Sunday 21st October 2012 - Malham

On Sunday 21st October our walks are based on Malham in The Yorkshire Dales.  The coach will leave school as usual at 8.00 am prompt.  There will be no stop enroute as there are adequate toilets in Malham, where all walks start and finish and there is a good choice of refreshments for the end of the day.  We plan to leave Malham at 5.30 pm to be back in Formby about 8.00 pm. 

The cost of travel will be £10.00 for members, £13.00 for non-members and £5.00 for Leaders, children and students in full time education. Please make your cheque payable to Range Walking Club and ensure it is signed as it is inconvenient for the Treasurer to chase up such omissions.

Please Note returns this month and in future should go to the Treasurer. Please send in your return before 11th October; places will be booked on the coach by the treasurer on a first come first served basis.

NOTICES

1.   Annual subscriptions are now due.

‘A’ Walk Distance: 12 miles Ascent: 1500 ft Leaders: Lynn Smith Gordon Spence	From Malham there is a pleasant half hour walk to Janet’s Foss, a fairy glen waterfall, where we will stop for coffee. Good paths continue to Gordale Scar and decision time. If conditions are suitable a short steep scramble, using hands and feet for about 6 to 7 metres (20-25 ft), is required. (There is an Alternative, see below). This gives passage to a stunning rock bowl and the larger waterfall, now there is a good path and stone steps to the plateau above.   There is a pleasant path / track to Great Close Hill for lunch, overlooking Malham Tarn. Our circuit of the tarn includes an interesting boardwalk over the moss, watching out for some interesting wildlife. We continue south to the Pennine Way and Malham, which includes crossing the limestone pavements and viewing The Cove from below. (C walk remarks on limestone apply) The Alternative for us all, or a splinter group. Is to retrace our steps a bit and take a normal path to the ridge above Gordale Scar, a short descent and ascent back, would give a partial view of the rock bowl and waterfall. This would add say 30 minutes to the walk.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 10.5 miles Ascent: 1000 ft Leaders: John Hughes Joe Pearson	Starting from Malham we follow the Pennine Way north towards Malham Cove (look out for peregrine falcons) and then having climbed the Cove, continue on to the Tarn via the dry valley Ing Scar. We skirt the east side of the Tarn to reach West Great Close before turning NE to ascend and then on to Middle House Farm. The route then heads SE crossing High Stony Bank, passing over the perimeter of a Roman Camp before turning  E for a short distance along an ancient drovers path (possibly pre Roman!) and  turning SE to Smearbottom Lane. The lane is followed SW for 1.5miles to visit the waterfalls at Gordale Scar and Janets Foss, before continuing to re-join the Pennine Way and return to Malham.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 6.5 miles Ascent: 1000 ft Leaders: David Willis Denise Nunn, Joan Houghton	This is a delightful walk, weather permitting, with varied scenery. A short walk takes us to Malham Cove from where there is the only significant climb of the day using a stepped pathway to the limestone pavement at the top. Limestone, especially when wet, is notoriously slippery and great care must be taken, so there is a choice of continuing across the broad pavement or looping behind it on a grassy track to a stile, where we reunite.  A gentle climb enables us to descend to Goredale Bridge and a short detour to Goredale Scar to visit the falls and weirdly stained and sculpted rocks.  A very short road walk brings us to Janet’s Foss, a secluded glen and falls in ancient woodland.  A well-made path then leads us to the Pennine Way and along the fell-side to Hanlith before following the River Aire back to Malham.