Route: Crummack Dale
Area: Yorkshire Dales
Date of walk: 15th October 2013
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 9.4 miles
Ascent: 1,100 feet
On the way to the start point Austwick I took a diversion to nearby Stainforth Force, having been inspired by the sight of leaping salmon there on Sunday’s walk. It was a good decision as the salmon were out in force, and I had lots of close sightings of this wonderful spectacle. I could have stayed there all day
Having caught a few salmon (on camera), I drove on to Austwick and walked out of the pretty village, heading uphill to inspect the Norber Erratics. These are massive rocks, 430 million years old, and named erratics as they’re in the wrong place, having been deposited on top of the local limestone by glaciers. After wandering around this interesting area for a while I walked north along Thwaite Scars, then turned east to walk along the Moughton Scar, a fantastic limestone pavement with great views in all directions
After leaving the Scar, there followed an easy walk back down to valley level and then into Austwick, the start point. The weather had been indifferent with just a few bright patches, but the scenery was fantastic
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
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Leaping salmon at Stainforth Force
On with the walk - the Game Cock at Austwick
Heading towards the Norber Erratics
A view back towards Austwick
A sandstone’erratic’ perched on the limestone floor
And another
On Thwaite Scar
Moughton Scar - my route is along its edge
Limestone landscape
On Moughton Scar
Pen-y-Ghent
The last section of Moughton Scars before I take the path to the right down the valley
Looking along Crummack Dale
An easy path leads back down the valley
Nearly back to Austwick
Back to the start
