Mayday bank holiday we have a cottage near Oughtershaw in the yorkshire dales. My XYL doesn’t do much hill walking but enjoyed the views from Hallin Fell in the Lakes when we went there last year. Is there a similar easy hill in the Yorkshire dales I can take her up? doesn’t have to be a SOTA, but its a bonus if it is lol.
73
Anthony
I think the nearest SOTA summit to Oughtershaw is Dodd Fell Hill which I haven’t done yet but from the parking spot it is quite short. I believe it is boggy though. Nearby is Drumaldrace which is on tracks and gives good views.
EDIT: Actually I have done Dodd Fell Hill but not as a SOTA. It was many years ago as part of a longer walk. I do remember it being easy but it probably wasn’t in January so the ground would have been easier.
EDIT 2: Just noticed this is for May day. So it shouldn’t be so boggy then.
Hi Anthony
G/NP-028 Rombalds Moor can be a drive on summit or you can take a short walk to the trig point along a very easy flagged footpath to the actual summit. G/NP-017 Fountains Fell is an easy one along a footpath most of the way to the activation zone. Most of the other NPs involve walking with some ascent. G/NP-016 Dodd Fell Hill does involve leaving the Pennine Way and negotiating a slope but not too difficult.
73
Nick G4OOE
It seems a shame to stay in Oughtershaw and drive all the way down to Keighley!
Whilst Richard has given you an answer already you can use the SOTA mapping project to find out answers to these questions yourself. Then use it backwards… where should we stay so there are plenty of summits right on our doorstep!
Go to the mapping site, select range mapping, fill in the details (Oughtershaw, United Kingdom), set the range and see what comes back.
There are 6:
Buckden Pike G/NP-009
Pen-y-ghent G/NP-101
Great Knoutberry Hill G/NP-015
Dodd Fell Hill G/NP-016
Fountains Fell G/NP-017
Birks Fell G/NP-031
Only you know whether they are easy enough or not.
It isn’t obvious from the SOTA mapping project how easy or hard they are. Local knowledge is needed for parking, conditions underfoot, etc so I think it was a reasonable question to ask.
You’re absolutely right Richard, local knowledge is always the most useful. But you can look at the map and see if there many contours close together or that it’s long trek from the nearest road and narrow down the possible into probables. You can also look at the info on our summits site where there will often be info about parking and access. Dodd Fell info is 14-16 years old and could well be out of date because of land access changes, road changes etc. However, you can see what there is and narrow the list down.
The important point is not that people should just use the maps and not ask for more info but that we have the mapping resource available for people to use. There is a cost to the resources we have, hosting costs and the time we put in to run them. Everyone who supports SOTA by buying merchandise or buying awards or by making donations is paying towards this. The cost is there even if nobody uses them and so it makes sense to publicise these resources to make sure they get well used. There will be plenty of people who do not know about the mapping site or the features it has. It was only the other week somebody posted they didn’t realise that a certain resource of feature was available. If I was better at using the search facility on here I’d be able to find and post the link.
We have lots of features, linked from here by the line of blue links across the top of the page. However, from the questions the MT get asked regularly, it seems people never see these or are afraid to click and explore. So anything to help people make use of what they may well be paying for but not know about is worthwhile in my book.
If you are lucky, an activator will have posted a link to his or her activation report on the Summit information page. I do this for every summit that I activate. I even mark those that I consider to be suitable for access for disabled people as well.
So it’s worth checking the summit pages for summits that are within your chosen area.
73 Ed.
https://summits.sota.org.uk/
Great Knoutberry is short, only a bit boggy and in good wx has excellent views. Wild Boar Fell is a longer but very rewarding and mostly dry walk, Kisdon from Keld is also short and easy. I dont think it is that far to Gummers How in the lakes and the views Mark has shared look stunning!
It was mostly local knowledge i was after. I do use the sota mapping and will use it to assist with the local knowledge of people who walk and activate way more than me.
The SOTA mapping feature is an awesome piece of kit. It surely must be coming up to the worlds best database/mapping of mountains.
Ed,
I totally agree with you. As a newcomer to SOTA, reading the reports by those that have gone before me has proved essential reading/information.
73, Lea
Wise words Richard!
73, Colin
(Formerly of Keighley)
Thanks for flagging up this useful feature of the mapping site.
I’ve got a recommendation, but its rather a long walk, full of interest and with three distinct phases. It might be too far this time but you could file it for a future visit.
You start by parking at the village of Clapham (nice pub for good food!), walk up past the church and follow Clapham Drive, past the lake and into a ravine, passing the entry to Ingleborough Cave. The path turns left at Trow Gill (where you can watch sport climbers) and suddenly arrives at wide open pothole country, with Gaping Gill in its deep pit on the left. The path is good and takes you fairly easily up Ingleborough G/NP-005 (a bit bouldery onto the summit plateau.) Descending you can either reverse the route or fork right on a track that takes you to Newby Cote and a last mile on tarmac back to Clapham. I have done this twice and hope to do it again one day!
As I say, its not near your venue but its worth remembering for the future.
Hi Anthony
Some great advice already given , your certainly staying in a very nice part of the world , but I would say that because I’ve lived and worked in the Yorkshire dales all my life lol
Buckden Pike NP - 009 is only a short drive back down into Buckden , park up in the village and take the sign posted track to the left , fairly easy walk to the summit but does get a tad steep towards the top, a very rewarding SOTA
Dodd Fell NP -016 as others have said can be very boggy and not the most rewarding
Fountains fell NP -017 most enjoyable and straight forward , less steep than say Buckden pike and only around 25min drive from your cottage
Or if you want a really steady SOTA then try Sharp Haw NP - 029 it’s a really stunning drive down into Skipton , can park in town or park @ the foot of Sharp haw ( limited parking ) great 360 views from the summit
Have a wonderful stay
Craig 2E0VRX
Anthony
On the sota maps link you’ve been given you’ll also notice some references/links to the summit (in blue). These often contain route descriptions and of course associated comments about ease of access.
If you also look at SOTLAS you’ll often find there’s blue marked routes to/from the summits.
Failing that, there’s always good old OS Maps where both public footpaths and tracks on open ground are shown.
Dave
OK, given Hallin Fell as a guide of what is “doable”…
I would suggest Whernside G/NP-005 from the west. There is a path along the wall from the minor road, just south of the 468m spot height. There’s a couple a steepish banks to climb but the overall walk is less than half-an-hour - and the views are magnificent. (And you get 6 points!)
Alternatively, you could go up from Ribblehead station, closer to your accommodation. This is a longer, but lovely circular walk. Walk down to the Ribblehead viaduct then continue along the footpath to the right of the railway line initially.
Ingleborough from the Hill Inn, Chapel-le-Dale could be doable as well. This is the easiest way up and is a pleasant route with just one steep short section. White Scar Caves just down the same road is recommended too.