Yorkshire Dales Walks
Nine Standards Rigg
Date: 3rd December 2004
Distance: 7.7 miles
Ascent: 1244 feet
Time: Too long ago to remember!
With: Matt
Start Grid Ref: NY808042
Walk Summary:
Poor weather tarnished this walk, our first visit to Nine Standards Rigg and White Mossy Hill.
Route Summary: Lamps Moss - Dukerdale Pots - Faraday Gill - Nine Standards Rigg - White Mossy Hill - Millstones - Rowantree Gill - Birkdale - Lamps Moss
Pictures:
1. Matt on the limestone of Lamps Moss
2. Looking down into Dukerdale
3. Looking down Faraday Gill towards Kirkby Stephen
4. Twin cairns flank the path leading up to the Nine Standards
5. Taking cover from the wind behind one of the Nine Standards
6. Matt by the trig point on Nine Standards Rigg
7. Looking back up to White Mossy Hill from Millstones
Walk Detail: This was another shortish walk that we thought would be perfect for the time of year. The weather began quite promisingly and from where we parked the car there was an impressive view of High Pike Hill. The initial walk along the limestone area of Lamps Moss was quite pleasant and the miniature Dukerdale impressed.
As we headed towards Faraday Gill the cloud got a bit thicker but in no way prepared us for what was coming. Indeed there are two pictures I took half way up Faraday Gill, one looking down the gill toward Kirkby Stephen and another up the hill to the Nine Standards stones which were clearly visible a few hundred yards higher up. By the time we managed to haul ourselves up this increasingly muddy track the wind suddenly picked up and as so often we found ourselves in the cloud.
The Nine Standards themselves are very impressive and in better conditions would provide a fine viewpoint. We took refuge from the wind behind the largest standard to eat lunch but even this was not enough to stop my pie tin from being whipped out of my hands and blown away by the increasingly violent wind.
From the stones we walked up past the 360-degree viewpoint marker and on to the trig point. From there we headed for White Mossy Hill, as we did so the ground deteriorated rapidly and we soon discovered why Nine Standards Rigg is notorious with Coast-to-Coast walkers for its bogginess.
In fact the stretch from Nine Standards to White Mossy Hill was probably the boggiest ground we had yet come across. At least one time we actually had to hold hands for extra support as we inched our way across the worst bits (at the time neither of us were using walking poles).
With the wet bog, strong wind and poor visibility this was not particularly pleasant walking. At some indeterminate point we traversed the top of White Mossy Hill and at last began our descent proper. Wishing to avoid the unpleasant sounding Lady Bog we made a detour along Coldbergh Edge towards Millstones where we at last came out of the cloud and had a view, in this case down Birkdale including the tarn.
Once back at the road it was a rather dull walk back to the car. The awful weather made this a disappointing walk especially as Nine Standards Rigg should be one of the best viewpoints in the Dales. Despite this we still felt a certain amount of satisfaction from having successfully pitted ourselves against the elements and terrain.
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