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Giddy cattle
Using this guide
The forty runs follow an arc from Skipton in the south through the southern Dales, ending at Arkengarthdale in the northern Dales. Most runs are a mixture of trail and fell, with a few runs being solely one or the other.
The runs are split into four areas.
The south-west Dales and Three Peaks
This area is typically mountainous, with some of the mountains being quite rocky. The hills are criss-crossed by a good network of footpaths, tracks and bridleways. Being the most popular area of the Dales, it caters to a wide range of outdoor sports, including running, caving, paragliding, mountain biking and cycling, as well as to tourists who visit the area for the scenery. The area is served by the popular towns and villages of Settle, Horton in Ribblesdale and Ingleton.
The north-west Dales and Howgills
This area is also mountainous, but the mountains are grassier and rounder in nature, while the Howgills are noted for their steepness. It has a more remote atmosphere, and although there are paths and tracks, some of them require greater concentration to follow; additionally, there are fewer signposts. The towns and villages of Sedbergh, Dent, Ravenstonedale and Tebay serve this area.
Outstanding running in the Howgills (Route 15)
The north-east Dales, Swaledale and Wensleydale
This area contains fewer mountains but has excellent running terrain, with some of the best trail-running in the Dales. The two dales are rich in human history, especially in terms of lead mining. While the valleys are popular with tourists, the hills have relatively few visitors. This is especially true of the northern moorland section. Rights of way are marked on the map – although they are often small and indistinct on the ground. A good degree of self-reliance and navigational ability, therefore, is needed in poor weather. The area is served by the towns and villages of Hawes, Reeth and Leyburn.
The south-east Dales and Wharfedale
This very popular area features a mix of mountain and valley runs on mainly good paths and tracks. Wharfedale and its subsidiary valleys display the classic limestone scenery that the Dales is famous for, one of the highlights being Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, which regularly appear in television shows on the Dales. The area is served by the towns and villages of Grassington, Malham, Kettlewell and Skipton.
The Pendragon to Skipton Ultra
Most of the runs in this book can be readily achieved in a day. To provide a stiffer challenge the Pendragon to Skipton Ultra is a route designed to be spread over 1, 2 or 3 days depending on the runner. In this book, the ultra is described across three legs, which are described seperately as Route 19, Route 29 and Route 40. The route is not waymarked separately although sections of it follow Lady Anne’s Way, the Pennine Way and the Dales Way. The route starts at Pendragon Castle in Mallerstang and finishes 85km later at Skipton station.
A linear route throws up challenges in terms of transport, the start and finish are linked by the Settle to Carlisle railway. The start is approximately 4km from Kirkby Stephen station and the finish close to Skipton Castle. The finish location for each leg are: Hawes, Kettlewell and Skipton respectively, all of which have a good selection of accommodation options and shops to re-supply.
Route descriptions
The run descriptions follow the same pattern: an introductory overview containing details of distance, ascent, start and finish points, points of interest, amenities and a brief overview of the route.
The descriptions generally state the nature of the route the run follows, namely, path, track or quad bike track, without noting whether it is classed as a footpath or bridleway. Most of the routes use a combination of footpaths, bridleways, and tracks or paths on open access land. For more information on access, visit www.yorkshiredales.org.uk.
Most run descriptions refer to crossing several walls or fences; this means there is a crossing or gate of some type. Where appropriate, to aid navigation, the description is more specific, for example, ‘cross using the ladder stile’.
One of the many types of wall crossing
Mapping
The 1:50,000 OS map extracts indicate the route, and, together with the route description and gradient profile, should allow a competent runner to successfully complete the route. However, a full map of the area should also be carried.
Times and distances
A suggested time is given for each route, based on a speed of 8km per hour and 60 minutes per 1000m of ascent, rounded to the nearest half-hour. Individual speeds and fitness will of course vary. Runners will know their own speed over such terrain and be able to gauge how long each run should take. It is a good idea to run a couple of the routes and adjust your time accordingly. Factors that may affect the time taken include weather or navigational ability.
Each route is split into smaller sections; on shorter routes these roughly equate to 2km, and on longer routes, 4km. The sections are marked on the maps of each route. Where appropriate, grid references and distances are included. A cumulative distance is included at the end of each section, which was recorded using GPS. Inevitably, the distance will only be approximate, and towards the end of the route could differ by a few hundred metres, depending on exactly where you run. As such, they are intended as a guide only. Routes can be run in either direction; occasionally, the weather, for example, wind direction, dictates one way or the other. The run descriptions are probably the best way to run the route.
Run difficulty
Each run has been given a broad level of difficulty. The grade given to each run reflects the maximum level of difficulty on that particular route, even though some parts of the route may fall into a lower category of difficulty. Due to the nature of the terrain, some runs do not easily fall into a given category. Some runs comprise wide, easy-to-navigate paths with few signposts and vice versa. The more difficult runs include both navigational and route-finding aspects. Broadly speaking, navigational ability is about being able to read and follow a map. Route-finding ability is more about mountain experience and the ability to follow a route on the ground, being able to make a judgement about which direction to take. Where particularly relevant, a comment on safety has been included.
| Level | Description |
| 1 | Well-signposted wide tracks and footpaths. No technical ground with medium ascents and descents. Straightforward navigation. May include short sections of road. |
| 2 | Well-signposted tracks and footpaths. Short sections of technical ground with steep(er) ascents and descents. Straightforward navigation. |
| 3 | Signposted smaller tracks and paths. Sections of technical ground with steep ascents and descents. Navigational ability necessary. |
| 4 |
Small paths with few signposts. Mainly technical ground with
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