The Six Dales Trail, March 2014

Here's a collection of pictures from the walk that my brother Noah and I took at the end of March of this year to as part of my 50th birthday celebrations.

The Six Dales Trail goes from Otley in Wharfedale to Middleham in Wensleydale, taking in four other North Yorkshire Dales along the way. The walk is about 38 miles, but there's quite a lot of up and down, as you'd expect in a walk which is constantly either climbing up out of one dale or descending into another. We made the walk a bit longer by diverging from the path and spending the second night at Lofthouse.

It is a beautiful walk, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful countryside and vigorous exercise, and doesn't mind a (considerable) bit of mud.

The journey begins: two brothers on a railway platform

 At Otley where the walk officially begins.

 Dob Park Packhorse Bridge

 Fewston Reservoir

 Arrival at Scaife Hall Farm Bed and Breakfast in Blubberhouses at the end of the first day.

The view from our room.

Our reward for walking ten miles (which turned out, in hindsight, to be by far the easiest day!).

Leaving the farm at the beginning of day 2.

 The dam at Thruscross Reservoir

 View from the top.

First glimpse of Pateley Bridge.

Guisecliff Wood

Tea room at Pateley Bridge. 8 miles walked. About 7 still to go today. A bit weary....

Gouthwaite Reservoir

After a deep wet muddy section of path that you couldn't get around (it had to be done barefoot).

Grange Farm, Bouthwaite

The Crown Hotel, Lofthouse, at last!

Breakfast room at the Crown Hotel, where we seem to be the only guests.

 On the climb to the moor above Lofthouse.

A lonely  moor between Nidderdale and Colsterdale.

Near the southwestern arm of Roundhill Reservoir.

Grimes Gill

Colsterdale and on towards Coverdale. This lovely stone was appropriated for a wall.

Between Ellingstring and Jervaulx Abbey.

First glimpse of Jervaulx Abbey.

 In the Abbey park.

At Jervaulx Abbey.

Then a walk along the river Ure to the Cover Bridge Inn for our third night's rest, where the Ure and the Cover rivers combine. By this time it's a bit dim for photography, and we're rather tired after a long (15-mile) day with a lot of climbing and a lot of squelchy mud, but also with a lot of countryside and scenery bliss.

All that remains now for the final morning is the short walk to Middleham, where we meet Zan and Edie for Mother's Day lunch.

 On the walk to Middleham.

First view of Middleham Castle in the mist. Mist was a feature on our three-and-a-bit day walk, but luckily not much rain.

Middleham Castle

 At Middleham Market Cross, the official end of the Six Dales Trail.

 I dropped my camera/phone, and it took this picture when it hit the ground!

Reunited with my family.