The Stats
Area: North Rigton, south-west of Harrogate
Distance: 6 miles
Time taken: 3 1/2 hours
The Review
We’d had to forgo our annual Boxing Day walk this year due to miserable weather all over Yorkshire over Christmas, but all hopes for jubilant jaunt were not lost. As the full family this time we headed for the hamlet of Stainburn near Harrogate and set our sights on a short round-trip, making the great ascent of Almscliffe Crag on the way.
Enjoying the views at the start of the walk
And, despite the weather throughout the previous days, it was a fine morning, and it remained that way all day. The start of the walk flew by and our progress was only slightly hindered by the occasional patches of wet bog produced by prolonged previous rain. The view however were spectacular and left you wondering why this place wasn’t even an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), let alone inside a National Park.
We soon had the crag right in front of us. From afar it looked like a castle amongst gentler surroundings, but up close it was more of a meagre beast. This truly was a beginner’s mountain although it couldn’t be denied that the views at the top were glorious. It was a great place for scrambling around and finding secret little nooks and crannies, perfectly sheltered from the wind.
Can you spot me hiding amongst the rocks?
After possibly slightly too long atop the crag we descended and found that we weren’t quite as close as we thought we were to the pub. And to add to our increasing anxiety, Dad had lost the photocopied map we had. We’d be having to use the inferior map on Polly’s iPhone to get by.
Navigating treacherous waters near Huby
To our surprise, it all seemed to turn good on reaching the pub. Even though we’d gone the long way due to the absence of a map, we’d arrived in good time, and there was a spare table for us in the pub. Also, the map seemed to give up hiding and revealed itself by popping out of the bottom of Dad’s trousers just before we entered the pub. We breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed a fabulous pub meal, despite the long and tedious wait for puddings.
Countryside that deserves a bit of recognition
Leaving slightly later than ideal, but with full bellies, we headed out across the moors again towards Huby. And only after Dad had caked his backside in mud to mine and Polly’s delight, did we return westwards towards Stainburn.
As with many of the short walks, they are always longer than you expect, meaning that we were ready for the end as the car came into view. And so ended a merry family day out, and one perfectly suited to the occasion. Next walk: tomorrow. Stay tuned!
The Yorkshire Explorer 
Love it! LOL funny – and reflective of what was, indeed, a merry outing. Funniest lines were about the map popping out of my trousers and the “… only after Dad had caked his backside …” bit! I sound like a clown.
Other comments:
– Agree re the AoNB
– Third paragraph the best of the lot.
– Like the “full bellies” line.
Great fun to read, Bertie! Your Dad certainly seems to have been wearing troublesome trousers! I’d blame them for everything in future if I were you! I am pleased you haven’t suffered too much with the awful rainy weather recently. A Happy New Year to you and your family.