First Humdinger!

Yesterday me and Harry finally kickstarted our running year with a proper beast of a run, trotting round the 3 Peaks of Yorkshire (Whernside, Pen y Ghent and Ingleborough) from Ingleton. The most efficient and common route round the 3 Peaks usually starts from Horton in Ribblesdale, rather than Ingleton, and I can manage to cut visiting all 3 peaks down to 21.3 miles in total, although the main walkers route trudged round by hundreds and hundreds of walkers each year is typically a couple of miles longer than that. 

The annual fell race each April starts from Horton too and follows a line similar to my 21.3 mile route, albeit following the Pennine Way up and off of Pen y Ghent to a much greater extent. The fell race attracts some criticism from fell running purists because perhaps it follows well used and hard packed trails and roads too much but it is still a supremely tough race, and is a fast one too, and does still involve climbing for the best part of 5,000 feet and three big hills regardless.

Anyway our run yesterday was anything but efficient (and definitely not fast) and went out of its way to avoid any hard packed tracks and roads. It also involved more climb too, as Ingleton is lower than Horton. All in all our route was 28.25 miles with 5,200 feet of climb, a real humdinger! It was either really muddy, really tussocky or really swampy, or all three at the same time, all the way round too making for tough going!

Anyway a brilliant, brilliant run followed by a much needed mug of tea (with bickies and a bowl of water provided for Haz) in Bernies Cafe in Ingleton.

Looking back towards Ribblehead Viaduct with Whernside beyond

Running towards Nether Lodge on the Ribble Way

Hull Pot 

Harry pointing the way up Pen y Ghent

Sulber Nick with Ingleborough ominously lurking under cloud ahead