The Dales…from above

June 3, 2013

A blog by Gail, YDMT Community Worker

“Working out and about with groups on our People and the DALES project gives me plenty of opportunities to explore parts of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. Getting up hill and down dale is both a privilege and part of the everyday.

After a number of years of the weather getting the better of me I finally got the chance to view this fabulous part of the world from a new view point, up in the air from a hot air balloon. Taking off from just outside the National Park at Burton-in-Lonsdale, we rose gently brushing the tops of trees, as the people, river and buildings below us shrank into miniature. The sensation of drifting noiselessly through the air was just incredible.

Thanks to some unseasonal sunshine we enjoyed stunning views of all three of Yorkshire’s Peaks in one go, a first for me, a glimpse of the arches of Ribblehead viaduct in the distance, views across to Morecambe Bay and the distant hills of the Lake District.

Seeing Ingleborough from a range of perspectives over the course of the hour long flight was just incredible, although our pilot was a little nervous about being drawn up and over it, it’s a steep descent on the other side!

Ingleborough from up high

As YDMTs home village of Clapham grew closer we came to rest with a rather hefty bump in a field near Newby! Thanking the farmer with a customary glass of champagne as the sun sank below the horizon. Perfect end to an amazing experience and a view of the Dales I’ll never forget.”