Walking in the Yorkshire Dales – how to plan your walk

There is a fabulous variety of walks on offer in the Yorkshire Dales from low level Riverside strolls, high level hikes with wonderful views to rugged walks across sparse open moorland. There really is something for everyone!

Whichever type of walk you choose to do; it is important to make sure that you choose a walk that is within yours and your groups capabilities.

Even the most experienced walker can get caught out so make sure you follow these top tips to stay safe while you are out and about in the Dales countryside.

Always check the weather

Before you set off on any walk, always check the weather forecast first, especially if you are going on a high level or a long-distance walk as the weather can change incredibly fast!

Checking the weather to ensure you are wearing, or at least carrying with you in your rucksack, the correct clothing to keep you warm and dry is essential for your health and wellbeing.

There are various places you can find the weather forecast. We find the best way to get an accurate weather report for a particular location is via websites or apps such as

• BBC Weather
• MetOffice
• Accuweather

Our favourite is the MetOffice App. It is easy to use and gives detailed hourly reports and long-range weather reports too – this allows you to start planning your walking itinerary in advance of your holiday in the Yorkshire Dales.

Plan your route carefully

It is really important that you plan your walk carefully. Don’t just follow others as if you lose them, then you could easily get lost.

There are various places you can find a walking route. There are lots of guidebooks available, you may have had a friend visit the area or you can plan your own walk using an OS Map or App. We have also uploaded a number of walks in and around Swaledale to our website.

We love planning our own walks using OS Map as it can be a really rewarding experience! We would also definitely recommend purchasing an OS Map to accompany any guidebooks as people can often get lost using guidebooks alone. Our advice would be to use the guidebook as a reference and use the OS Map to plan.

OS Maps come in different scales; our favourite OS Maps are the OS Explorer 1:25 000 scale as these OS maps show the most detail. We also love the OS App.

The OS App can be downloaded for free. The explorer maps include a mobile download (code), you can add this code to the app and your map will appear in the app for no additional cost. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the app and have access to loads of maps rather than buying the hard copy.

When you have your map and are starting to plan, you need to consider the distance, the elevation, the time you have available and most importantly, the capabilities of your group.

The maps you will need for the Yorkshire Dales are:

• OL30 – Yorkshire Dales Northern & Central Areas – Wensleydale & Swaledale
• OL2 – Yorkshire Dales Southern & Western Areas – Whernside, Ingleborough & Peny-y-ghent
• OL19 – Howgill Fells & Upper Eden Valley

Always carry the correct walking kit

The kit you will need will depend on the distance you plan to cover, the route and the season

If you are just planning a short walk, we would recommend always taking a phone for emergencies. For walks over 30 minutes the general rule is that you should take some water, and be prepared for changeable weather i.e. wear thin layers (so you can layer up or delayer) and always carry waterproof clothing. Not only will waterproof clothing keep you dry, it will also help reduce wind chill if you did encounter a problem.

For longer walks, you will need more water and some food to keep your energy up. We always carry a head torch with us on long walks just in case we were to encounter a problem and were out longer than anticipated and visability became poor.

We generally take the following with us on walks:

Clothing

• Layers – we wear thin layers. By wearing thin layers, you can easily add layers when you are cold, or delayer to cool down. Thin layers are also light weight and take up little space in your rucksack.
• Waterproofs – both jacket and trousers (we always have our jacket in summer we may not take the trousers).
• Down jacket – a down jacket or gilet folds down very small in your rucksack. We tend to wear these in the winter but carry them in the summer as if you stop to rest you may become cold.
• Hat – we always have a bobble hat just in case! Even on a sunny day it can be chilly on the peaks or when you are sitting eating lunch etc.
• Gloves – we always take gloves, we will mostly never use them in summer but if on a high-level walk, it is always worth having them just in case!
• Walking socks – we generally take two – one on our feet and one spare pair in our rucksack in case our feet get wet.
• Walking boots – a decent pair with good ankle support and good grips on the soles.

Equipment

• Printed OS Map of the area
• Mobile phone – for emergencies and the downloaded version of the OS Map (and pictures of course)
• Portable mobile charger
• Compass
• Rucksack for carrying all your kit and refreshments
• Compact folding sit mat – to sit on while having lunch – saves getting a wet bum!

Always tell someone where you are going  

It is really important that you tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back – especially if you are heading somewhere isolated.

If you run into a problem and have no mobile signal, your nominated person can then raise the alarm for help if they cannot contact you directly.