Picked up the route this morning at Malham, with Alan, Alex, Amy and Jeremy with me. Weather looking rather uncertain, but everyone is up for the day. Amy and Jeremy are young and fit, so we will have to keep up with them!!

After the drive back to Malham in Horace, we set off at 9.35am for the walk to Malham Cave.As always the cliff face is spectacular we search for resting peregrines, we se no signs.So round the side of the cave we start the climb to the top. Here is the limestone pavement, probably the best in England. Onwards up the valley to the nature reserve at Malham Tarn. Looks great until a bunch of about 30 "loonies" came past us speed walking..our response is to sit down here and have a drink!

Then onward climbing to eventually the top of Fountains Fall. This is well named as before we get there the rain starts..It poured and poured and the view from the top was zero!

Pen-y-ghent is somewhere to the west. Out comes the compass, as we really can't see a thing.It's meant to look dramatic if only you could see it!!

So a somehwhat tricky descent on wet stones ; lots of "bloody hell fires" from my personal trainer ; thankfully there were only a few falls ( and none serious) as we descend to the valley. Even here the visibility is still poor, but still in rain, cloud and gale force winds we plod up the path.

We get to within 400 ft of the top of Pen-y-ghent , at the point known as "the escape route"..and we still cannot see the steep path ahead of us leading to the top. A democratic decision, mainly made wisely by my personal trainer, we take the alternative route round the side of this monster.

The walk for another 4 miles to Horton in Ribbonsdale is no drier, nor any less windy. We arrive, bedraggled and tired in Horton; two pubs to choose from for our welcome pints where we "steam" for the next 30 minutes. Gosg, it is good to be indoors!

A day to remember, remember never to go out in wind and rain like that again. I am amazed everyone stayed so cheerful!! Well done.

But guess what, we get back to Grassington, to the Wharfdale Camp site and the weather clears up for the evening. What do we do? Get the chairs out, the wine opened and have a BBQ !!

Todays distance was 15 miles and 3116 ft.

Cheers!