| Norber to Smearsett Scar - Sun 17th Feb 2008 | |
| This is a very interesting linear walk of
approximately 9.5 miles starting from Clapham and ending
at Stainforth in the Yorkshire Dales. The walk takes us
first to visit the famous Norber Erratics then up onto
Thwaite Scars before descending into beautiful Crummock
Dale. We then follow the lanes through to the hamlet of
Wharfe where we join the main road and head east for a
very short distance before crossing a stile in the wall
and heading up past Wharfe Wood and on up to Smearsett
Scar, then after a steep descent off its easterly end and
negotiating the wall at the bottom it is an easy walk of
around 2km to Stainforth. After leaving the car park at Clapham we turn right and walk up through the village to the church where we we then pass up through the tunnels under the grounds of Ingleborough Hall to emerge onto Thwaite Lane then after about 1km we arrive at a stile in the wall signposted Norber. |
 |
| A short walk brings us to the base of Norber and the imposing face of Robin Proctor's Scar |  |
| We pass over a stile and head up to Nappa Scars and Norber |  |
| Tree on Nappa Scars | |
| We climb up onto Norber and investigate
the famous Erratics - "Glacially-transported sandstone boulders found near Austwick in North Yorkshire. They were eroded from cliffs 1km away to the north in Crummackdale and were deposited at Norber on Carboniferous limestones when the ice melted about 15000 years ago. Some of the larger erratics have protected the limestone beneath them while the surrounding surface has slowly been dissolved away by acid soil-water. These erratics now rest on upstanding blocks of limestone, known as pedestals, some of which reach 60cm in height" |
 |
 |
|
| We eventually leave the Norber Erratics
and head up onto Thwaite Scars. Here looking north east Penyghent can be seen in the distance. We walk to the northerley end of Thwaite Scars then descend into Crummock Dale |
 |
| The view into Crummock Dale from Thwaite
Scars with Moughton Scars and Penyghent in the
background. The tiny hamlet of Crummock lies amidst the
trees in the valley bottom. We pick up the lane as seen at the bottom of the picture and head south until we pick up another lane leading south east into the hamlet of Wharfe. Joining the mainroad we turn left and head east for about 100m until we come to a stile in the wall where we cross and head south east up past Wharfe Wood and on to Smearsett Scar approximately 2km. |
 |
| The summit of Smearsett Scar 363m After leaving the summit we head south east down to cross the wall as seen below - keeping well clear of the imposing south westerley crags. |
 |
| After rejoining the main path we head
first east to Little Stainforth where we pick up the road
again then cross the narrow bridge over the River Ribble
and on to Stainforth where we had left Gerry's car
earlier that morning. A cracking walk full of variety and interest. |
 |
| Back | Looking back to Smearsett Scar |