Another glorious head torch run in the Settle Hills!

A stunning head torch run with the boy tonight. We trotted into Settle Market Square and then up Banks Lane before climbing all the way up to the trig point and cairn by Warrendale Knotts. The snow was thick and deep up there, making for some tough going, and once we were on the very top it was all untracked crumpy snow, apart of course from bunny prints and those of the odd passing fox. 

It was extremely beautiful too what with a waxing moon poking through the clouds and the reflected light from the snow. Once at the trig it was absolutely glorious to just survey the surrounding hills, all silent in the frosty whiteness. We heard a fox calling a few times (Harry’s ears pricked up at each raspy bark) which kind of added to the tranquil and slightly spooky atmosphere.

Solitary (well solitary plus Haz) head torch running in the hills, especially in the snow on such a clear and frosty night, is just the best thing ever. I’ve been invited to run with the Bowland bats when they’re next in my neck of the woods which will be a real contrast - I was reading up on their bat run last week and something like 25 of them all ran up Winter hill with their head torches on, presumably in one large gaggle. Probably a great laugh I admit, and sociable too (especially in the pub after), but I can't imagine you get anything like the same at one with nature experience that you get up in the hills on your tod at night. Anyway I'm sure I'll find out next month.

After the trig we dropped off the east side of the hill through huge drifts of powdery snow into Attermire Scar, following that south into the valley below the crags and then heading up and over Sugar Loaf Hill all the way to High Hill Lane, which we crossed, before heading down Lambert Lane. This ‘lane’ is a stoney, boulder strewn pitted cart track usually but tonight it was half filled with huge five or six feet high snow drifts with a nicely worn snowy trod beside them all the way down to Lodge Farm. At the farm we swerved left (south) up through Pond Plantation before dropping down in a long zig zag through Cleaptops Wood and then meandering heading back home through the fields and along Watery Lane.

A fabulous 6.4 miles and 1,100 odd feet giving me 152 miles and 27,500 feet of ascent for the year so far.