Friday 22 Nd June 2018..... a big hike!!

had a lovely self serve breakfast this morning and was on the road by 8.45 am I had a route planned to a hike in Malham about 40 minutes away....

Beautiful countryside around here...

I was parked and on the trail by 9.45am and why don’t you come and join me??

That is where the trail leads and the first stop was this named for our Janet!!!

Good reason to have an RV!!!

The drop pool of Janet's Foss was traditionally used for sheep dipping, an event which took on a carnival air and drew the village inhabitants for the social occasion. Nowadays sheep dipping has been replaced by families, mainly children dipping their feet into the pool on warm summer days. Janet's Foss is a magnet for people all year round because of its easy accessibility from Malham and especially so in summer. The name Janet or sometimes Jennet is thought to be a folk tale reference to a fairy queen held to inhabit a cave at the rear of the waterfall. I guess with so many people about she keeps a close eye out to make sure everyone is safe without revealing her true self.

Then it was up hill to this amazing canyon..

Gordale Scar is at the northern end of Craven Fault, a 22- mile geological fault line which runs from the borders of Cumbria into the Yorkshire Dales. This great limestone gorge is one of the most spectacular sights in the country. It is somewhere around 15-16 million years old.

It was fairly easy to scramble up the side of the falls and I bet in rainy season these falls are spectacular!!

Once on top of the mountain the trail was flat 

with great views..many sheep around.....these are having bad hair days!!!

Another two miles saw me approaching..

Malham Tarn is a glacial lake near the village of Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, England. The lake is one of only eight upland alkaline lakes in Europe. At an altitude of 377 metres (1,237 ft) above sea level it is the highest marl lake in the United Kingdom.[2] Its geology, flora and fauna have led to it being listed under a number of conservation designations. The site is currently owned by the National Trust, who lease part of the site to the Field Studies Council who offer residential and non-residential field courses there. The site was the inspiration for Charles Kingsley's 1863 novel, The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby.

This looked like a good spot for lunch..I took my shirt off and hung it on a tree branch and sat on a log enjoying lunch the view and peace and 🤫 quiet..

Or so I thought!!!!

I turned and saw this beast come down for a drink..he is entitled to right??

But then his brothers and sisters came and before long I was surrounded.

Now a little aside here that my friend Larry will remember and find amusing..

A few years ago I was visiting Gail and Larry in a small pacific beach coast town in Mexico and Larry suggested a hike for me into the jungle and the hills behind the town......he did not come with me and off I went on my own....I had no idea where I was going but I came across a field of cows and I need to get to the other side so I climbed over the fence and started walking to the corner of the field only to turn around and see the cows running after me....I changed direction and so did they..was I a little intimidated YES!!!!!!  Especially when two of them came very close to me stuff running down their noses .....scraping their feet and looking like they waited to run me.....now I was really scared and I ran like crazy and jumped over the fence cutting my arms and legs in the process and the cows right behind me......in all seriousness I thought I was a goner that I was going to die mauled my cows in a field in Mexico.

I made it back to the Casa and told Larry and he was laughing so hard....Larry is from farming stock and he told me that they were not chasing me but just following me and that they would not hurt me.....Larry did not convince me!!!!

Anyway ever since then I have been cautious of cows....

So seeing all these cows come down to the water and surround me and especially the black one you can see here below to the right..

He came very close to me and was scraping his front feet at me and looked very unhappy....I quickly gathered my stuff and scrambled across the path from them....

But my shirt as you can see is drawing some attention...

I did manage to get it back and take off....perhaps these animals know I love hamburgers!!!

Continued around the tarn very lovely..

The path then took me away from the tarn and into the hills and eventually heading for this chimney...would you believe more cows.....I gave them a wide berth but could see why they were giving me the eye....

Young ones!!!

The trail then led into this cove..

Limestone: this is the key to understanding much of what goes on at Malham and the Yorkshire Dales in general. The spectacular landscape created by the presence of limestone is known as KARST. Underground drainage is one of the main features of karst. Due to the chemical properties of limestone (calcium carbonate), rainwater readily dissolves the rock. Sinkholes mark the areas where the surface water disappears underground leaving valleys dry and streamless. As soils do not form easily on soluble limestone, bare rock, scree slopes (see photo above), crags and pavements are typical of such an area.

The views are amazing...

Down the steps and into the valley of the cove...

Malham Cove is a huge curving amphitheatre shaped cliff formation of limestone rock. The vertical face of the cliff is about 260 feet high. The top of the cove is a large area of deeply eroded limestone pavement, of a strange pattern rarely seen in England. The majesty of Malham Cove looks out over the Village of Malham and has been attracting visitors for centuries.

Just wonderful to see.....

I was back at the car seven hours later and this was my reward!!!!

Back at home with a cuppa and then walked down the side of the river into town...

To the fish and chip shop my hostess recommended and had wonderful dinner..

Walked home and straight into the tub for a long soak!!!

Will admit a tad tired so an early night tonight as tomorrow is a totally different day..stay tuned!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!!