Yorkshire Three Peaks Walk Guidelines
Contents
1. The Yorkshire Dales National Park - A Special Place 2. Who is this guide for? 3. Why are we providing all this guidance? 4. About the Yorkshire Three Peaks 5. Research 6. Planning 7. On the day 8. After the event 9. Further contacts
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1. The Yorkshire Dales National Park - A Special Place
The Yorkshire Dales National Park contains some of the most beautiful, spectacular and dramatic landscapes in England. It contains fantastic opportunities for recreation, and millions of visitors enjoy its special qualities every year.
The peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside – known collectively as the Yorkshire Three Peaks - are its best known hills. Every year thousands of people come to reach the top of at least one, or to conquer all three in one go.
An organised Yorkshire Three Peaks walk can provide many rich experiences for the people taking part, as well as making positive contributions to the economy of the area.
The area is a really popular location for fundraising and challenge events. The number of organised walks puts pressure on the area, often resulting in negative impacts on residents, rescue services, the environment, local amenities and other users.
To help minimise potential problems, and ensure that everyone gets maximum benefit and enjoyment, organised walks need to be well planned and managed. Such planning is vital to ensure the protection of the natural and cultural environment and to prevent conflict with the interests of farmers, local communities and other people enjoying the National Park.
By using these simple guidelines you can help play your part in keeping the Yorkshire Three Peaks special.
2. Who is this guide for?
This guidance is for groups who are considering organising a Yorkshire Three Peaks walk. It aims to ‘point you in the right direction’ about what you need to organise and consider; so as to ensure your walk is responsible and sustainable.
Events may vary in size so some of the advice in this guide will be relevant to your group, whilst others won’t. If you are thinking of organising a large scale event, or an event elsewhere in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, further guidance can be found on our website at http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/living-and-working/other-services/large-scale-events
3. Why are we providing all this guidance?
The role of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) is to promote good practice. We try to ensure that events are organised in a way that has minimal impact on the National Park and provides benefits for the local community.
We do not decide if walks can or cannot go ahead. Neither is it our role to help you organise your walk for you – we do not advise on risk assessments or to do your planning for you.
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4. About the Yorkshire Three Peaks
With fantastic scenery and amazing walking opportunities, the Three Peaks area has long been a popular destination for walkers.
The Peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough are not only great walks in their own rights, but are often walked as a circular route taking in all three mountains in one day – the Yorkshire Three Peaks walk. The route is a really popular destination for fundraising and challenge events
The route is 24 miles in length, and involves 5000 ft (1600 Metres) of vertical ascent.
There are lots of different ways to organise your Yorkshire Three Peaks walk. The experienced group can just get out there with a map and compass, the less experienced can take part in an organised event or hire a company to run their event.
Do I need ‘permission’ to walk the Three Peaks? The Three Peaks walk is on public rights of way and open access land, so can be accessed and walked by anyone whenever they wish.
While you don’t need permission to walk – you do need permission if you require additional facilities like check points, parking areas and portable toilets.
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5. Research
Before you get in to the detail of planning your walk there are a few things you need to think about as part of your initial planning:
The timing of your walk The number of people in your group The start location for your walk
Choosing a date? Sensible timing of your walk can go a long way to removing potential issues, and so it’s worth taking care to get this right:
Avoid busy periods such as bank holidays, and remember that weekends, particularly Saturdays, will be the busiest time on the Yorkshire Three Peaks.
Check for clashes with other events - particularly if your group size is over 100 people. Refer to the Yorkshire Three Peaks Events Calendar on the YDNPA website, but be aware that there is no guarantee that this will be comprehensive as notification is not compulsory.
Consider undertaking the walkover a couple of days – you’ll get more time to get to know the area and enjoy the stunning landscape of the Yorkshire Dales.
How many people? The number of people in your group has an impact on the communities and environment of the Three Peaks. Although it is difficult to turn people away, it is important that your walk is not too large for the environment of the National Park, and the local community to cope with:
Don’t organise events with excessive numbers The bigger the group, the earlier you need to start planning, as the group numbers will lead to greater potential impact
Where to start your walk? The main consideration for where to start your walk will be the availability of sufficient parking and toilets for the size of your group.
The most common start for a Three Peaks walk is Horton-in-Ribblesdale, as this is the biggest village on the route. The walk can however be started at any point along the route, and where you start will mostly depend on how you are getting here or where you are staying.
Large groups need to make specific arrangements for parking and toilets before they arrive.
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6. Planning
Once you’ve committed to your Three Peaks walk there are lots of things you need to think about:
Travelling, eating, drinking & staying Staying safe Respecting the environment Local residents What to bring Inspiring your group
Travelling, eating, drinking & staying
Getting here How people travel to the Three Peaks is likely to be one of the biggest impacts that your walk has. Large numbers of cars cause congestion, noise and disruption to local communities trying to get on with their normal day-to-day activities. We appreciate that getting people out of their cars is difficult, but urge you to think about sustainable transport options:
The famous Settle-Carlisle Railway runs through the area and is a great way to travel. Stations at Settle, Horton-in Ribblesdale and Ribblehead provide great access to the area. Encourage car sharing or consider arranging transport for your group.
Parking here If you do have to bring your car remember parking in the area is limited. Think about your options in advance:
There is a public car park at Horton in Ribblesdale, owned and managed by the YDNPA. Charges apply – see website for details – and all money collected goes towards helping us look after this special place. On Saturdays throughout the spring and summer this car park fills up very quickly. There is no coach parking. Private parking is available in Horton at The Golden Lion, Holme Farm campsite and ?? field. Limited roadside parking is available Ribblehead. Please park in the lay-bys and do not stray on to the surrounding common which is part of a scheduled ancient monument. Organisers of large scale events should arrange sufficient car parking for the number of participants before the event.
Above all please park considerately. Vehicles should not be parked in passing places, clearways, roadside verges, or obstructing private roads, tracks, gateways or pavements.
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Staying here The Three Peaks can be challenging, so it can be a good idea to book local accommodation for before and after your walk – it’s also a good way to support the local economy.
The area has a huge number of places to stay, either near the route or in one of the outlying settlements. There are plenty of different types of accommodation to suit all budgets, but weekends during spring and summer can book up well in advance so make your plans early.
Our Yorkshire Three Peaks App has details lots of local accommodation options. You could also try: www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/visit-the-dales/wheretostay www.yorkshire.com/accommodation/listings
Most of the land in the National park is under private ownership, so please note that wild camping is trespassing unless you have the permission of the landowner.
Eating and drinking here There’s lots of excellent cafes, pubs and shops in the Three Peaks area – but don’t expect to find a Tesco at the top of Pen-y-Ghent:
Make sure you stock up on food and drink before you set off on your walk. Buy local – it’s a great way to support the local economy and communities. Think about spending your money in local shops, cafes and pubs.
Our Yorkshire Three Peaks App has details lots of local places to eat and drink or try:
Staying Safe
Keeping yourself and your group safe is paramount.
Be prepared! Make sure everyone is well prepared in terms of kit and has a good level of fitness. Undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for the particular circumstances of your group and use it to plan a safe event. Put in place appropriate safety, first aid and public liability insurance cover.
Know where you are going! A description and map of the Three Peaks route, as well as others, can be found on our Three Peaks App.
You will need sufficient competent people to lead your group on mountain terrain. If you don’t have enough people with these skills find someone who does – there are lots of qualified Mountain Leaders who can help you organise your walk.
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Do not rely on mobile phones to guide you - signals fail and batteries die. There’s no substitute for being able to use a map and compass to navigate in the hills, where sunshine can turn to fog in the blink of an eye. The Three Peaks route is well signposted and there is no need to put out additional waymarkers.
Check the weather! Weather conditions in an upland area such as the Yorkshire Dales can change rapidly - turning a great experience into a very bad one. You need to be prepared for this:
Check the Met Office and MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service) forecasts before you set out. Have a contingency and/or cancellation plan.
In case of emergency Mountain Rescue teams are all volunteers and should only be called in an emergency.
Know how to call for help - call 999 and ask for the Police. The Cave Rescue Organisation covers the Three Peaks area
You can also head over to www.mountainsafety.co.uk for some excellent guidance on being prepared for the mountains
Respecting the environment
Leave no trace Litter places a burden on our small, rural communities and is a blight on the landscape. You can help by:
Having a rubbish and recycling plan for your group Making sure you pick up all your litter – maybe even pick some up along the way! Taking your litter home with you – so come prepared with bin liners. Remembering food waste is litter too – banana skins and orange peel are unsightly and take two years to decompose. Encouraging the use of reusable bottles with drinking water made available where needed. Single used water bottles are a big polluter of the Three Peaks route.
Don’t get caught short! Toilet facilities on the Three Peaks route are limited, on crowded paths sanitation can become a real problem. It has a significant impact on local water supplies and ecology, and is unpleasant for other visitors:
Encourage your group to use proper toilets wherever available. The only public toilets are at Horton-in-Ribblesdale.
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If members of your group do need to go away from civilisation, ensure they are considerate of others. If you do need to urinate, do so at least 30m from streams and watercourses. If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, streams and farm animals. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf. Carry out used toilet paper in a zip lock bag instead of leaving them to blow around in the wind Large scale event organisers should provide sufficient temporary toilets (along with car parking), and where possible make additional arrangements at suitable locations on the route.
Help prevent erosion The Yorkshire Three Peaks are very fragile environments. The paths on the Three Peaks route are maintained and improved so they are able to stand up to the pressure from the thousands of visitors that come to enjoy them each year.
Ensure your group stays on the path rather than spreading out onto the verges and causing erosion. Avoid shortcuts.
Local community
People living in the area have to live alongside lots of organised Three Peaks walks - many of whom see no direct benefit from the events.
Support the local economy Try to make sure your event has a positive impact on the local area by:
Encourage your group to stay locally and eating locally - rather than simply travelling to the venue on the day. Paying to use local facilities and services. Large events organisers can maximise the benefits to the local economy through the use of local suppliers. For example, source food and drink from local sources, and local companies for marquees, portaloos etc.
Noise Large numbers of people walking the Three Peaks can have a significant impact on our small rural communities. Without considerate behaviour, they experience noise and disturbance every weekend:
Make your walk a quiet one that respects residents. Advise the members of your group to keep early morning noise (from both people and vehicles) to an absolute minimum, and for them to maintain it until they are away from residential areas. Don’t use bells or claxons to ‘ring home’ your friends, colleagues or team members at the end of your walk.
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What to bring
Walking in the Three Peaks area can be exhilarating, but also challenging. Even on a warm summers day there can be a huge temperature drop by the time you reach one of the summits of the Three Peaks so you need to come prepared.
The kit that you take will depend on the size and experience of your group as well as the prevailing weather. Personal kit should include
A comfortable rucksack (with dry bags to keep kit dry) Walking boots (make sure you’ve worn them in) Suitable walking clothes (hiking trousers, thick walking socks, thermal layers) Waterproof trousers & jacket Hat & gloves Spare warm clothes Food and drink Water container (and flask, maybe) Map and Compass. Whistle First aid kit (inc blister plasters)/ any personal medication Sunscreen/ sunhat Torch and spare batteries (essential). Fully charged mobile phone Emergency shelter / bivi bag Walking poles (if you use them)
Communication and inspiration Letting the people in your group know about how they can help keep the Yorkshire Three Peaks special is probably the most important thing you can do to make your walk a responsible one.
Initial information about safety issues, equipment & details about how to get here are obviously important – but inspiring and educating your group about the area they are visiting and how they can have a positive impact through their actions is HUGELY important.
It’s about more than picking up litter - though that’s important too! Everything from information about public transport; to a bit of information about the National Park (local wildlife and landscape); to putting something back into the local area (food & accommodation); and to respecting those who live here will go a long way to making your event one to be proud of.
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7. On the Day
Before starting out, make sure your group understand how they can help keep the Yorkshire Three Peaks special, reinforcing key messages about litter, sanitation and group noise. Make sure they know what will happen during the day, and what they should do in case of emergency.
Respect, Protect & Enjoy The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a working landscape – remember the actions of people in your group can affect people’s livelihoods. Help those who manage the land by following the Countryside Code – it provides good common sense guidance for how people can respect, protect and enjoy the countryside. In particular:
Leave gates and property as you find them Leave wildlife and livestock alone Use gates and stiles to cross field boundaries. Keep dogs under control at all times; don’t let your dog chase sheep or disturb wildlife
Yorkshire Three Peaks Code of Conduct
Our Yorkshire Three Peaks Code of Conduct provides a simple summary of these guidelines – showing how every individual can make a difference
Include it with the information you send to your group and at your briefing.
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8. After the Event
You can help make your walk a sustainable one by:
Give something back Coming back
Give something back
The Yorkshire Three Peaks are very fragile environments. In 1987, a report by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology claimed that the path network in the Three Peaks area was the most severely eroded in the UK. Some paths across the more fragile parts of the route had grown to 50m wide in places.
The public rights of way network is still under pressure from the thousands of visitors that come to enjoy it each year. It takes a great deal of time and money to maintain the paths in the Three Peaks area - on average £28 per metre
We rely on donations to make sure this vital work can continue.
Help us look after this special place by donating a minimum of £1 per event participant. For details, see www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/threepeaks/donate
All donations go directly to looking after the path network in the Three Peaks area
Come back and enjoy the Yorkshire Dales National Park another time
The Yorkshire Dales National Park has lots of amazing places to enjoy and experience.
Encourage your participants to come back and stay, linger, explore, and enjoy the local hospitality, and get to know the place and the people. www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
W YOUR EVENT
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9. Further Guidance
There’s lots of information out there to help you plan your event. Here are a few ideas:
The Institute of Fundraising publish good guidance for organisers of outdoors fundraising events, much of which is applicable to any type of large-scale recreational event.
The District and County Councils provide useful advice and guidance: Safety advisory group
BMC – Green Guide to Challenge Events
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