Aye Gill Pike from Dent

A 6.3-mile loop out of Dent village, with about 441 m of ascent and roughly 3.5 hours of walking. Start in Dent (parking sits west of the village, at or near the Dentdale car park), follow the road west for a couple of hundred metres to pick up the Dales Way, then walk the riverside path beside the River Dee to Barth Bridge. From there a lane takes you up past Lunds Farm and onto Long Moor, where the ground opens out and you gain the western end of the ridge. Follow the crest east to the 556 m summit and trig point, then take the steep direct line back down toward Dent and the valley floor.

The ridge is a quiet one, and that is the appeal. On a clear day the views run out to the Howgills, the Lake District fells and the Yorkshire Three Peaks, with Dentdale laid out below. Skylarks and curlews are often heard over the moor in spring and early summer, though nothing is guaranteed.

Call it moderate to hard in practice, around 6 out of 10. The valley section is easy going. The climb from Lunds Farm onto Long Moor is sustained rather than technical, and the ground alongside the wall can be wet underfoot. On the ridge expect rough, open moorland. The descent is steep and can be slow, so allow more time than the distance suggests.

This is not a waymarked route from end to end. The lower half uses public paths and tracks, but the fell section crosses open-access moorland and includes permissive and largely pathless ground, so there is no public right of way over the whole ridge. On the direct descent you need to find the gaps in the dry-stone walls, which is where people lose the thread. Carry an up-to-date OS map and compass, and know how to use them in poor visibility.

Open access allows walking, but restrictions can be applied at certain times or in certain places. Check the current Natural England and Yorkshire Dales access mapping before you set out, and read any signs at the field boundaries.

On the walking and open-access sections where dog access applies, dogs are allowed provided they are kept under close control. There is livestock on the enclosed land and ground-nesting birds on the moor, so a short lead is required from 1 March to 31 July on the relevant access land. Some access land carries its own dog restrictions, and local or seasonal restrictions may apply, so check signs and current notices before you commit to the fell section.

• Steep, sometimes puzzling ground on the descent, with walls to negotiate
• Wet ground alongside the wall on the climb, and peat bogs on the open moor
• Sink holes, caves and old mine shafts, which are recognised hazards on open access land
• Long stretches away from recognised paths, so poor visibility raises the difficulty sharply