Sharp Haw from Skipton

The route

Starting and finishing in Skipton, this loop heads out into the Craven countryside towards Sharp Haw, a small but distinctly shaped hill on the southern fringe of the Yorkshire Dales. At 13.9km with 323m of ascent, the climbing comes in one concentrated effort rather than being spread evenly across the route, and Sharp Haw's steep sides mean the last stretch to the summit is noticeably harder than anything that comes before it.

The summit

Sharp Haw tops out at 357m, a height that undersells how prominent the hill looks from the surrounding farmland - its steep, conical shape stands out on the skyline long before you reach the base of the climb. The trig point at the top gives a clear view back over Skipton and out across Craven, and on a good day you can pick out the southern Dales hills beyond. The paths here are well established, so navigation stays straightforward even when the cloud is down, though the final pull to the summit is steep enough to feel in your legs.

Getting there

Skipton is the obvious base for this one - the town has a railway station served by regular bus routes (12, 13, 72, 75 and 280 among others), plenty of parking, and a full range of cafes and pubs for before or after. The Saturday-only DalesBus 59 also runs through, useful if you're combining this with other routes in the area.

Why it works

This route works as a reliable midweek loop when you want a proper hill without a long drive to reach it - Skipton's transport links mean you can run it without a car, and the concentrated climb at Sharp Haw gives you something to push against rather than a flat slog. It's also a good introduction to the southern Dales for runners based in Skipton who haven't ventured much beyond the canal.