Eskdale overnight – the morning after

I wrote last week about my overnight wild camp to Eskdale and the wonderful viewpoint of Border End.

Wharfedale overnight

I had an overnight trip to the Yorkshire Dales last week, camping in mid-Wharfedale above Conistone. I’d previously scouted this area and figured it would be a good bet. It’s a beautiful spot with the stone barns so typical of the dales.

Eskdale Overnight

A mountain wild camp made easy. An overnight trip sleeping out on top of Border End in the Lake District with magnificent views of Eskdale, the Scafells and the Duddon Valley but with little in the way of effort – apart from negotiating traffic on the switchbacks of Hardknott pass.

Conistone Circular – monochrome dales

A circular high level route from Conistone in Wharfedale.

Wharfedale

• View the route on plotaroute.com
• 9.5 miles
• 450 metres ascent

A did this walk to find overnight wild camping locations but it turned out to be a superb walk in it’s own right. The views up and down the valley are incredible and at this time of year the wild flowers are at their best in the limestone meadows. Unfortunately my camera decided to pack up as I got to the best of the flowers – c’est la vie.

Although I’m extolling the wild flowers I’ve decided to convert these shots into black and white. When shooting in mid-day mid-summer the light isn’t entirely flattering and the colours, although lovely in real life, don’t add to the drama. Converting to black and white lets me concentrate on the shapes and textures of the landscape.

Wharfedale

This walk follows a fantastic high level balcony that is taken by the Dales Way, with limestone edges for company, with a higher return to the high moorland of Conistone Moor. As you climb the terrain changes and you move through geological layers to a gritstone layer. The gritstone bedrock also changes the vegetation. At the top you can look down over the head of Nidderdale.

The carpets of wild flowers get even better as you get closer to Grassington but this was where my camera stopped working, so no more shots.

I hope to return soon and try overnight wild camping to get sunset and sunrise colours.

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale