I’m serious, this is one of the best walks I’ve ever done (granted I couldn’t exactly be called a seasoned walking expert, but still). 25 miles through blisteringly beautiful Yorkshire landscape and with pubs at lunchtime and the end, what more could you ask for?
For the uninitiated, the Yorkshire 3 peaks consist of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Inglebrough. Though not everest, they’re not exactly insignificant (629, 738, 729 metres respectively). The “Challenge” is to walk them all within 12 hours, which is easy for reasonably fit people with good footwear.
Actually footwear is probably worth mentioning. You could easily make yourself lame with the wrong shoes on this walk. Choose boots you know and trust, this isn’t the walk for experimenting.
I can heartily recommend doing this in the depths of winter. sounds nuts, but the ground is frozen, you get crystal clear air and fantastic views. The frozen ground helps coming off Pen-y-Ghent which is a marsh (bog in places) for probably 4 miles! But with rock-solid ground you save over an hour of tramping through mud and umsca. You don’t even notice the temperature.
We stayed at the Crown Hotel, Horton in Ribblesdale. They have a bunkhouse which is no more than a room with triple bunks and a seperate shower / toiler room. Cheap as, but lacking the essential self-catering bit for prepping soup for the walk and breakfast at the unholy hour you have to start this walk (about 6am in the winter). Crown’s ale and food is most welcome at the end of the walk.
I cannot recommend this walk any higher. But without the right weather and footwear you could get caught out. Apparently (see all the reports in the Pen-y-Ghent cafe, Horton) the mountain rescue is called out frequently to rescue unprepared (or perhaps unfortunate) walkers who attempt it.
