Ingleborough is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the highest mountains in the Yorkshire Dales – Pen-y-Ghent and Whernside are the other two. While many people choose to do all three in a 24-mile, single-day challenge, that sounds like a slog to me. I hiked Pen-y-Ghent a few years ago, and am very glad with my decision to do all three summits as separate, individual hikes! The route up Ingleborough from Clapham is excellent – Alfred Wainwright said it was his favorite route, and I can see why. Here’s my guide to hiking Ingleborough from Clapham!

Starting the Hike

The route starts in Clapham. There is a car park run by the national park, or free street parking is available in the village. If you park in the village, please park responsibly and don’t block entrances or park in no-parking zones. There are toilets in the car park. The weather conditions can change quickly on the hike (as I found out myself!), so make sure you’re prepared. As with all hikes in the UK, I recommend a waterproof rain jacket and rain pants, and bringing plenty of layers. It was windy and wet at the top, and after summiting in a t-shirt I put on all my layers and my gloves! You should have sturdy hiking boots (I love my Scarpa Mistral boots), and I absolutely recommend hiking poles – the descent down from the summit was really tough in the wet weather. You’ll need OS Explorer map OL 2: Yorkshire Dales, Southern and Western for this walk. Check out my full outdoor gear guide here!

Clapham to Ingleborough Cave

The route leaves Clapham starting through the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail. There is a fee to access the reserve, it costs £1 for adults and 50p for children (bring cash/coins for the machine). While no one checked my ticket, you should keep it with you throughout the hike. After an initial hill, it’s a relatively flat walk through the woodland to Ingleborough Cave. It took me about half an hour from leaving Clapham to reach Ingleborough Cave.

While I chose to visit Ingleborough Cave at the end of the hike, you can choose to visit at either the beginning or the end. I loved getting to explore the cave – hard hats at the ready! The route in the cave shows lots of interesting stalactites and stalagmites. It’s a bit spooky and some sections have a low ceiling, but it’s a lot of fun. There is an admission cost to visit the cave according to the website, but when I went no one charged me… I’m not complaining!

Gaping Gill and Little Ingleborough

The next section of the hike goes through a ravine at Trow Gill and out into the open. The path is easy to follow, and eventually you can see a short detour to Gaping Gill. This cavern is only accessible twice a year (in May and in August) with the Bradford and Craven Pothole Clubs. Read all about my experience going down Gaping Gill here! It’s actually connected to Ingleborough Cave, and part of a 17km system of caves! It took me about half an hour to get to Gaping Gill (approximately 1 hour from leaving Clapham, without stopping to visit Ingleborough Cave).

From here, it’s a steep climb up to the summit of Little Ingleborough. As I hiked up, I ascended into the mist and lost my views for a long time until I was descending down the main summit of Ingleborough!

Summiting Ingleborough

It’s not a long walk from Little Ingleborough to the summit of Ingleborough. But it can be a bit disorienting in bad weather – I had no visibility whatsoever when I reached the summit plateau and got turned around a few times. Finally, I made it to the summit trig point: 723 meters high! There is also a shelter here, perfect for hunkering down with your lunch. As always, we do it for the views! I made it to the summit exactly 2 hours after leaving Clapham.

Descending Down and Back to Clapham

The circular loop down from Ingleborough follows the Yorkshire Three Peaks path for only a very short time, before the descent down along the Dales High Way. The steps going down from Ingleborough were wet and slippery due to the cloud and mist when I was there, so take care. This is one section that hiking poles will really make a difference! But once I was back down below the cloud level, I could see some of those perfect views over the Yorkshire Dales.

As I hiked back towards Clapham, I loved seeing the scenic limestone pavement. It will always remind me of Malham Cove! Eventually there is a crossroads – I arrived here about 1 hour and 20 minutes after leaving the Ingleborough summit. I took the Pennine Bridleway back to Clapham, and passed a few people who were making their way towards Pen-y-Ghent in the distance. The views from this part of the walk were incredible. This section was very quiet, I only saw a handful of other people before I got back to Trow Gill and Ingleborough Cave! It took me about 1 hour from leaving the path junction to get to the cave.

I visited Ingleborough Cave on the way back, and spent half an hour exploring there. Then I took Long Lane back to Clapham. I didn’t see anyone else on this stretch, so it’s a great option if you’re wanting some peace and quiet (or to bypass the charge to enter the Ingleborough Estate). It took just over half an hour to get back to Clapham, so about the same as the woodland trail.

Altogether, this route was 11.7 miles (according to my Strava), and it took me 5.5 hours to complete – including the 30 minutes I spent at Ingleborough Cave.

Planning Your Trip

There are a number of accommodation options around Clapham, including in Settle. I camped at the Dalesbridge Campsite, which was very convenient. Keep in mind it is located right off the A65 road, so you will have some traffic noise. They have camping pods and a 4- or 6-bed cabin available too, as well as a bar on site that does wood-fired pizza. For hostels, the most convenient option would probably be the YHA Ingleton. You can search for hostels here, and for hotels and B&Bs here. Don’t forget to check Airbnb too!

Booking.com

It is easiest to start the route in Clapham if you have your own car. The 580/581/582 bus stops in Clapham and runs between Lancaster and Skipton, which both have train stations. If you’re visiting the area, the train line between Settle and Carlisle stops at Ribblehead station, right by the viaduct. So you could potentially do a different route up Ingleborough from there, but I recommend going from Clapham! I always book my train tickets in advance on Trainline. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

I loved the hike from Clapham up to Ingleborough. It was a unique walk in that there was so much variety in the landscape (when I could see it ha!), and in the walk itself, that I was entertained the whole time. From Ingleborough Cave and Gaping Gill to the limestone pavement on the way back to Clapham, the scenery is diverse. If you’re planning a hike up Ingleborough, I can’t recommend the route up Clapham enough. I hope this guide helps if you’re planning to tackle Ingleborough via Clapham!

Have you hiked Ingleborough or any of the Yorkshire Three Peaks?

You might also like my posts:

The BEST Places to Visit in the Yorkshire Dales

How to Visit Gaping Gill Cave in the Yorkshire Dales

Whernside: The Highest Peak in Yorkshire

Exploring the Yorkshire Dales: Hiking Pen-y-Ghent

The Prettiest Villages to See in Swaledale

A Quick Guide to Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales

The Ultimate Yorkshire Guide: 88 Incredible Places to Visit in Yorkshire

All of my Yorkshire posts!

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