Going through Malham and heading over the tops towards Settle, this route is hard work in places but rewarding.

Start point is a free car park in Gargrave (SD932543) – turn right by the Old Swan Inn, if approaching from Skipton, and it’s on the right about 100m down the road.

1. Exit the car park to the right, cross the canal and head straight on onto Mark House Lane. This takes you over to Bell Busk where you cross both the river and the beck by taking the 2nd road on to the right (SD904564). Soon after, there's a bridleway signed right - this is Kirk Syke Lane and takes you to Airton (it can get soggy in places after rain). From Airton it's a bit of a road slog I'm afraid, a left, right, left should get you onto the road to Malham (SD902591). Careful here as it can get quite busy with tourist traffic.


2. Arriving at Malham, turn left as if to the National Park Centre car park (public toilets here btw), but head stright past up the track instead (SD899626). Head right at the fork, left at the next junction and follow the walled track right at the fork, through a field to rejoin the road (SD892636). Great views of the Cove! It can get very cut up by livestock in winter up here, and it might in some cases be an easier, if less interesting, ascent to miss out this bridleway section and carry straight on up the Cove Road.


3. Climb steeply up the road to a gate on the left with a bridleway Settle sign (SD891639) and follow this track up - it alternates between being grassy and roughly surfaced and can be challenging in places. At the top you join the Pennine Bridleway Settle Loop - head straight on (SD874639). Your reward for the tough climb is a great technical descent on a rough, rocky track - very satisfying. Join the tarmaced Stockdale Lane proper and head down to the 'main' road (SD836630).


4. Turning left onto the road takes you past Scaleber Force on your right - this is a pretty cool waterfall that's well worth a look. Shortly, there's a right turn down a track as the road bends left - take this (SD841624). The track gradually becomes more rutted, it seems to get a fair bit of motorbike traffic, and then become a footpath leading to a gate (SD862590). You should push this section really, it's unfortunately the only way to make a loop work. Keep left along the wall through the gate and rejoin a track through another gate. This track takes you through trees to Otterburn, where a left turn then a right once over the bridge (SD883577) will send you back in the direction of Bell Busk. Back on familiar ground, take a left over the beck, fork right and head home on Mark House Lane.

If you fancy a slightly longer ride you can continue on the Cove road above Malham a bit further to get some more views of the area. Turn left through a gate at a cattle grid (there isn't actually a sign) (SD887648) to join a track which takes you to the Pennine Bridleway where heading left (SD880649) will allow you to rejoin the main route.

Any comments or suggestions about this route? Pop em in the forum where I'm sure others will be interested to read them.