The climb up Pen-y-Ghent is familiar to many. I particularly enjoy the mild scramble near the summit. However, the walk is improved many times by heading along the broad ridge to little visited Plover Hill and the rarely visited dale beyond linking Littondale with Horton.

Start off at the car park in Horton in Ribblesdale and walk along the road towards the church. At the church follow a faint path to the left and cross the river at a wooden bridge. Join a lane past the old primary school and through the trees to the wonderfully named farm of Bracken Bottom.

Pass through a small gate just before reaching the farm buildings and join the obvious path that climbs alongside a wall towards the imposing wall of Pen-y-Ghent. The track rolls uphill for nearly one and a half miles climbing steadily and passing through two gates before arriving at a third on the skyline. This is the famous hole in the wall where the route meets the Pennine Way.

(Image: Jonathan Smith)

Turn left and it is time to tackle the steeper, in places rockier, slopes towards the summit of Pen-y-Ghent. There are some places where some mild scrambling is needed (ie hands on) but it does not last and certainly adds interest to the climb. Finally, the path emerges dramatically onto the broad summit plateau of the mountain with a final half mile along the plateau bringing you to the trig point and stone seat at the summit of Pen-y-Ghent. The views are excellent, the mountain to your right is Fountain Fell.

(Image: Jonathan Smith)

From the summit, cross through the wall and instead of taking the obvious track directly ahead turn right, alongside the wall and follow the less obvious path along the summit ridge. The one and a half mile path heads north to a sometimes wet col before climbing more westerly towards the second "Dales 30" summit of the day, Plover Hill. The summit cairn is over the broken wall.

There are no crowds here, you are more likely to get skylarks for company rather than the many walkers who have headed down the traditional, more direct route from Pen-y-Ghent. A stile over a boundary heading north joins a path that soon drops steeply into the valley below. Before reaching the foot of the valley, turn left on to a more obvious path/track. This is the Pennine Journey, a wonderful long distance route devised by Alfred Wainwright.

(Image: Jonathan Smith)

Follow the bridleway heading west as it skirts the lower slopes of Plover Hill. It is a peaceful and pleasant route for nearly two miles before arriving at the dramatic Hull Pot, a deep pot hole forged from the limestone bedrock. It is an extraordinary place, particularly if it has been raining and the hole starts to fill!

A further 100 metres and there is a major junction of paths. Those completing the Three Peaks challenge head up the hill to your right, but you will continue through a gate and join a farmers' track that will head south for one and a half miles back to the village of Horton.

This is the route we take as part of our Three Peaks in Three Days walking holiday.

Walk facts:

 Distance: Roughly 7.5 miles.

Height to climb: 560m (1,840 feet).

Start: SD 808726. There is a large car park near the bridge in the centre of Horton.

Difficulty: Hard. On footpaths and mainly good tracks but a tricky climb with minor scrambling near the summit and a steep descent.

Refreshments: There are two pubs in Horton and a shop which may be selling a tea/coffee. The Three Peaks café has been closed for many years.

Be prepared: The route description and sketch map only provide a guide to the walk. You must take out and be able to read a map (O/S Explorer OL2) and in cloudy/misty conditions a compass. You must also wear the correct clothing and footwear for the outdoors. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, walkers head out at their own risk.

Please observe the Countryside Code and park sensibly.

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  • Jonathan Smith is the owner of Where2walk, a walking company based in the Yorkshire Dales. He has written three books on walking in the Dales, The Yorkshire 3 Peaks, The Dales 30 mountains and Walks without Stiles. All these books (and more) are available direct from the Where2walk website. 
  • Book a navigation (map and compass skills) training day near Settle or a bespoke day for a private group. The next available course is on Saturday, August 31. Join our “Dales 30” Weekender in Sedbergh or “Three Peaks in Three Days” guided walks in September. Where2walk.co.uk also features hundreds of walks across Yorkshire and beyond, from easy strolls to harder climbs.
  • Visit the website for details of the walks, guiding days and navigation courses.