Today was earmarked for buying a tree and other assorted Christmassy stuff. But the weather was so good that, inspired by Debra's photos of snow in the Dales and with a thaw forecast for tomorrow, we bought the tree, dumped it in the hallway, and headed off to Wharfedale.
It was -5C when we left the car, and sheet ice on the paths made getting out of Kettlewell quite 'interesting', but when we got high enough for the sun to reach us it was very pleasant. When we got a bit higher and the wind reached us, it was rat
her less so! We went up Great Whernside, then north to the road (closed due to snow), and on to Buckden Pike.
The snow on this section was deep (knee deep in places) which made for slow going. And under the snow the bogs weren't frozen, as I discovered when one of them filled my boot.
On Buckden Pike the clouds closed in and it snowed for an hour or so as we descended to Buckden, then followed the Dales Way back to Kettlewell in the gathering darkness, arriving just in time to avoid the need for torches.
An excellent day, but I'd forgotten how hard it is walking in powder snow!
Lots more photos here
Route map here