Pen y Ghent - 1 April 2022 first of the month climate walk and Purple Saxifrage

 This was one of our most ambitious climate walks and I am actually writing it up nearly two years later - because Angela just told me it was a favorite walk.  But I have all the pictures from the day, so no problem writing it up:  

We walked up the easy route from Horton, (rather than the shorter and much sharper) route from Dalehead on the Stainforth - Halton Gill Road.)

But this did mean we were able to visit both Hull Pot and Hunt Pot en route.

Setting off - It's 11.28 and I suppose we have been walking about half and hour.

Hull Pot

Keith and Sally pose at one end of Hull Pot, with Pen y Ghent in the background.
Just beyond Keith's left shoulder at the opposite end of the pot hole is the hollow where we shelter from the wind - and bask in the sun ..

Have a coffee and read from Green Christian's April Prayer Guide 2022 and from the Pray and Fast for the Climate Sheet for April 2022

After this we ascended a narrow path which eventually led back to the wide path.. now always upward towards Pen y Ghent. A detour then enabled us to find the Purple Saxifrage

We continue up the path 

Purple Saxifrage has been growing here since the end of the Ice Age. It is an Arctic Alpine plant and must have loved the weather on the day we went.

On a ledge nearby was Green Spleenwort - this is much less common that Maidenhair Spleenwort.

Striking to look at and not uncommon on the limestone high up round here is Rhizocarpon umbilicatum - It has a very thick and bright white thallus and big black apothecia (reproductive bodies)

Distribution Map of Rhizocarpon umbilicatum 2019
from British Lichen Society

What a splendid view we have from this corner of the path. The others are getting cold and have started to descend. (If you blow this picture up (press control +  several times  you might see them or others descending))  But wait -  and just look.

In the pictures after this, the top left of the picture is magnified.

Top right is Ingleborough

(Centre of the picture is Helwith Bridge Moss  (Another of our climate walks) and to the right of it Arcow Quarry

Helwith Bridge Moss (Swarthmoor) bigger - now in the foreground..
Then look over the cloud-shaded hill to the green valley beyond. This is the water divide between the Ribble (flowing left to Settle ) and the Wenning (flowing right to Bentham), fed by streams coming form the rough grassland and moorland (brownish) of the foothill of the Bowland Fells/ Forest of Bowland. We once went on a Climate walk to Rathmell Common. 
The forest bordering the top of his ridge is Gisburn Forest  (Another Climate Walk) . And in the valley beyond that before the last ridge with some trees on a higher part - is Slaidburn and Newton by Bowland.. Another Walk

But look when I blow up another picture taken form that point and crop it and darken it-- 

You can see Wales Beyond. Cymry am Byth! (Wales for Ever)

I have to walk down pretty fast to catch tho others up. 

We make a detour to look at Hunt Pot - equally delightful to the bigger Hunt Pot - perhaps because it is off the beaten track so many people mus miss it.

Coltsfoot growing on a ledge beside the Pothole

Homeward bound.
One of my favourite photos for composition.

Judith, Peter, Keith, Sally, Ken, Angela, Jules, Mike, Stephen - safely down. It is 3.38. 

Do read about more of our Climate Walks here, and maybe join us one day.