Yorkshire's beautiful backbone – hiking a Dales High Way

The locals call it God’s Own Country, and with good reason. Yorkshire is one of the most scenically magnificent regions in England. No less than three national parks can be found within its borders and in the Yorkshire Dales National Park you have many of its most staggering sights. Now imagine a varied and challenging adventure across its most spectacular landscapes, over iconic landmarks and to viewpoints of haunting, rugged splendour.

You may well be imagining A Dales High Way, the incredible 90-mile (145 km) trek from the village of Saltaire in West Yorkshire to Appleby in Cumbria’s verdant Eden Valley. En route, you’ll discover the Neolithic ambience of Rombalds Moor; Malhamdale’s limestone wonders; summit the iconic, wedge-shaped Ingleborough and traverse the Howgill Fells, with massive views of both the Dales and the fells of the Lake District. It's hillwalking at its finest.

This magnificent journey was the brainchild of husband and wife Tony and Chris Grogan, who had the idea of a higher and wilder alternative to the already established Dales Way. The pair first completed the route in 2007 and it has gained great popularity ever since. It is a strenuous trek by virtue of the way it seeks out the high fells, making it more of a traverse above the Dales rather than a ramble amongst them.

With this in mind, it is an adventure suitable for reasonably fit hikers with some hillwalking experience. Gradients are not as severe as those found in the Lake District, but ascents such as those found on Ingleborough and the Howgills will still give your calves a thorough workout. Certain key junctions are waymarked. However, much of this trek is through open country and across high fells where there is no waymarking, so solid navigation is essential.

The route visits many of the Dales’ most picturesque towns and villages, giving you plenty of refuelling options and accommodation choice. This also presents you with decisions to mull over as to how many days to spend on the trails. I’ve split the adventure into the recommended six stages. The first two stages in particular are long days, with almost ten hours of hillwalking. If this sounds a bit much, you can always break them in two by sandwiching the night in Skipton with stays in Addingham and either Hetton or Malham.

Each season brings its own delights and challenges. Daylight hours in winter mean that you may need more than six days on the trails. If the higher fells are under ice and snow, winter boots will be essential, though it is unlikely crampons and ice axes would be needed unless conditions were particularly severe. Late summer is a gorgeous time to ramble, with purple heather in bloom across the moorlands.

Regardless of the month, this is a long trek across wild, windswept moors and high summits that are exposed to the elements. The weather in this part of England is notoriously fickle, so warm layers, waterproofs and sturdy boots are required.

The route effectively runs in parallel to the beloved Carlisle to Settle railway line, one of Europe’s great rail journeys. It makes for a fantastic option for the return to Saltaire. Alternatively, if you’re unable to find the time to do the trek in one multi-day push, you could use the many stations along the line to knock off sections in isolation.

Just a fifteen-minute ride from Leeds, start point Saltaire is easily reached by train, whilst motorists can arrive via the A650 and use the car park on Victoria Road, the official start of the route. End point Appleby-in-Westmorland is on the A66, which connects the M6 at Penrith to the A1(M) at Scotch Corner. Like Saltaire, it lies on the main railway line between the cities of Carlisle and Leeds.