LAST DAY - BUCKDEN PIKE HIKE

Our last day of escapism in the Dales, glorious sunshine and a cooling wind made the hike to Buckden Pike enjoyable.
We drove to Starbotton, walked along the River Wharfe to Buckden then began our ascent, a bit of a hike but well worth the effort. Endless views from the top with Ingleborough and Penyghent in the distance.

The "Fox" War Memorial just along the top from the summit cairn has a lovely story.

The cross commemorates five Polish crewmen of a Wellington bomber, which crashed into the mountain in a blinding snowstorm in January 1942. Four were killed outright and a fifth badly injured. However, the rear gunner Joe Fusniak survived because the rear turret snapped off the fuselage and was thrown clear. One by one he found his dead companions and then the surviving comrade who he wrapped in a parachute against the cold. Then, despite having a broken ankle, he set off for help. Initially he went the wrong direction but spotted the tracks of a fox in the snow. Knowing the animal would go to a farm in search of food, he began an agonising crawl downhill tracking the fox. 
He eventually reached White Lion pub in Cray, where he was initially mistaken for a German flier before convincing them to launch a rescue attempt for his comrade.. but it was too late. Joe was instrumental in having the cross erected on the fell and included a fox's head in honour of the creature that saved his life.

A superb hike to end our time here in the Dales.

BUCKDEN PIKE SUMMIT

"FOX" WAR MEMORIAL

LUNCH AT THE TOP

DAY THREE - LITTONDALE TO LANGSTROTHDALE HIKE

Forecast was for wall to wall sunshine and it did arrive albeit mid morning. We drove to Halton Gill and hiked out of Littondale over the top to Langstrothdale and Yockenthwaite, along the River Wharfe then back up and over (which was quite a drag given the path was poor and Roy stuck his foot in a bog hole). A fabulous walk and what an end.... in the tiny village of Halton Gill is the most amazing little cabin called Katie's Cuppas - a help yourself honesty box do it yourself tea room. Yorkshire tea and home made strawberry and cream scone - bliss! There was such an assortment of cakes but as you see from the photo Roy was gravitating to the scones - and so cheap! 

     OH WHAT A PERFECT DAY!

LITTONDALE

LANGSTROTHDALE

TREE SPLIT THE ROCK TO GROW!

YOCKENTHWAITE

FAIRIE CIRCLE!

LUNCH BY THE WHARFE

LAST STILE!

KATIE'S CUPPAS  FABULOUS HONESTY TEA ROOM

LOOK AT ROY - HE'S READY TO GRAB THE SCONES!

THEY EVEN SET OUT CHAIRS AND TABLES FOR YOU

END OF A PERFECT DAY!

 

DAY TWO - MASTILES LANE, DALES WAY HIKE

Cooler day today, we took off from the campsite and walked up to Mastiles Lane and across the vast moor top to Kilnsey, Conistone and up again along the Dales Way to Grassington for coffee this time instead of ice cream, back to the site along the road. A good hike of about 9 miles and we missed the rain!

lapwing

Kilnsey

Oystercatcher

Kilnsey Crag

Conistone church

Conistone Dab

WANDERING IN WHARFEDALE

The weather looked promising so we headed into Wharfedale camped at Wood Nook Caravan Park near Threshfield. 
A lovely 6 mile walk the first day took us through Skirethorns, along the River Wharfe to Hebden then the high route to Grassington. Sun shone but there was a strong wind which kept the rain away. We had a slight interaction with some grumpy cows, saw baby wrens, pretty Linton Falls and two sets of stepping stones finishing with the compulsory ice cream in Grassington.

GET THAT FLY OFF MY NOSE!

BEAUTIFUL MEADOW

                                                   BABY WRENS

LINTON FALLS AND HYDROELECTRIC STATION ON THE WHARFE

LINTON FALLS

ROY STEPPING IT OUT ACROSS THE STEPPING STONES

STONES NOT VERY PROMINENT IN MIDDLE BIT!

COWS NOT VERY HAPPY THAT WE CROSSED THEIR FIELD

HERCULES PLANE WE THINK

CURLEW

WHICH WAY??