Hiking at the Great Shunner Fell: My first valleys 30

Hiking at the Great Shunner Fell: My first valleys 30

The hike to the Great Shunner Fell was my first of the Dales 30, the highest peaks of the Yorkshire Dales. One less, 29 still ...

As many of them know, Kia and I recently moved to the country. It took eight years, but I was finally able to convince Kia that life was better off the busy south. Therefore we moved to the small and charming market city of Richmond on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The best thing about our move is not only the joys of Richmond, but also the simple access to the landscape right on our doorstep. It takes five minutes to go to the national park, one of the 15 Great Britain breaks, while at the end of our road there is a hiking trail along the Swale river that brings us to the park in just 15 minutes.

After a few weeks of getting used to the city, it was time to hike properly in the Dales.

Presentation of the Dales 30

With all this landscape that is waiting to be explored, I didn't know where to start. Fortunately, we visited an evening at the Richmond Walking & Book Festival, where the local hiking guide Jonathan Smith from Where2walk spoke about his book The Dales 30.

The Dales 30 are the 30 peaks in the Yorkshire Dales over 610 m (2,000 ft) - are considered the general classification of a mountain on the British islands - and also have a height difference of at least 30 m (98.4 ft) on all sides. Jonathan wrote a detailed travel guide for Dales 30, which is filled with recommended routes, maps, facts and anecdotes.

Alt = “Hiking at the Great Shunner Fell from Thwaite 12 ″> Atlas & Boots Jonathan von Wheree2walk wrote a travel guide about Dales 30

You may not be as dramatic as the Munros of Scotland or as popular as the Lake District Wainwrights, but the Dales 30 make up a fine section of the highest mountain range in England, the pennines.

The mountains and their summit paths also show some of the most remote and picturesque landscapes that England has to offer. The Dales 30 in particular are the perfect opportunity for me to deal with the wilderness of my new home.

Great Shunner fell

I decided to start things with a hike to the Great Shunner Fell in the Northern Dales between Wensleydale and Swaledale. With 716 m (2,340 ft), Great Shunner Fell is the third highest summit on the list of Dales 30.

Great Shunner Fell is located at the Pennine Way, a 429 km long national hiking trail that leads from the Peak District over the Yorkshire Dales to the Scottish border. This means that a large part of the hiking route runs on a clearly defined and leaked path with little error options.

Alt = “Hiking at the Great Shunner Fell by Thwaite 18 ″> Atlas & Boots Great Shunner Fell is located at the Pennine Way

The relatively gentle but constant climb initially winds up a rocky path along dry stone walls before it opens up to more swamp. The path is easy to follow and is regularly marked by stone heaps, especially if you approach the summit.

On the summit there is a large cruciform wind protection and a triangulation pillar. Here it is possible to protect yourself from the wind, no matter which direction it blows and to enjoy a wide view over the surrounding moor landscape.

alt = “Hiking at the Great Shunner Fell by Thwaite 8 ″> Atas & Boots The summit of the Great Shunner Fell

In the West you can see the Howgill Fells and further back the foothills of the Lake District Fells. It is also possible to see the stone piles of Nine Standards Rigg in the north together with the street to Tan Hill Inn, Great Britain's highest pub.

In the south there is a view of Swaledale (our Heimattal), Lovely Seat, Buckden Pike and the peaks of Pen-Y-Gent, Ingleborough and Whernside that form the Yorkshire Three Peaks.

hiking on the Great Shunner Fell by Thwaite

Height: 716 m (2,340 ft) distance: 11 km duration: 2-3 hours

There are several route options for hikes to the Great Shunner Fell, the most popular of the villages of Hawes, Hardraw and Thwaite. I started and ended in Thwaite, a simple straight up and down along the Pennine Way, which crosses the village.

A popular option is the combination of the hike to the Great Shunner Fell with the Lovely Seat, another Dales 30 summit nearby.

hiking in the Great Shunner Fell: The essentials

was: hiking at the Great Shunner Fell by Thwaite in Yorkshire Dales National Park, England.

Where: We live in the nearby market city of Richmond, on the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There are numerous accommodation opportunities, from campsites to luxury hotels in the entire national park as well as in the surrounding cities and villages.

The best way to find accommodation is the use of the interactive card section on the Yorkshire Dales website or similar via Booking.com.

When: Unfortunately, a complete dryness is rarely guaranteed in England, but the best time for hiking in the Great Shunner Fell and in the Yorkshire Dales is from June to August. It is undoubtedly the driest and warmest time of the year.

However, it is also high season and availability could be a problem, especially during the school holidays from late July to August. The low season (April to May and September to October) is also a good time for a visit, although the weather will be colder and moisture without exception.

like: There are many ways to explore the Yorkhire Dales. The national park is small enough to explore it on foot or by bike if you are not in a hurry to get from one place to another. Since there are many parking spaces everywhere, many prefer to travel through the park by car and stop at villages and starting points from hiking trails.

There are local transport options such as train, bus and coach. The latest information on access to the Yorkshire Dales can be found in the transport area of ​​your website.
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