After leaving Hawes and its satellites of stone built houses it was steady climb up to higher ground, eventually meeting the snow. From then on it was a brisk walk along good trails, an old pack horse route then a Roman Road if I recall correctly. Puddles were frozen over and any mud was hardened by the cold so my boots stayed dry. The cold south easterly wind froze any exposed skin, but with my gloves, buff, woolly hat and jacket hood, I made myself very comfortable. For a long stretch a "U" shaped glacial valley was visible to my right, then after crossing the highest point the distinctive mountain of Pen-y-ghent was visible, snow covering its rocky ridge.
Coming down into the Ribble valley, the multiple arches of the Ribblehead railway viaduct was visible. Other sights included a pothole, where a stream dissappears into a deep hole in the limestone. A caver was lowering youngsters and others down the pothole. One of the men standing by in a blue hard hat offered me a harness to go down, however I had arranged to meet my sister and my brother-in-law.
The meeting was achieved a little later, they waved at me from the top of a hill on the trail. Soon we were descending in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The village no longer has an open cafe it appears, at least not in February, so we drove out to the Ribblehead railway station for a coffee and cake at the Station Inn which had plenty of people in outdoor gear.
Our evening meal was in the Golden Lion pub, its walls lined with football regalia.
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