Dales 30
My Dales 30

Great Whernside

Route Options
Height

704m (2,310ft)

Location

Upper Wharfedale

Neighbours

Buckden Pike

Height

704m (2,310ft)

Location

Upper Wharfedale

Neighbours

Buckden Pike

Gallery of Great Whernside

Starting the climb
Starting the climb
Hag Dyke Scout hut
Hag Dyke Scout hut
Great Whernside summit
Great Whernside summit
Summit ridge towards Buckden Pike
Summit ridge towards Buckden Pike
The tricky stile above the col
The tricky stile above the col
Great Whernside from the high road
Great Whernside from the high road
Kettlewell from Top Mere Road
Kettlewell from Top Mere Road
Hag Dyke from the South
Hag Dyke from the South

Jonathan’s View

"Great Whernside has much in common with its more illustrious (and oddly higher but clearly not as Great) namesake to the west. They are both large whaleback mountains, boggy and hard going on their flanks, and end in a broad flat summit ridge where the ground hardly rises or falls for 100s of metres. Great Whernside does however boast an interesting assembly of millstone grit boulders on the summit, a great place to linger and enjoy the excellent views over Upper Wharfedale.

I have always enjoyed my visits to Great Whernside, the peace and tranquillity particularly appealing after my more regular visits to the more popular fells in the west. It is a proper mountain and the easy walking on its broad ridge offers the walker a chance to completely relax, take in the 360 degree views and not have to bother avoiding hearty groups of multi coloured walkers – the lapwings will do fine, or even a buzzard.

A combination with Buckden Pike (or even Birks as well as part of the Wharfedale 3 Peaks challenge) is not to be sniffed at. The col between them is high although the terrain on the southern flanks of Buckden leaves a little to be desired."

Routes up Great Whernside

There is a choice of routes up Great Whernside . They are shown on the map and described below. The GPX file describes my favourite route.

click the image to see a larger version of the mao

My Favourite Route

From Horton in Ribblesdale

Height to Climb

550m (1,800ft)

O/S Explorer Map
Parking

SD 969723. There is a large National Park car park and toilets near the road bridge.

  1. For many years there was no public rights of way up Great Whernside but there is now! (which is a relief as it significantly eases progress to the summit). This route is the quickest and most direct way to the top.
  2. Leave the village heading due east, cross the river and from the lane look almost immediately for a sign for Hag Dyke and Providence Pot. The climb starts here and winds steadily up the hillside to Hag Dyke (the highest scout hut in the country). From the hostel a steep climb, a flatter section, then a final steep climb brings you to the summit boulder field.
  3. Head north from the summit for ¾ kilometre to a derelict shelter where a path veers to the left downhill. For the best views however walk a little further along the ridge before cutting west at a stile to join the path. The path skirts the fellside before dropping sharply north west (and often wetly) to the Kettlewell/Coverdale road.
  4. ADDING BUCKDEN PIKE: Join a faint path heading WNW for 1 1/2km and on arrival at a wall turn right/north/uphill and follow the eroded muddy path for a further 1 1/2km. At a meeting of walls turn left, again steeply uphill but for a short distance before arriving at the Polish War Memorial cross. From there cross the wall and follow the paved path north to the summit. Descent back to Kettlewell is by taking the path 100m south of the summit and following it in a mainly south westerly direction to Starbotton.
  5. GREAT WHERNSIDE ONLY. Cross the road and follow the wall as it winds westwards along the lower slopes of Buckden Pike. After a 1 ½ kilometres and just after the path has turned more southerly the path divides, take the left hand path due south back to Kettlewell, the path turning in to a rough track (Top Mere Road).

Hag Dyke Scout hut

Alternative Routes

From Kettlewell (Southerly Approach)

12km (7.5 miles)

540m (1,765 feet)

Leaving Kettlewell follow the lane along the east side of the River Wharfe for 1 ½ km. Turn left on a farm track as it passes through a copse before emerging on the open mountainside. Head directly up hill; the going is good till you reach a wall at about 500 metres. From the wall the peat hags make for hard going but persevere and once the final summit slopes are met it is a pleasant tramp along the broad ridge. Return via the ascent of the Best Route.

From Nidderdale

It is possible to climb Great Whernside from How Stean Gorge to the East. However the route is trackless in its upper areas and heavy going in energy sapping peat bogs. Not to be recommended!

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A personal view of the mountain from the author

High quality, colour photography

A sketch map showing the route & alternatives

Facts and anecdotes about the mountain and the nearby area

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