Buckden Pike & Great Whernside from Kettlewell
A direct climb out of the valley earns you a wide plateau with views stretching from the Three Peaks to the North Yorkshire Moors.
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Mostly runnable, with some steep sections you'll likely walk.
A steep climb from the pretty village of Kettlewell to Great Whernside at 704m, with views over Wharfedale and Coverdale from the broad summit.
A direct climb out of the valley earns you a wide plateau with views stretching from the Three Peaks to the North Yorkshire Moors.
The route
Kettlewell is one of the most picturesque villages in the Dales and makes an ideal base. The route climbs steeply east out of the village via Cam Head, gaining the ridge and following it north to the summit cairn at 704m.
The summit
Great Whernside is not to be confused with Whernside near Ribblehead — this is a separate hill entirely, and at 704m it's one of the higher summits in the southern Dales. The summit is a broad, heathery plateau with a trig point and views into Coverdale to the east.
The descent
Return via the ridge south, or vary the descent through the limestone scenery of Providence Pot and Dowbergill Passage (approach to the pothole only — not for entry).
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Pathless heather moorland on the summit plateau. Navigation in cloud requires care. Boggy in wet conditions.
Summits on this route
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
- Most runners complete Buckden Pike & Great Whernside from Kettlewell in 3 hours 35 minutes to 4 hours 50 minutes, depending on pace and conditions.
Run by us· last checked July 2026
Jason Millward has run this route and written it up from the ground. How we check routes
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Runner reports
Nobody's logged a run here yet. If you get out on it, a few lines about how it went helps the next person plan their day.
Routes nearby
Start from a town: Kettlewell 2.1 km · Grassington 9.1 km
VERY HARD
EXPERT
HARD
MODERATERaces on this ground
All Yorkshire Dales races →Races starting within 20 km of the Buckden Pike & Great Whernside from Kettlewell start, nearest first. If you are entered for one, this route is the rehearsal.
19
Jun
2027
provisional
Kettlewell (Skirfare) Trail Races
Hawkswick Cote car park field, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 2 miles away
Out of Hawkswick Cote into upper Wharfedale, with nine hundred metres of climb on the half.
HARD TO VERY HARD
Not open yet
17
Oct
2026
Ultra Tour of the Yorkshire Dales
Devonshire Institute, 48 Main Street, Grassington, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 5 miles away
Grassington to Malham Tarn, Arncliffe and Wharfedale, with route choice between checkpoints.
VERY HARD TO EXPERT
Entries open
1
May
2027
Pennine Barrier Ultra 50
Malham, North Yorkshire · GB Ultras · 7 miles away
Fifty hard Dales miles out of Malham.
EXPERT
Entries open
4
Sept
2027
Malham Trail Races
Malham Show Field, Malham, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 7 miles away
From the Show Field at Malham into limestone country above the cove.
HARD
Entries open