Horse Head and Cosh from Halton Gill

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 270m 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.