An early start to give us a full day out before the winter sunset meant we were heading east out of the car park at Chop Gate, north of Helmsley just after 9am and heading up Noon hill in the Cleveland hills. From here we could see the whole of the day's circular route stretching around the horizon.
We followed Barker's ridge north across the head of Scugdale and then across the moors and past the old gliding club until we came to the northerly edge of the North York Moors National Park. Despite a biting autumn wind, we had a snack and flask of coffee on top of the escarpment, with the clear weather giving views west towards the Lakes, and North to Middlesborough and Teeside.
I'd never been up here before, and it's surprising how abruptly the moors finishes, and the edge drops back down to the flat plain below. As we headed east along the edge, we were joined by paragliders making use of the updraughts to fly along the ridgeline.
Paragliders at 'Green Bank' with Roseberry topping in the background
We followed the cleveland way East, climbing up past the Wain stones and then down the slippery flagstones to cross the B1257. After a quick lunch in the shelter of a drystone wall to get out of the wind, we left the good views behind and headed into the cloud at round hill, the highest point on the N York Moors at 454m.
Nigel at Round Hill
As we turned south we dropped out of the cloud and the views returned, with the extensive infrastructure for grouse shooting clearly visible with tracks snaking across the moors, and patches of burnt heather and lines of grouse butts. Easy walking on one of these tracks continued, past the 'Badger stones' and then west as we began to race the sunset home.
the 'Wain stones' and Bilsdale
The steep hairpins down to Tripsdale beck and up the other side provided the last climb of the day before a relatively easy, but very muddy descent down through farmland and back to the car, just in time to clean muddy boots in the river as darkness fell. A great walk and for me a good introduction to the N York Moors National Park. Thanks to Nigel for the route suggestion and navigation for the day. Trip length about 7hours, and 15 miles.