The Five Trigs of Ingleborough

Following on from my recent Five Waterfalls from Settle run, on Saturday me and Haz set out from Horton-in-Ribblesdale with a view to visiting all five of the Ingleborough trig points in one 20 mile loop. There is obviously only the one trig point on the summit of Ingleborough but, if you extend your view to the whole of the Ingleborough massif, you certainly get four, and with a bit of imagination, if you throw in the trig on Smearsett Scar you get the set of five. 

The trig points in the order that we visited them were Smearsett Scar, Moughton, Ingleborough, Park Fell and Sulber. The Sulber trig point incidentally is way off the beaten track and is seldom visited or even known about. I'm not sure it even has a name but as its not far from Sulber Nick, on the main path from Horton to Ingleborough, we've called it the Sulber trig point.

The weather on Saturday was quite Spring like, although hazy, and was just perfect for running (although less brilliant for photos as the haze tended to ruin what would have otherwise been some stunning views). The first part of the run south to Smearsett and then back along the ridge, through Wharfe Woods and down to the hamlet of Wharfe was really great running and easy going but, after that, things got decidedly tougher. A steep climb onto the top of the Moughton plateau was followed by much grassy tussock hopping and sheep trod following to the Moughton trig point and from there, all the way to the top of Sulber Nick, it was all limestone pavements and limestone grikes; potentially ankle snapping stuff. From Sulber Nick it was then a gradual uphill to the summit of Ingleborough before the running finally got a bit easier again going along the west edge of Simon Fell and around the back of Park Fell to the trig point there. Then it was a grand descent in the direction of Selside, past Alum Pot and then taking a rough line to the final trig point (just marked with its 348 meter height on the OS map) at Sulber. From our direction of approach, this trig point was hidden by a dry stone wall so it couldn't actually be seen until we got right to it. Having successfully bagged that, it was a scoot back to Horton with Harry having a much deserved swim and clean up in the river at the end.

A top run out if I say so myself!

Ze route

Smearsett Scar ahoy!

Trig 1 - Smearsett Scar

Harry looking back towards Smearsett

Wharfe Wood - certain to be the bluebelliest place on earth in a month or so's time

The most fricking stupidly positioned and rickety stile on earth

The Moughton plateau

Trig 2 - Moughton

Just got to get across all of that to Ingleborough next then!

Capple Bank and Moughton Scars

Jolly jolly limestoney

Ingleborough ahoy!

Harry's swimming pool just below Ingleborough summit

Trig 3 - Ingleborough

Our path ahead looping around the side of Simon Fell

A friendly mountain frog

Park Fell ahoy!

Trig 4 - Park Fell

Harry investigating Alum Pot

Trig 5 - Sulber

Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the end in sight