Saturday 11th April 2009
Malham Cove
I had an idea, in 2004, to walk part of the Pennine Way, but instead I just did a few walks around the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines. Those walks still followed parts of the Pennine Way, but I had never walked along a significant proportion of the Pennine Way before, until now. Last summer, I felt the desire to do a long distance path (I suppose I must be getting old!) and decided that I would do it at Easter, which left me with a long time to plan and wait for this holiday, so by the time Easter was here I could hardly believe it had finally arrived as the anticipation had been enormous. I caught a train first thing in the morning and got off at the village of Gargrave on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. My plan for the week was to walk from Gargrave up to the town of Haltwhistle near Hadrian’s Wall, a distance on the Way of about 130 miles, about half the full distance of the Pennine Way.
Soon after leaving the train I joined the Pennine way at its 70 mile point, and followed the road over the River Aire into Gargrave. Quickly leaving the village behind, I crossed muddy, grassy fields as I headed towards the Yorkshire Dales. After climbing over a low hill I descended the grassy slope back down to the River Aire, which I now followed all the way to the tourist-filled village of Malham. This part of the walk was really quite dull but was only a precursor to the real excitement once I got to Malham. The walk beside the river was mildly interesting, if a little muddy, but the climb over the hill from Gargrave was boring and muddy. I don’t enjoy walking through farmland as it is too uniform with nothing of interest to see, or under foot. Eventually I arrived in Malham where I would be staying the night, but first I had a few things I wanted to see. Continuing through the village I joined the masses making their way to Malham Cove, which is a huge cliff that opens out to a wide amphitheatre-like cove. It is an awesome place, especially when standing at the bottom of the cliff beside the stream that issues from the base while looking up at the mad rock climbers who were unsuccessfully trying to scale the enormous cliff.
After a while I climbed up to the top of the cove (on a manufactured path – for tourists) onto the limestone pavement that surrounds the top. It was quite exhausting getting up there in the warm weather but the views were more than worth it, especially when I stood right on the edge of the cliff. The cove is an awesome sight but was rather marred for me by the huge amount of people standing around it, also attracted by the awesome surroundings and good weather. By climbing right out to the very edge of the cliff I was able to get away from the crowds and really appreciate the enormous height of Malham Cove. After a vertiginous moment I set off across the hillside towards my next point of call: Gordale Scar. This is similar in geology to the cove but is in the form of a narrow ravine with the added bonus of a waterfall. The ravine turns a corner just before the waterfall is seen, until I was almost upon it, in a much smaller and more enclosed space than the cove, but still with towering rock walls all around me. This element of surprise and exploration made the scar even more interesting for me than the more popular cove. The climb up the ravine was a little tricky, but once up a bad step the climbing became easier, and I even had steps higher up. The small effort to get up there was really worth it as the views back down were tremendous, despite the vertiginous moments.
After a while I climbed up to the top of the cove (on a manufactured path – for tourists) onto the limestone pavement that surrounds the top. It was quite exhausting getting up there in the warm weather but the views were more than worth it, especially when I stood right on the edge of the cliff. The cove is an awesome sight but was rather marred for me by the huge amount of people standing around it, also attracted by the awesome surroundings and good weather. By climbing right out to the very edge of the cliff I was able to get away from the crowds and really appreciate the enormous height of Malham Cove. After a vertiginous moment I set off across the hillside towards my next point of call: Gordale Scar. This is similar in geology to the cove but is in the form of a narrow ravine with the added bonus of a waterfall. The ravine turns a corner just before the waterfall is seen, until I was almost upon it, in a much smaller and more enclosed space than the cove, but still with towering rock walls all around me. This element of surprise and exploration made the scar even more interesting for me than the more popular cove. The climb up the ravine was a little tricky, but once up a bad step the climbing became easier, and I even had steps higher up. The small effort to get up there was really worth it as the views back down were tremendous, despite the vertiginous moments.
I didn't want to have to climb back down, so I continued climbing up until I emerged out of the ravine and returned back to the start by descending the steep hillside not far from the mouth of the ravine. Returning to Malham, I passed Janet’s Foss, which is simply an amazing place: a divine, sylvan dell with an enchanting waterfall into a crystal clear pool. The walk back took me through a small tree-clad valley that was littered with wild garlic that wasn’t flowering yet, but still added a gentle aroma to the surroundings. This was a lovely end to my round of the delights of Malham in an area that I had never been to before but I had wanted to visit it for some time, especially after hearing it be highly recommended. I would now do the same as it is an enchanting place, despite the enormous crowds that I encountered. Returning to Malham, I had a look around the tourist-filled village before going to the youth hostel. The next day was going to be a long one so I would need an early start in the morning.
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