The Yorkshire Three Peaks – Visiting Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough, and Whernside in 2023
'The Yorkshire Three Peaks' is the collective name given to 3 hills in the Yorkshire Dales - Pen-y-ghent, Ingleborough, and Whernside. They're probably the best-known hills in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and every year people try to complete the challenge to climb all 3 peaks. We wanted to write an article about the Three Peaks because often you can only read about these hills within the context of the Three Peaks Challenge, but each hill is great in its own right. Let's get into the guide:
What are the Yorkshire 3 peaks?
The Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
What are the Yorkshire 3 peaks?
As we mentioned in our introduction, the Three Peaks consists of three hills and we think that each hill deserves to be spotlighted. Let's look at them individually:
Pen-y-ghent
If you've never climbed a hill in the Yorkshire Dales before and you're looking for a good hill to start with, Pen-y-ghent is a great option. It has quite a gentle incline and the circular route starts and ends in Horton-in-Ribblesdale, (a great little village with some lovely pubs), but still has incredible panoramic views from the top. It's only 694m high so not massive by any means, and the route is around 6 miles long. On the way down you can check out Hunt Pot and Hull pot, surface fissures that are fascinating to look down (but be careful near the edge!).
Ingleborough
As the second-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, Ingleborough is definitely more of a serious hike than Pen-y-ghent. Large parts of the mountain are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, with lots of interesting flora and fauna to be found there. The most popular hiking route starts and ends in Clapham, and takes you past the caves of Ingleborough and several gorges.
Whernside
Whernside is the highest of the 3 peaks, and is a pretty grueling finish for anyone taking on the Three Peak Challenge. The climb is worth it though as the views from the top cannot be matched - on a clear day you can see the Howgills, the Lake District, and Morecambe Bay. If you've got your binoculars with you then you might even be able to see Blackpool Tower in the distance. It's typical to start your climb from Ribbleshead and to end by heading towards Bruntscar. If you could only climb one of the Three Peaks, this is the one we'd recommend!
The Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge
There is plenty of information online about the Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge so we won't go on about it for too long, but it's worth mentioning that there is a good chance you'll meet people tackling this challenge if you decide to climb any of the hills. The challenge itself is simple enough - climb all 3 hills within 12 hours. You can enter an organised event but lots of people choose to do it themselves. The entire distance covered is 24 miles and includes 5200ft of ascent, so it's definitely not easy!
Visiting the Yorkshire Three Peaks (2023)
The main thing to be aware of before visiting the Yorkshire Three Peaks would be the car park information - you'll find car parks near each of the start points so it is fairly straightforward. We'd also of course recommend dressing appropriately and planning for emergencies by bringing supplies. We have had a few sketchy days up the top of Whernside when we've had to wait as long as a few hours for the fog to clear before making our way down.
Which of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks is best?
The best of the three peaks is obviously a matter of opinion, but for us it has to be Pen-y-ghent. It's the easiest but is still a great walk, and still provides you with excellent views across the Ribble valley.
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.