Walking The Pennine Way When I Was Eleven - Stage 8: (Malham to Horton-in-Ribblesdale)


Start:  Malham

Finish: Horton-in-Ribblesdale

Distance: 12 miles

Total Distance Walked:  88 miles




We left our campsite just after 9 o'clock and were soon alongside a pleasant stream heading towards one of the most spectacular features of the whole route, Malham Cove.  This high limestone cliff, shining bright white, was once a waterfall higher than Niagara Falls.




We climbed the path by the cove to reach the top and another page of our geography text books where we reached a limestone pavement.  This landscape of blocks of rock and fissures between them may have been interesting geologically but was awkward to walk on.  It was only a short section and we were then into attractive fields before reaching Malham Tarn.

On this section of the Pennine way we had seen more people than on any so far and by the Tarn we mingled with a large group walking by the lake which is also a nature reserve.  Leaving the crowds behind we walked through more fields and had lunch at midday near Stanggill Barn.

We climbed to more than 2000 feet in quite a tough ascent of Fountains Fell and continued over Plover Hill where the wind was strong.  All day we had been anticipating the climax of the day, the ascent of Pen-y-Ghent, the highest hill of the walk so far at 2273 feet.  It looked imposing as we approached but my father took a path over the shoulder of the hill rather than to the summit.  I didn't think much about this at the time but wish now that we had done it.  This was the only detour we took from the official Pennine Way on the whole walk, apart from the slight one on the first day to camp.  I have climbed Pen-y-Ghent since while doing the Three Peaks.

We crossed fields below the hill to reach a road which we followed into Horton, hurting my blisters, and arriving at 5 o'clock.  We went to the Pen-y-Ghent cafe where I had two portions of sausages and chips washed down with milk shakes.  The cafe was the headquarters of the Pennine Way Association and had a visitors book for walkers to sign, which we did.

We stayed at a campsite in Horton which was busy, it was the weekend.  However, the facilities were good with a clean toilet block.  We were now a week into the walk.



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