Afternoon up the dale

I managed to secure a half day holiday at short notice yesterday so around lunch-time went up to Kettlewell with Stef to do a long hilly run. We started off by climbing Great Whernside by the fell race route past Hag Dyke. There was a decent amount of snow on the top but we got up (not a lot of running to be be honest) and back down (all ran) okay. After nipping in the tea shop to buy fruit cake it was over the hill into Arncliffe (in Littondale), back into Wharfedale at Starbotton and then back the way we went into Kettlewell by reversing the two climbs and descents

The route sounds contrived but is much more 'organic' when you're doing it than you might think. On the tops above the two dales there was fairly heavy snow, which was settling nicely above around 1,200 feet and conditions were 'interesting' at times. The run totalled about 15 miles with 5,500 feet of climb and we were moving for a bit under 5 hours

On the way home we called at the Craven Arms at Appletreewick and met a nice couple there who have friends who'd done, among other things, the West Highland Way race, the Fellsman and a BG. It was a great way to round off a memorable  afternoon and evening