black mass - spring ‘25

When is it?

Friday 25th - Sunday 27th April 2025. Arrival time is anytime after 12 noon.

Where is it?

Dalesbridge Campsite (https://www.dalesbridge.co.uk/)

We’re going to be staying in the Yorkshire Dales near the village of Austwick, on the A65 between Clapham and Settle.

You’ll need to book your own accommodation so the sooner you do it the less likely places will be booked up.

If you’re going to stay at the Dalesbridge campsite please state that you’re with the Black Crag group at the time of booking. That way we can all be together on the site.

What is it?

The plan is to meet on the Friday afternoon where we can just hang out at the campsite’s bar and enjoy their wood-fired pizzas (you’ll need to pre-order those before arriving)

On the Saturday let’s go for a short stroll to the summit of Ingleborough! The route is roughly 13 miles straight from the campsite and takes in Ingleborough Cave, Gaping Gill, the summit of Ingleborough as well as several pubs. We’ll finish in Austwick for a pint. It’ll be a long day but we’ll have plenty of daylight and we can take our time and find somewhere nice along the way to have some scranage!  

If the weather is really bad then we can do a shortened version of the walk, perhaps just to Gaping Gill.

Saturday night we can either go to the pub in Austwick or stay on-site again for dinner and then leave Sunday morning (10:30 am checkout at the campsite).

Who's it for?

This will be a fairly challenging walk over some tough terrain so a decent amount of fitness and experience walking is advised. That said, we’re not going hell for leather and want to enjoy the scenery so it’ll just be a fairly long bimble.

The group will inevitably split up as there’s normally a varying level of experience etc. So for that reason a couple of experienced volunteers who know the area well would be appreciated. Let me know if you can help and stay with the quicker group.

But remember: this is your choice. I’m not forcing you to do it. I’m heading out for a walk and you’re more than welcome to join me with the understanding that you’re responsible for your own well-being. If you don’t think you’re up to it, don’t do the walk - there are some nice walks around Clapham and a good pub. I have no insurance for hosting an event for a group of people so on that basis we're just meeting up as friends and going for a walk and a few drinks 😁

What do I need?

• Waterproofs – It's Yorkshire, you'll need full waterproofs (jacket and pants)

• Thermal clothing - Lightweight down jacket + fleece + hat and gloves

• Good footwear - Comfortable walking shoes or boots

• Food and drink – We'll find a nice place for a picnic

• Money for food & drink in the pubs

• Camera equipment and a means of keeping it all dry should the day take a soggy turn

If it rains then we’ll still push ahead. However if we're hit with storm conditions and there are travel problems then we might need to reschedule it to a different weekend. Keep an eye on Patreon for any announcements nearer the time.

I'm very excited about this one and looking forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as some new faces!

Thanks very much,

Glenn