Classic Dales circuit. Hard ascent, but great descent to make up for it.

Start is a field which the farmer allows to be used as a car park (for £1), off a single track road by the River Skirfare (SD970693). However it might not be such a good idea to park, and get stuck, here in winter – you can get away with parking along side the "main" road up Littondale, just across the river. If you're stopping for a drink or two afterwards, you could probably also park at the Tennants Arms in Kilnsey itself (SD974678).

1. Head right onto the road back to Kilnsey, going under the Crag, and turn right by the Tennants Arms pub (SD974678). Follow the tarmac up hill until you come to a fork with a loose surfaced track heading left. Take this and follow until a fork in the bridleway at some gates (SD964670). You want the walled loose surfaced track on the right, not the one actually signed as a bridleway.


2. Mastilles Lane, which you are on, is an ancient drovers road and continues to take you up onto the moor. The ascent is steep and very difficult in places due to the loose surface, so some pushing might be in order. Once up, the lane rolls over the moor and through a number of fords towards Street Gate (SD905656) - great fun! it gets a bit rutted in places from 4x4 use, but seems to be getting better now they're banned. Just to prove how old this route is, there's some remains of a Roman Marching camp along the way.


3. Don't actually go through Street Gate (unless you want an ice cream from the van or something), but turn right and follow the grassy bridleway diagonally back across the field. Through a gate you now have to actually cycle along a stream bed, a bit different and always fun. Leaving the stream, you soon bear right and continue up a tough ascent on a grassy track (SD910664). Bit of a slog this one.


4. Once all the way up though you're rewarded with an amazing descent into Littondale on solid, short-grassed track. A bend to the left puts you on a short stretch of difficult rocky single track (SD926684), before returning to the grass. There's an old lime kiln on your left around here if you're interested. The path then follows a steep sided valley, becoming a farm track into Arncliffe Cote, where you join the road. Turn right then take the next left (SD949704), signed single track road with no passing places, which takes you across the river. (Alternatively, if you parked on the main road, just continue straight on back to the car). Turn right over the bridge and follow the road back to the car park.

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