Great Whernside G/NP-008 with Ryedale Walking Group

Route taken Great Whernside from Scar House Reservoir - click for large pic

Eight members of Ryedale Walking Group completed a 12 mile walk over Great Whernside from Scar House Reservoir near Middlesmoor on 20th October.

Jos, Terry, Nick, Steve, Jan, Marcel, Robin at Scar House

The 3 radio ham members Phil G4OBK, Mick G4OOE and Terry G0VWP all made seven brief ham radio contacts on VHF for Summits On The Air from near the trig point (SOTA Ref: G/NP-008). 

The sky was looking ugly on our arrival on Great Whernside

The leader of the group we met on the summit had a sorry tale to tell, one of their group had fallen waist deep into "quicksand" (this was how it was described) on the way up. They said they had got him out....but only just. 

Ryedale Walking Group on the summit

The route passed over mostly access land which was hard going, especially on the return trail following Stone Beck when we tried (unsuccessfully) to locate the wreck of a Wellington Bomber which crashed in 1942. We did encounter a most welcome footbridge at the southern tip of Angram reservoir. Well done to Jos whose sharp eye spotted this through the mist from some distance up the moor - the footbridge (at the weir which is marked) is not shown on the latest 1:25000 OS Map! I think this is because the route around Angram reservoir is a permissive path provided by Yorkshire Water and not a public right of way as such. 

On our way home we called for a drink at The Kings Head Hotel in Masham.  It was a long and adventurous day and we were in need of refreshments - we left Pickering at 8.15am and got home at 8.30pm!

Retiring after the walk in the Kings Head Hotel at Masham

New member Marcel and Terry G0VWP

Everyone said they enjoyed it, despite the inclement weather and uneven ground for walking. We welcomed Marcel on our walk to join our group.  He is a visitor from Holland.