The choice was either do 2 of the 3 big hills on the first day or just do the one. Naturally I opted for the former; however a side quest had me adding an extra one!
I started later than I would have liked. My BnB only served a cooked breakfast between 8.30 and 9.00. I was ready on the dot. I wolfed it down and hit the trail.
From St. Alkelda’s church, Giggleswick, I headed into Settle. Crossing the market square and up a silly steep road for the next 1.5km. It eased off as I joined the Pennine Bridleway.
Thankful for the softer gravel path, I made my way onto Kirkby Fell. The breeze was picking up, but gratefully it was a tail wind for a change.
Out on the Yorkshire Dales I got the solitude, I crave for. Rolling fells to the horizon, and lofty views of Malham Cove as I descended into the tiny village.
Not wanting to miss the chance to see this ice age relic, I diverted off route for this prehistoric waterfall.
Created by the glacial melts from the last ice age, a huge waterfall that would have rivalled Niagara Falls once fell at this spot. However the porous limestone has moved the water underground, only leaving a small stream today.
Standing at the bottom, I was in awe at the sheer scale of this Limestone face. Rock climbers were making their way up – ants on a wall.
I had the option to take a steep path up to the top, where you can stand on the limestone pavement. A feature created from the corrosion of acidic rain.
I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t take the opportunity. So I added an extra hill to today’s walk.
Side quest complete, I stopped at the Listers Arms in Malham for a pint then moved on.
Road walking up the last steep section of the day followed, as a weather front arrived. Drizzle ensued, but not heavy enough for waterproofs.
Once it levelled out, I had 5km or so, crossing the dales. I stopped briefly for a snack, that was being eyed up by the sheep that grazed the land.
A pleasant decline into Conistone followed, with a small spell of sunshine. I called into St. Mary’s Church to shelter from the returning drizzle, for a short break and snack.
However the drizzle was here to stay. I ventured back out, following a single track road through the flat valley bottom into Kettleswell, my end point for the day.
31.74km
19.73miles
Stu's Camino 