Horse Head and Cosh from Halton Gill
The Horse Head Pass links Littondale and Langstrothdale on a route that barely anyone runs, so you get proper Dales solitude on ground that's been used as a working crossing for centuries.
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A 21.9km loop from Halton Gill in Littondale, crossing the Horse Head Pass onto the moorland ridge toward Cosh and back, with 547m of climbing on quiet bridleways between two of the Dales' least-visited valleys.
The Horse Head Pass links Littondale and Langstrothdale on a route that barely anyone runs, so you get proper Dales solitude on ground that's been used as a working crossing for centuries.
The route
From the small hamlet of Halton Gill, deep in Littondale, this route climbs the old bridleway over Horse Head Pass toward Langstrothdale, once used by the priest travelling between Hubberholme and the chapel at Halton Gill. Rather than dropping straight down the other side, the route continues along the moorland ridge that separates Littondale from Langstrothdale and Wharfedale, taking in Cosh before returning by a different line.
Quiet ground
Littondale and the moor above it see a fraction of the visitors that Wharfedale or the Three Peaks attract, and this route makes the most of that. The going is largely bridleway and open moor rather than anything technical, but the sense of being genuinely out on your own is hard to match elsewhere in the Dales at this modest a distance.
The double crossing
Rather than a simple there-and-back over Horse Head Pass, this route makes something closer to a double crossing of the ridge, adding Cosh and extra ground to what would otherwise be a short valley-to-valley link. It's the difference between a quick pass-bagging outing and a proper half-day on the moor, and it means you see the pass from two distinct angles rather than one.
Why it's worth seeking out
Most runners in the Dales gravitate toward the same handful of well-known routes, which makes something like this - genuinely quiet, historically interesting, and still a proper day on the moor - worth the extra effort of getting to Halton Gill in the first place.
Getting it right
The moorland ridge here is broad and can be disorientating in mist despite the modest 547m of climbing - there's little to navigate by beyond the bridleway itself once visibility drops. This is grouse moor, so expect shooting activity and possible diversions between August and December.
The broad moorland ridge between Littondale and Langstrothdale has few landmarks and is easy to misjudge in cloud. This is managed grouse moor, with shooting activity likely between August and December.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Leave No Trace
- Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.
- Please respect the countryside and all its inhabitants.
- Dogs on leads near livestock, and around ground-nesting birds from March to July.
- Gates as you find them — open or closed, leave it that way for the farmer and the next runner.
- Take it all home — wrappers, peel, tissue, the lot. It doesn't count as biodegradable if you can still see it.
- Stick to the path where the ground either side is wet, planted, or nesting habitat.
Common questions
Run by us
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