of the hill. After parking on the edge of Storrs Common where the Hawes road plunges out of the high dales I stepped between the dry stone walls of Fell Lane, this stony track then guided me to Crina Bottom, a fine example of the way you tend to stumble on surprises in the high valleys of the Yorkshire Dales. Passed the farm buildings I wandered a good path under foot, passed Red Gait Head and Quaking Pot before reaching a limestone shelf, I crossed said shelf before ascending to the summit.
I spent five minutes wandering around, made good use of the wind shelter, had a brew as you do before descending. My descent route passed above The Arks down the Swine Tail to a coll between Ingleborough and Simon Fell, here I turned left, with a mountain stream for company I plunged over the edge of the plateau, steep, hands on in places. Unscathed I reached the paved path traversing Humphrey Bottom, easy walking from here on. On reaching a dry stone wall I turned left ignoring the path over Southerscales, with the wall to guide me I wandered on, a stile aided me access to Harry Hallam's Moss and the vast limestone pavements above Raven Scar. A number of cairns guard the edge of the scars, my plan was to link them together. Following green paths and sheep tracks I made my way south west, after what seemed ages I stepped across a ruinous dry stone wall, this marked a change of direction, south, still linking cairns together, this giant game of dot to dot ended when a lone tree came into view. This tree clinging to life on White Scars marked my descent route. I walked passed the tree to join a green trod descending over the end of the plateau, this grassy path deposited me at the head of Fell Lane, all that remained, to re-trace my steps between dry stone walls back to the Storrs Common.
Grey today, the serrated skyline of the Lake District, seen from the edge of Storrs Common.
Looking to Gragareth and North End Scar rising from Kingsdale.
Towering above Twisleton Dale, guarding the head of Ribblesdale mighty Whernside.
View taken looking back down Fell Lane.
Heading through Crina Bottom looking to the flat top of Ingleborough.
Crina Bottom a hidden gem tucked away in the folds of the hill.
Limestone scenery above Crina Bottom with views to Ingleborough.
The stunning view from the Limestone Load, the limestone pavements of White Scars and the Irish Sea coast.
On the steep final pull to the summit looking to Little Ingleborough.
Ingleborough summit plateau plays host to more ornaments than the average top, this is all that remains of a hospice built in 1830.
More decorations, the obligatory trig point, massive cairn and handy wind shelter.
Simon Fell and Park Fell seen from the edge of the plateau.
On the steep descent to Humphrey Bottom, looking over The Arks and Black Shiver.
Humphrey Bottom with views to Whernside.
Ingleborough looking quite imposing from the traverse of Humphrey Bottom.
Raven Scar a landscape laid down in a warm tropical ocean 350 million years ago, the large cairn on the horizon is my aiming point.
From the limestone pavements of Raven Scar views to Blea Moor.
Dramatic limestone scenery, Twisleton Scars backed by Gregareth.
The steep slopes of Ingleborough look rather impressive from Raven Scar.
It's awfully lonely up here, I haven't seen a soul since I left the main path, here we have a view looking towards Ribblehead.
Let this ruinous wall guide the eye to Ingleborough, it marks a change in direction, I'm about to head onto White Scars.
This lone tree with views to the hills of Bowland marks my descent route.
Above Crina Bottom looking to Ingleborough.