Today I decided to steer clear of the crowds and head into the desolation of Blea Moor, looking at the map it looked like a Wellington Boot walk, with the vast rounded summit presenting little to see, I envisaged a day of bog-hopping with little reward except solitude, how wrong I was, the ascent was soft under foot but relatively dry, a few wet spots to avoid, and the views just got better the higher I climbed.

I said goodbye to the car at Ribblehead and headed north on the three peaks path, already busy with walkers looking to climb Whernside, I had already decided Dry Gill Ridge would be my ascent route, (maybe dry in name only) on reaching Blea Moor Signal Box I left a perfectly good path to start my summit bid, climbing between Hare Gill and Foul Gill soon brought me to Crag Moss, which I crossed to reach the fence that would be my companion to the summit, following a good path north, then northwest I soon dropped onto the old tramway built by the Victorian Railway Engineers to aid construction of Blea Moor Tunnel, with the tunnel deep below my feet the tramway took me back to the Whernside path passing a couple of air shafts on route.

Over Blea Moor.	back to list view route map
	Destination for today, the desolate Blea Moor.
	Batty Wife Caves at the start of the walk.
	One of Yorkshires famous landmarks, the Ribblehead Viaduct.
	Ascending Dry Gill Ridge with views back to Ingleborough.
	Across Ribblesdale, grey/blue today Pen-y-ghent.
	Nearing the summit of Dry Gill Ridge, looking to the Ingleborough massif.
	Sunlight dapples the slopes of Whernside.
	Views to the Ribblehead Viaduct with the unmistakable shape of Ingleborough rising to the left.
	Distant views down Twisleton Dale.
	Ascending the bleak slopes of Blea Moor with just a rusty fence for company.
	Crossing the peat hags below the summit, possibly the wettest section of the walk, easily avoided.
	On the featureless slopes of Blea Moor.
	The summit Blea Moor.
	Looking to the Northern Dales.
	From the northern slopes of Blea Moor views to Ingleborough, with the fells of Bowland on the far horizon.
	What remains of the tramway,built by the engineers of the railway age to haul building materials across the moor to aid construction of the Blea Moor Tunnel, now deep below my feet.
	Air shafts and spoil heaps with views into Little Dale.
	From one of the air shafts views to Whernside.
	Looking down what remains of the tramway.
	And finally, back on the Whernside Path looking up the slopes of Blea Moor, you can almost see the whole of my ascent route from here.
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