Day three and the last day of our away trip to the Yorkshire Dales National Park where my main objective has been to make a return to Whernside, a hill I last climbed a millennium ago. So having spent the previous two days climbing Pen-y-ghent and strolling along the high moors above Hardraw, it seems today is the day for my long awaited return to Whernside.

The highest of the classic Three Peaks, Whernside not only offers grand views of the natural features of the dales and it’s partners, Pen-y-ghent and Ingleborough but it also has the amazing man-made structures of the Ribblehead Viaduct and the Blea Moor railway tunnel enroute to the summit, in short, it has a lot to offer for relatively little effort.

It is debatable what catches your eye as you park up at the start of the walk in one of the large roadside parking areas on the B6255. Is it Whernside itself or the Ribblehead Viaduct, both look quite majestic; today, given the low cloud base obscuring a vast swathe of the hillside in a mass of dark cloud it was the viaduct as it stood out against the dark background, and to add even more atmosphere, right on cue a rainbow arched beyond the viaduct highlighted against the dark bulk of Whernside. What a start to a day’s walk. We were in no hurry, today was to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, and so we strolled along the well defined path that parallels the railway line for almost 3 kilometres passing as it goes the remote Blea Moor signal box and crossing a couple of minor becks either by stepping stones on those small enough, or there is a fine wooded bridge over the one most likely to flood in times of high water levels.

The crossing of the railway line is an engineering feat in itself. During the construction of the railway line, a stone aqueduct was built to take the waters flowing from Force Gill over the railway, and it is this aqueduct that provides not only a means of crossing the railway line, but it is a fine observation point to gaze down upon the entrance to the Blea Moor tunnel, at 1½ miles long it is the longest on the Settle to Carlisle railway. With so much to admire about the building of this section of the railway it was the obvious spot to just sit and take a break before the climb to Whernside begins in earnest.

There are three stages to the climb from the aqueduct to the 650m point on the main ridge. From the aqueduct the path initially climbs past the impressive waterfall of Force Gill before swinging in an arc to bring it alongside a dry stone wall. Now heading west, the path, a mixture of rough graded stone and sections of flagstone paving, heads directly to the ridge ahead. It is important to remember to lift your head from the path and just stop and look around as you climb this section as the views are quite extensive, especially towards the lone, un-named tarn on Greensett Moss and the mass of Whernside which for us today was alternating from being bathed in bright sunshine to looking dull and grey as a passing shower or two moved overhead. As the path nears the ridge it make a final curving arc and the gradient steepens a little more for the final pull up and onto the main ridgeline.

The climbing is all but done, as the final kilometre is a very gentle rise once again alongside a dry stone wall, and, again it is important to pause and look behind you as beyond and below the point at which you joined the main ridge are a set to tarns, the Whernside Tarns, and again today they glistened in the intermittent sunshine, just as Greensett Moss had done on the lower stages of the climb.

As is expected of these popular hills, there were a few others hanging around the Trig Point that stands on the opposite side of the wall, while others were taking advantage of the curved shelter wall on the approach side of the summit. At 736m Whernside is the highest peak in the Yorkshire Dales yet it is arguably an easier climb than those of a lower status. We managed to squeeze into the shelter and settle down for a break in reasonable weather, the shower that had heralded our approach to the summit soon passed and we had sunshine while we huddled in the shelter for a spot of lunch.

Whernside is an obvious circular walk, no sense in doing an out-and-back when there is perfectly good walking still ahead. Heading south along the ridge from the summit for just over a kilometre there is a very well defined track which drops steeply from the ridge and heads downhill towards Bruntscar. The initial section is a constructed stone and rock path, very uneven and awkward to walk down, so care is needed, but it does get you down the steep hillside and onto a much easier gravel track as you approach Bruntscar.

From Bruntscar it is very easy walking through green fields and farmyards with ever increasing views of the Ribblehead Viaduct as you make the final turn at Winterscales Farm and head directly towards and pass under the viaduct, it is then that you get a sense of it’s true scale and height. A fitting end to a walk with some amazing natural and man-made elements to stir the mind.

Thanks everyone for your company and a wonderful day in the hills.