Yorkshire Trod 50k
It strings together several of the Dales' individually famous valleys into a single day, so instead of picking one dale to explore you cross through four or five of them back to back.
Effort: Ultra distance or major ascent
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
E5·T3 — how we grade routesIt strings together several of the Dales' individually famous valleys into a single day, so instead of picking one dale to explore you cross through four or five of them back to back.
A 52.5km self-navigated loop from Grassington through Malham Tarn, Arncliffe, Litton, Buckden and Kettlewell, with 626m of climbing spread across some of the Dales' best-known dales in one continuous circuit.
The route
This traces the 50km route of the Ultra Tour Yorkshire Dales event (formerly run as the Yorkshire Trod), starting and finishing in Grassington. From there it heads out via Threshfield to Weets Top above Malham, along the shore of Malham Tarn, then drops across the moor into Littondale at Arncliffe. The route continues through Litton, Buckden and Starbotton before following the Dales Way back down Wharfedale through Kettlewell to Grassington.
A tour of the dales
What makes this route distinctive is the sheer variety packed into one loop: limestone country around Malham Tarn, the quieter valley of Littondale, and the classic upper Wharfedale villages of Buckden, Starbotton and Kettlewell before the run back to Grassington. Few single routes cross this much genuinely different Dales terrain in one continuous line.
Self-navigation
As run in its event format, this is deliberately unmarked - no waymarking, map and compass or a loaded GPX required throughout. Even running it outside of race conditions, treat it the same way: this crosses open moorland between valleys where the path isn't always obvious, and 626m of climbing spread across 52.5km means fatigue will affect your navigation decisions late in the day.
Why it works as a route
Few single days in the Dales let you experience this much genuine variety - limestone country, a quiet side valley, and the classic upper Wharfedale villages - without doubling back on yourself. That makes it a strong target for anyone building toward their first proper ultra who wants scenery and terrain change to help break up the distance.
Getting it right
Food and water planning matter as much as pacing here - villages along the route offer natural resupply points, but there's nothing guaranteed to be open outside race weekends. Treat the moorland crossing near Malham Tarn and the drop into Arncliffe as the sections needing the most attention, both for navigation and for underfoot conditions after rain.
Moorland crossings between the dales have no waymarking and limited landmarks in poor visibility. The distance and cumulative climbing mean fatigue-related navigation errors become more likely in the later stages.
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
Common questions
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