A calm and hazy night. At first light I thought I was in cloud but it was just a thick haze hanging around, it wasn't even the haze you get when it’s warm. So there was no sun to help me on my way as I set off at 7:30am, just a chilly gloom as I headed south along the wall that eventually took me to the main path between Whernside and the road between Kingsdale and Dent.

Green lane and sign post.

Rutted Green Lane.

I turned right and descended to road, turned right for a while then left up the track to the old quarries. The map calls it Green Lane but it calls many such track Green Lane. One thing it isn't; green. After the quarries I wondered what its purpose was. I followed it for several miles of monotonous rocky potholes and rough muddy depressions. It was obviously made when the walls were built but it doesn't seem to serve any purpose. It goes from and to nowhere. On a fine day it must give wonderful views down and across Dentdale but I can't see the track builders of hundreds of years ago doing it just for the pretty views. Eventually I came to the Barbondale Road and as I approached made careful note of the fellside ahead. My day's objective was a camp somewhere on it's summit but I needed water and distant rivulettes high above may be the solution.

I turned right for a while until I reached a high point and small lay bye. A footpath sign pointed into the field above. I followed it for a while through an area called Stone Rigg, until a minor track took a steep line up the fell. I followed this and passed through a gate until the track levelled off. I faint path headed up towards the summit. I followed it past 3 small cairns and on to gentler sloping ground. I was crossing Combe Top and eventually came to the main wall along the watershed. I headed towards Calf Top but turned left along a dilapidated wall above the possible springs I'd seen from a distance. There was a bit of a SW wind so I found a possible pitch behind the shelter of the wall and headed down to collect some water from a small stream.

Hazy Barbondale