A last minute decision saw me packing the sleeping, some nibbles and Tilley into the van. We drove up to Pen-y-Ghent in the Yorkshire Dales just as the sun was setting.
I found a wild camping spot with the view of one of the three peaks. While I enjoyed the view, Tilley was busy spotting bunnies. I could see on the top there were two people enjoying the sunset. Sadly for them just as it got really going, a little cloud rocked up and parked up top. It looked like a little hat for me but I don’t thing they got to see much but cloud.
We had a brilliant night sleep, enjoyed the clear skies, bright stars and the setting moon, from the van as we dosed off.
Bright and early Tilley woke up to tell me that the bunnies were about. I manged to get her kip a wee bit more, but the siren call from the bunnies were too strong for her. So I gave up and got up just before F-I-V-E A-flipping-M!
Though, this bright and early start meant that we were ready to hike up the hill at 5.40am. The sun was out and so were the bunnies – did I mention them? – clear blue skies too. The only cloud was a little hat on Pen-y-Ghent, which got smaller and smaller as we got closer.
It is only a 1.6 mile hike up, the path is a farm track which turns into bridle way which joins the Pennine Way. Through heather and other spring flower where bunnies and grouses were busy, so Tilley didn’t know which way to look or run, boy does she like a good bunny watch – squeals, shakes and wines totally buzzing on her adrenaline. That is why it is mainly me who walks her when there is wildlife about, as she will have a good go at pulling your arms off.
About a mile into our walk, the path turns into the somewhat stony staircase, then to a nice bit of scrambling. Which Tilley just loved climbing, planing her routes, double back to do run ups on the steep bit. Brilliant bit of guiding from her.
The last 200 yards or so the path becomes a nicely laid stone slab path. Even with this early start we weren’t the first to the top. But I think they cheated because they camped over night on the top and they were still sleeping when we arrived.
We only had to wait a few minutes to get an opening in the cloud to enjoy the views. Pendle Hill and Ingleborough were visible through the fog and clouds. As the cloud came back we headed back down hill again. To the surprise of others as I think they were sure they were first up the hill this am.
As we neared the parking lot guess who we should spot again, yup the bunnies! You should think that the climb would knacker the wee mutt, naa she found her second wind
3.2 miles up and down Pen-y-Ghent and a jolly good day for it, all done and dusted before 8am. Only two more to do and I have done the three peaks.