Great Whernside from Kettlewell

A circular 8.0 mile (13 km) walk out of Kettlewell that climbs to the 704 m summit of Great Whernside, then loops back over the moor and down the old green lanes. Expect around 5.5 hours moving time and roughly 555 m of ascent. It is rated hard (7/10), and that feels right: the climbing is sustained, the ground is rough, and the tops are open.

• Leave Kettlewell on the lane beside Dowber Gill Beck and follow the signed path to Providence Pot, the capped entrance to a cave system.
• Turn back toward Kettlewell and climb more steeply to Hag Dyke, a former farm now used as a Scout centre.
• Above Hag Dyke the path works up rocky escarpments, then crosses a flatter shelf that holds a lot of water before the summit cairn and trig point.
• Descend north along the park boundary ridge, cross a stile (around SD998752), reach the road at Little Hunters Sleet (around SD986757), then take the westbound track to Starbotton Road (around SD970753).
• Finish on Top Mere Road, a steady downhill of just under two miles back into the village.

Surfaces run from village lanes and field paths to rocky moorland, stony tracks and rough fell. Boggy, squelchy ground is normal after rain, especially on the flatter approach to the summit. It is not a scramble, but the high section is exposed and navigation gets much harder in low cloud, so carry map and compass and know how to use them.

This is limestone and gritstone upland: gritstone outcrops on the climb, and open fell along the ridge. In clear air the summit looks out over Wharfedale, Buckden Pike, the Pennines, the Three Peaks, Pendle Hill, Simon's Seat, and sometimes as far as the Lake District fells. Clarity varies, so treat the long views as a bonus rather than a given.

The route uses public rights of way and open access land. Start in Kettlewell village, with the village car park near SD968723 and some roadside parking nearby. No permit is needed for the standard walk.

Dogs are allowed on the route. Keep them on a lead on rights of way and in fields with livestock, on a short lead from March to July for ground-nesting birds, and under close control around cattle.

The wet middle section is the weak link. That flatter ground below the summit can be a slog of peat and standing water, and it comes exactly where you want easy walking before the final push. Sturdy waterproof boots and gaiters make a real difference.