Now is the ideal time to climb Whernside, one of Yorkshire's three peaks. Long, warm days give plenty of time to appreciate both the natural and man made elements of the landscape. All of the photos in the article below were taken on a single day while completing the walk (and taking notes to allow me to write up the route).

I wanted to show off the highest part of the dales on a glorious Summer day in this article, and was lucky that the weather forecast was accurate. Although I pay close attention to the latest forecasts when planning days out photographing in the Dales, they are not always accurate. The hills have a tendency to create their own local weather, and it can sometimes be much greyer than expected by the time I have driven to a location. Fortunately this was not one of those days!

Whernside may not be the most attractive of Yorkshire's three peaks, but it is the loftiest. This in itself gives a reason to make the ascent. There are however plenty of other reasons to do so. There are superb views from the summit on a clear day, the route is clear throughout and it passes close to the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct. If you are lucky, you might see a steam train crossing the viaduct taking visitors along the magnificent Settle-Carlisle line.

The railway line was closed for over a year following a landslip in the wet winter of 2015/16 but, following a £23 million repair project it is now once again fully operational.

Click on the image below to view the full article which was originally published in Yorkshire Ridings Magazine.

Whernside WalkWhernside walk article header