Great Whernside

A muddy balcony of bog above Hag Dyke brought me to the last ascent to Great Whernside's summit. I joined the mist halfway up and it accompanied me for most of my stay. As I stood next to the summit trig, I wondered if I'd be able to see Whernside from Great Whernside's summit. I also wondered whether anybody had actually mixed up the two hills on the Yorkshire Three Peaks route and ticked Great Whernside, rather than Whernside. In fact, that gave me an idea for a future venture: 'Nun's Yorkshire Three Peaks', including Ingleborough, Penyghent and Great Whernside.

My OS map showed a tarn about 10 minutes on an out-and- back walk, southeast of the summit, and so I had a wander over to have a peruse. The sun was trying to break through the mist, and I thought the small diversion might give the mist time to clear. I found the two nearby cairns shown on the map, but the tarn had definitely drained away. During my search, the mist suddenly cleared, and I was left with a crystal clear view over to the northeast and the lumps of Little Whernside and Dead Man's Hill. It was obviously clear blue skies outside of this annoying mist. This divine vision was almost immediately curtailed, and I found myself back in the mist again. I walked back to Great Whernside's summit and continued along its broad back to Black Dike End.

Hunters Sleets

My original intention was to drop down to the single track road at Little Hunters Sleet, but the mist was clearing a bit, and so I decided to extend my walk, by following the ridge north eastwards towards Little Whernside. Sure enough, the mist cleared and the fleeting glimpse of blue skies I'd seen briefly on Great Whernside, became my new reality. I was now able to see the Angram and Scar House reservoirs. There are many shake (sink) holes in the area, and I noticed that two of them had been the dumping ground for the fencers. The wooden posts might be used again, maybe, for some future purpose, but the rusting rolls of barbed wire? At the col to Little Whernside I double backed on to a bridleway that would take me to Little Hunters Sleets. It didn't look like the path was used much and, although it followed the contour of the hill, it was on a slope and a little awkward to walk along. It was also very boggy, especially as I approached Little Hunters Sleets. A few wooden posts advised heading off on to a less obvious path, but I wasn't convinced that it would have been any drier. Near to Little Hunters Sleets, a large sign warned me of my impending demise, giving advice on what to do if the local cows and bulls took a dislike to me. At the road, I stopped to have a sandwich. I watched a farmer on an ATV make his way down from Black Dike and then join the road. I noticed that he had what looked like a shotgun attached to the front of his handlebars, although that might just have been my imagination given the name of the area. Given that I'd not seen anybody else since leaving Kettlewell, I waved to him, but he declined to respond and motored off towards Leyburn

Tor Mere Top

I spotted my executioners as I made my way over the boggy Great Hunters Sleets towards Tor Mere Top. Fortunately, they had been electrically fenced off, on an area of moor towards the south. I followed the electric fence right to the top of Tor Mere Top. It seemed quite extensive, and I wondered how much power they consume. Presumably quite a lot, since they give a sufficient shock to deter a bull. A quick Google showed that they hardly use much energy at all. Although the voltage is high, the current (amps) is low, and it is the current that kills. It seems that the power is also pulsed down the line every second, which gives you a chance to extract yourself if you do receive a shock. The article that I read said that it wouldn't even kill a squirrel, which is good news for squirrels, although I did wonder whether it could kill birds. I then remembered that they'd only receive a shock if they complete a circuit. So as long as they perch on the line, and don't extend a leg, feather, or tail on to something like a stone wall, they should be fine.

Top Mere Top turned out to be a rather indistinct, boggy area. Looking northwards I could see the higher top of Buckden Pike. It looked so close, I was almost tempted to make the journey to its summit, but it would have meant coming down in the dark. I decided to head back down to Kettlewell using the Top Mere Road. The bridleway offered fine views across to Great Whernside. Cloud stubbornly persisted on its very top. There were also great views southwards over Kettlewell and along the Wharfedale valley.

It felt like Kettlewell was having a late siesta as I walked through its streets again. The village shop was now open, offering all kinds of sugary treats. I managed to divert my eyes sufficiently as I walk past. Given the unpromising greyness and mist of the morning, the day had turned out to be a delightful winter walk. Is Geat Whernside, great? Most definitely.