2006 Season's Social Event

The 2006 Season's Annual Social Event, held in Settle this year, was thoroughly enjoyed by Paul & Carol (Baggy), Rob & Julie (Canary), Simon & Debbie (Chimes), Clive & Kit (Clive), Del & Mary (Grey Wolf & Red Fox), Stuart & Debbie (Jock), Paul & Polly (Lensman), Nige & Jane (Nigs & MeeMee), Garf & Sue (Precious Metal), Steve & Julie (SteveG) and Stu & Lainey (Stuey).  Those who were unable to make it were sadly missed.

As a way of setting the scene, and giving everyone a chance to experience at first hand the beautiful and spectacular countryside that we were staging the event amidst, most of the attendees took part in the walk to view Gordale Scar and Malham Cove on the Saturday afternoon.  Although a little strenuous, everyone agreed that it had been well worth it for the beautiful and dramatic views.  The Saturday evening's socialising, dinner and various quizzes were thoroughly enjoyed by all, at the very homely and welcoming Golden Lion Hotel.  The hotel did us very proud, with excellent and very efficient service provided in a friendly and warm manner, and with good and generous meals.  The fact that the hotel is also a very popular town pub just added to the atmosphere - especially the presence of the 'only gay in the village' stag-do victim.  The Sunday morning walk on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail proved to be a very enjoyable way of working off the excesses of the previous evening, and was universally commended for it's spectacular and exquisite panoramas and views.

However, the weekend started on Saturday lunch time with most people (and Stuart & Debbie's young Eleanor and their Weimaraner puppy, Paris) meeting up at the hotel for a drink, a snack and plenty of chin-wagging before the departure for the afternoon's walk.

Gordale Scar & Malham Cove Walk

The convoy of cars left the Golden Lion and within half an hour were parking up at the already busy car park in Malham village.  From there, the mile walk along the lanes led us all in good time to the spectacular Gordale Scar, part of the Craven Fault that runs through the area.

From the top of the scar (thought to have originally been a subterranean cavern until the last Ice Age when the roof collapsed) to the floor is 400ft!  Although there is a path up the gorge, it is certainly not easy going, so we retraced our path back to the lane and the few hundred yards towards Malham, until turning off on the path to the Cove.

This part of the walk proved the most strenuous, but was amply rewarded with wonderful views of the area, much of it in good, albeit sporadic sunshine.  A steady climb, over sheep filled fields, brought us on a level with the top of Malham Cove.  The view from the top is both gorgeous and spectacular ... and not one for the faint-hearted, or those with vertigo!  However, one or two did sit on the edge, with their legs dangling over a few hundred feet of sheer cliff.

Across the top of the Cove is the limestone pavement, made up of large blocks of limestone with 2ft deep gaps between, known as grykes.  It's in these grykes that many rare and unusual plants manage to flourish, well protected from the Yorkshire winter weather.  Although they do look man-made, it is in fact the effects of erosion - slightly acidic rain dissolving away the calcium of the limestone, over thousands of years.  Once along the top of the Cove, having stepped carefully along the Pavement, we were then down the hundreds of stone steps cut into the west side and out onto the valley floor.  From here, the majesty of the face of the Cove can be readily enjoyed.

For many, it was a relief to be told that the rest of the walk was downhill, back to the cars in Malham.

The return journey to the hotel took us all across the hills north of Malham, with wonderful views and scenery, until we came down into Settle from the north.

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28/06/2008 23:54