Walk:	Blackfell Crags, Great Whernside, Sweet Hill, Hill End, Highgate Leys Lane (Track), Dales Way, Kettlewell, Moor End, Starbotton, Starbotton Cam Road, Starbotton Road
Start Point:	Leyburn Road lay-by	Grid Ref:	SD 986 757
Distance:	13 miles	Ascent:	2,640 feet
Weather:	Overcast in the morning and brightening up later	Time:	6.5 hours
Comments:	Having seen the parking area on my previous walk in this area I thought it would be a good place to start a similar walk. However, the road out of Kettlewell is very steep with a couple of very tight hairpin bends on narrow roads - not to be recommended! Having already climbed quite a distance on the road it was an easy walk to Great Whernside - the rest of the climb would come at the end of the walk. From Great Whernside I headed south to make my way along the fence line over Sweet Hill, past Hill End and down to join the Dales Way. Unfortunately there was a large area of peat bog that had to be circumnavigated but the grassy terrain that followed made up for it. The meadows along the Dales Way heading into Kettlewell were a delight. Leaving Kettlewell I took the high route to Starbotton via Moor End. It was quite a climb at this point in the walk but the views were fantastic. After descending to Starbotton and crossing the River Wharfe the climb started again, but not quite so steep this time, just rather long. Another pleasant grassy track made short work of the last section back to the car.

 

Scroll down to see photos of the walk

A good Track leads up to . . .

 

Blackfell Crags . . .

 

and on to . . .

 

Great Whernside

 

An unusually shaped cairn highlights the way to . . .

 

a larger cairn and the path beside the fence - the peat bogs come later!

 

Descending Highgate Leys Lane . . .

 

and through the trees to join the Dales Way

 

Scargill House . . .

 

a Christian holiday conference centre

 

Delightful meadows on the Dales Way

 

The River Wharfe from the bridge in Kettlewell

 

Wharfedale from the climb . . .

 

and looking back to Kettlewell

 

Moor End is deserted but not in bad condition - just difficult to get to

 

Wharfedale and Starbotton

 

Crossing back over the River Wharfe

 

Almost back at the car, looking down Fears Gill Beck

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