Bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300

Straight off bikepacking the spine of England along the Pennine Bridleway, what better way to continue my summer of UK exploration than to jump straight back on the bike & set off bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300?!

In all honesty, I told myself on Sunday evening on the way home from the Pennine Bridleway I would have a chilled out week & weekend to focus on rest & recovery. That went well for all of 2 days, until I checked the weather & saw a forecast perfect for another weekend of bikepacking. I have a number of routes in mind as part of a goal to roam home & explore more of what the UK has to offer this summer – it seemed a shame to pass up another potentially incredible weather weekend.

I’ve become accustomed to planning my life around the weather forecast, as a kayaker its engrained in me. It can be a frustrating way to live with plans constantly chopping & changing, so it comes as no surprise that bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300 was once again a plan hatched at the last minute!

Bikepacking set up – taken on Friday, before the weather arrived.

The Yorkshire Dales is one of the finest locations in the UK to ride gravel bikes. The route is far from smooth gravel, but the dense network of bridleways spanning this remote, limestone rich landscape makes it so ideal for exploring on two wheels. The Yorkshire Dales 300 is a mountain bike route devised by Stuart, based at Riders Cycles Centre in Skipton. The ride is an ITT, which means the route is not signposted & is designed to be ridden individually & self-sufficient. The route takes in all the best bits of the Dales, from Skipton up to Swaledale via Nidderdale, then back via the Cam Road, 3 peaks & Malham – totalling 300km, with just shy of 7’000moa.

Having made my decision on Wednesday to commit to the route, it would be just my luck that the forecast rapidly deteriorated by Friday. But I had committed & at that point I refused to be talked out of it – the last minute decision to pack a tarp, as well as bivvy would prove to be one of my better decisions!

The tarp was a very sensible last minute decision.

I allowed 3 days & 2 nights for bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300 route, setting out of Skipton full of optimism – accompanied by a gentle breeze & clear skies. The ride got off to a fantastic start, with the first 55km taking only a matter of hours. However my progress was limited – I hate stopping when the going is good.

The windy & dreich forecast over in Starbotton was a stark contrast to that by Scar House reservoir – the two are separated by only a single hill. That’s how fickle the UK weather systems can be! I made the frustrating decision to camp where the overnight weather was better, to brave the wind and rain the next day after a decent night’s sleep – if that’s how you describe a bivvy in a field!

I had to break my bikepacking golden rule of never camping before a climb – for the sake of a much less gusty & drier night, it seemed a sensible call.

I like my breakfast served with a side of morning views…

Sure enough, I woke up just metres below a cloud. Had I camped any further or higher, I would’ve been waking up somewhat wetter. I cracked a faint smile at this little win, it meant I could savour my breakfast whilst staying dry & trying to summon some stoke to ride into the miserable & uninviting looking cloud. Once again, a reminder that the simple pleasures of a warm bed, warm meal & dry shelter can make all the difference on a bikepacking trip.

Several hours and head-wind-battling-kilometres later, I was soaked to the bone – but smiling! The route is an absolute peach, by no means flat, but just a joy to ride. I twisted and climbed my way towards Reeth. The section from Askrigg to Fremmington was nothing short of incredible. The cloud had parted & the trail ran so well, this was gravel grinding at its absolute best!

I made it into the Dales Bike centre hungry, with soaking wet feet & shot brake pads – and a huge grin plastered across my muddy face!

Sadly this was the point my legs decided they had had enough. After a some trail maintenance & a food pit stop, my legs simply would not engage again. At about 130km, the climb up onto Fremmington edge was just too much. After the previous weekend on the Pennine Bridleway, coupled with a week of poor recovery & not refuelling correctly, my body felt lethargic & just wasn’t having it at all. No matter how many calories I put into my body, I just couldn’t find that same gusto or strength.

One of many simply awesome & fun bits of trail on the YD300.

I decided to cut out the Gunnerside climb & instead divert straight into Hawes. Even the road section was tough, Buttertubs pass has ramps up to 25% in places. I did not have fun at this point! Perched in Hawes, with an ice-cream to assess my options, I still wanted to sleep out under the stars as the forecast had improved drastically – It was just a case of figuring out how to get my fatigued body to a suitable camp spot. I made the decision to focus on just enjoying the bikepacking adventure instead, opting to divert from the ‘official route’ and take the road towards Horton, from there I knew the route headed up towards Clapham & a bed for the night awaited.

I figured a chilled out evening, decent night’s sleep & time to replenish would leave me feeling somewhat better on the Sunday & allow me to get back on and finish bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300 route. The last day was another stunning route, taking me through Austwick, Stainforth & up onto Malham Moor, before descending Mastilles lane and eventually rolling back into Skipton.

Same weekend, 2 very different bivvy’s – this was very enjoyable after a dreich Friday night!

Bikepacking the Yorkshire Dales 300 was challenging & tougher than I anticipated. I thought I would’ve felt stronger & in better condition. In a weird way, it’s quite refreshing to hit the wall & be beaten, it provides a benchmark & serves as motivation to improve and get stronger.

I put a lot of my ‘failure’ down to last minute-ism & lack of physical preparation. As for the bike, the gravel bike will always be topic for debate, but I think absolutely the right choice – just fit the biggest volume tyres possible! Some sections are technical & chunky, but that’s less than 10%, for the rest of the route a gravel bike is more than capable.

It was a fantastic three-day adventure nonetheless. Three days of bikepacking in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales – days filled by simply riding bikes, followed by nights out under the stars (& rain clouds) always makes a fun adventure!

Onto the next one!