Walking safely and the Countryside Code

The valley is gentle country, but the moors above it are high, exposed and empty, and the weather changes fast. A little preparation makes the difference.

Before you set off

• Carry a map (OS Explorer OL26 covers the western dale and OL27 the eastern) and know how to use it. Phone signal is patchy in the valley bottom and absent on much of the moor.
• Check the forecast for the moors, not the coast; the tops can be ten degrees colder than Whitby with cloud sitting on them.
• Wear boots with grip. Riverside paths and the trods through the woods are slippery when wet, and the approaches to Mallyan Spout and Falling Foss involve rock.
• Take more water, food and layers than you think you need, and a torch in winter, when it is dark by half past four.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

Rivers

The Esk rises quickly after rain and stepping stones can be under water within hours. Never cross if the water is over the stones or flowing fast, and keep dogs and children out of the river in spate.

Emergencies

Call 999 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue. Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team and Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team cover the moors. Know your location: the OS Locate app or what3words will give you a grid reference.

The Countryside Code

• Keep dogs on a lead near livestock and, from March to July, on the moor, where ground-nesting birds are easily disturbed. Bag and bin dog waste.
• Leave gates as you find them, and use stiles and gates rather than climbing walls.
• Stick to paths through farmland and be considerate of people working in fields.
• Take your litter home, including fruit peel, and never light fires or barbecues on the moor. Heather fires in dry weather can burn for days.
• Park considerately; do not block gates, passing places or the narrow village streets.
• Support the villages by spending in local shops, pubs and cafés.

More at the national park website.