Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales 100k
This is the full southern Dales in one enormous self-navigated loop: Malham Tarn, the summit of Buckden Pike, Trollers Gill, Simon's Seat and a string of the prettiest villages in the country.
Effort: Ultra distance and major ascent
Underfoot: Technical, navigation required
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A 97.9km self-navigated ultra from Grassington touring the southern Dales, taking in Malham Tarn, Littondale, Buckden Pike, Simon's Seat and Barden Moor. A huge day linking the best of Wharfedale and Malhamdale.
This is the full southern Dales in one enormous self-navigated loop: Malham Tarn, the summit of Buckden Pike, Trollers Gill, Simon's Seat and a string of the prettiest villages in the country.
The route
This is a 97.9km ultra, the route of the Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales, looping out from Grassington through the southern Dales and back. From Threshfield the line climbs to Weets Top above Malham and the shore of Malham Tarn, crosses the moor to Arncliffe in Littondale, then heads up Wharfedale through Litton, Buckden, Starbotton and Kettlewell, taking in the summit of Buckden Pike at 702m. The return sweeps through Burnsall, Trollers Gill, Simon's Seat and Barden Moor to Cracoe before dropping back to Grassington. It is a genuine tour, stringing together the finest ground in the region.
The high points
The route is a greatest-hits of the southern Dales: Malham Tarn, one of the highest lakes in England; the hidden gorge of Trollers Gill; the gritstone tors of Simon's Seat above Wharfedale; and the airy summit of Buckden Pike. Between the high ground lie the classic villages of the dale, strung along the Wharfe like beads. It covers limestone, gritstone and open moor, valley and summit, in one continuous line, which is exactly the point of it.
Why it works
This is a route for experienced ultra runners and no one else. It is self-navigated with no waymarking, so map reading, hill experience and full kit are essential, alongside the fitness for nearly 100km and a big total climb. The ground ranges from runnable trail to boggy moor and steep, sustained hill climbs, and the weather on the tops can be severe. Grassington is the hub, with everything you need. Complete it and you will have run the finest single loop the southern Dales can offer.
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Make your route print →A self-navigated 100k with no waymarking over exposed high fells, so expert navigation, full kit and fuelling are essential. Boggy moor, steep climbs and severe summit weather, with long gaps between escape points. Grouse shooting affects the moors from August to December.
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.
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Common questions
- Most runners complete Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales 100k in 12 hours 45 minutes to 17 hours 15 minutes, depending on pace and conditions.
Run by us
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: Grassington 0.4 km · Kettlewell 7.8 km · Skipton 12.5 km
MODERATE
MODERATE
VERY HARD
MODERATE
HARDRaces on this ground
All Yorkshire Dales races →Races starting within 20 km of the Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales 100k start, nearest first. If you are entered for one, this route is the rehearsal.
17
Apr
2027
Burnsall Trail Races
Riverside car park field, Burnsall, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 3 miles away
Riverside paths and stone tracks out of Burnsall, on the Dales Way.
MODERATE TO HARD
Entries open
19
Jun
2027
provisional
Kettlewell (Skirfare) Trail Races
Hawkswick Cote car park field, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire · Due North Events · 4 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
1
May
2027
Pennine Barrier Ultra 50
Malham, North Yorkshire · GB Ultras · 6 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
15
May
2027
Glorious Gargrave
Gargrave, North Yorkshire · It's Grim Up North Running · 8 miles away
A flat out-and-back on the Leeds & Liverpool towpath at Gargrave on the edge of the Dales, 5k to marathon, six and a half hours. A tougher towpath than most, they say.
Entries open
£18–£43
6
Feb
2027
Skipton Sweetie Skedaddle
Craven Leisure Centre, Gargrave Road, Skipton · It's Grim Up North Running · 8 miles away
The Leeds & Liverpool towpath out of Skipton, flat and fast, 10k to ultra with a six-and-a-half-hour cut-off and sweets, chocolate and cake at the finish. Road shoes suggested.
Entries open
£29–£43