An unsociable and miserable git above Wharfedale!

I don't think I can ever remember The Yorkshire Dales being as dry and as parched as they are at the moment. I bet you can count on one hand the number of times it has rained over these last couple of months and there isn't much forecast either. We dont just need the odd shower or the odd day to fill up the reservoirs and put a bit of green back in to the landscape, we need a prolonged spell.

This little stroll was above Appletreewick and can be made in to a nice round which conveniently allows you to stop off at The Craven Arms for refreshments if required. It was the opposite way round to most walks because I started on the moors and then drop down to the valley and then back up again.

It is an area where many old bridleways cross so, if you have a map, you can basically walk as far as you want for as long as you feel fit. One of the tracks takes you down to Hartlington Bridge and from there its only a mile or so riverside walk in to Burnsall and The Red Lion. Another takes to Dibble Bridge and Grimwith Reservoir which would be a much longer walk.

Despite all the tracks, the area is very quiet because everyone heads down the main Wharfe valley and its honeypots. In fact I only met a few people the whole of the time I was out walking but I could hear and occasionally see the masses below. Burnsall looked particularly busy.

Being an unsociable and miserable git, I did turn around shortly before I reached valley level but on a midweek day I would have gone into Appletreewick and popped in The Craven Arms for a pint. I'm not one of those people who moans about how busy a place is but I do tent to steer clear of those places or go on quieter days.

I am a great believer that everyone is entitled to enjoy the outdoors as long as they leave the place as they found it and take their litter home which, sadly, is not always the case.