Skipton 6 Peaks

The route

This 42km loop is a true challenge run, a tour of the six hills that look down on Skipton. Heading out from the town up Shortbank Road the first summit to tackle is Skipton Moor. Amazing views towards the Yorkshire Dales to the North is a fine reward for this first climb. A fast descent down to the village of Bradley is next followed by some fast canal miles before the real test begins.

Sharp and Rough Haw are the next climbs in the route and whilst not particularly high Sharphaw steepens towards the end giving a nice sting in the tail. A quick down and up to Rough Haw sends you on your way towards Rylstone and some more easy miles before the biggest climb on the route.

The climb up to Rylstone cross can be boggy in wet weather especially the first section but the reward once you reach the war memorial more than makes up for the testing climb. It always reminds me of a smaller version of the start of leg 2 of the Bob Graham round and the climb up Clough Head.

What follows next is 6 miles of what I consider to be some of the best trail anywhere in the country. Fast and flowing with multiple line choices but with enough rocks and drops to keep you on your toes the section past Rylstone Cross is an absolute joy.

A steep drop to cross a stream and an equally short and sharp climb leads you to the penultimate top of Cookrise Crag.

The fun continues with a nicely technical drop to Embsay reservoir followed by the last climb of the route up to Embsay Crag.

The reward for summiting Embsay Crag is views out towards Skipton and Pendle Hill in one direction and Simons Seat in the other.

Enjoy the last descent of the day off the Crag which is fast and easy before some mostly downhill road miles back into Skipton.

If you run the route don't forget to leave a review and add some photos.

The summits

The high ground carries you over Crookrise Crag Top and Embsay Crag, both fine gritstone edges with steep drops and far views, before the moorland crossing to Rylstone Cross and on to Cracoe Fell. The Cracoe war memorial, a gritstone obelisk raised in 1922, marks the highest point of the round at around 500m. Each top has its own feel, from the sharp little summits of Flasby Fell to the brooding expanse of Barden Moor, and linking all six makes for a long, satisfying day with roughly 1,251m of total climbing.

Why it works

This is the ideal big local objective, demanding endurance and steady navigation rather than mountain skills, yet never far from a road or the town. The Barden Moor sections are open access land that can be impacted on shoot days and where dogs are restricted, so check before you go. With Skipton's parking, station and cafes at the start, the logistics are simple, leaving you to focus on ticking off all six tops.

Getting there

Skipton, the self-styled gateway to the Dales, has frequent trains on the Airedale line and plenty of parking, so the start is straightforward. The route climbs gently at first over Skipton Moor before heading over Flasby Fell and on to the bigger moorland crossing, so pace the early tops and save something for Cracoe Fell late in the day. On a clear round the views stretch from Pendle Hill in the south to the high Three Peaks in the north.