28th January 2012 - Buckden Pike
Walk Details
Distance walked: 7.8 miles
Total ascent: 1675 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Buckden-Buckden Rake-Buckden Pike-Walden Road-Starbotton-Dales Way- Buckden
This was a great day to be out on the hill. Clear sunny skies, light winds and deep snow on the hills but none in the valley bottoms. I'll remember this walk for some time. The walk starts from the National Park car park in Buckden and takes the path through Rakes Wood to Buckden Rake and then the path upto the summit of Buckden Pike. I then walked south along the summit ridge to pick up Walden Road which I followed down to Starbotton. It was then a case of following the Dales Way back to Buckden.
Total ascent: 1675 ft
OS map used: OL30 - Yorkshire Dales, Northern & Central areas
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Buckden-Buckden Rake-Buckden Pike-Walden Road-Starbotton-Dales Way- Buckden
This was a great day to be out on the hill. Clear sunny skies, light winds and deep snow on the hills but none in the valley bottoms. I'll remember this walk for some time. The walk starts from the National Park car park in Buckden and takes the path through Rakes Wood to Buckden Rake and then the path upto the summit of Buckden Pike. I then walked south along the summit ridge to pick up Walden Road which I followed down to Starbotton. It was then a case of following the Dales Way back to Buckden.
Route map
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The view back down into Wharfedale. This path leaves the car park in Buckden and heads up through Rakes Wood, which can be seen below. It's rather gloomy at the moment, some thick high cloud has moved across and made the sunshine very hazy but I can see sunnier skies not far away.
Looking in the other direction and the Wharfe continues upstream into Langstrothdale
I'm on my way up Buckden Pike now and the view is opening out to show snow covered fells around Langstrothdale, with Horse Head to the left and Yockenthwaite Moor to the right
Not far to go to the top now and I'm getting my first views of Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside
Looking across wind sculpted snow to the three peaks
At the summit now and a quick peek over the wall gives a view of Brown Haw, Harland Hill and the valley of Walden
Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside from the summit of Buckden Pike
Looking in the other direction with Great Whernside in the distance
The view to the southwest across to Birks Fell. Fountains Fell is on the right and Penyghent on the edge of the picture.
I've walked a short distance west from the summit to give myself this more open view down into the valley below and across to Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside
The panorama from west round to north
The view looking northwest. Whernside is on the left and to the right of the pole, Swarth Fell and Wild Boar Fell can be seen.
The view looking north from the trig point. Again Swarth Fell and Wild Boar Fell stand out to the left of the trig point with their east facing scars in shadow.
I'm heading south along the summit ridge now. The next few pictures are mostly looking across to the three peaks but with changing foregrounds as I walk along.
Deep enough?
Fountains Fell, Penyghent, Plover Hill, Ingleborough and Whernside in view
I've just crossed over the wall and you can see how deep the drifts are next to it
The war memorial at the southern end of the summit ridge
Great Whernside behind the memorial
The view looking east with Harland Hill and Brown Haw on the left and Little Whernside on the right
I'm starting to head back down now. My route of descent is the bridleway of Walden Road which will take me to Starbotton, the location of which is the patch of green in the valley below.
The path runs above the valley of Cam Gill Beck below
Starbotton and green fields below
Cam Gill Beck
Starbotton as I go to cross the Wharfe and join the Dales Way back to Buckden
The Wharfe at Starbotton
On the Dales Way back to Buckden looking across the Wharfe to the head of the valley
Across the bridge and I'm back in Buckden after a great day on the hill