Silva Dales Traverse
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Dales Traverse
The Dales Traverse is a 55 km ultra that follows Wainwright’s coast to coast route from Kirkby Stephen to Richmond. The route passes through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, crosses the Nine Standards and weaves through Swaledale into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, finishing below Richmond Castle. The event emphasises an adventurous ethos and a culture of self-sufficiency.
The route is not fully waymarked each year but is usually straightforward to follow as a well established national hiking trail. Organisers provide a waterproof race map at registration, a digital map and a downloadable GPX file. The headline distance is 55 km and the estimated ascent is 1,400 m; both values can vary year to year due to route changes and mapping differences.
Support on course is defined by a series of aid stations with guidance times. Retiring is only possible at aid stations. The Dales Bike Centre aid station offers indoor and outdoor covered space, toilets, hot soup, cakes and drinks, and there is almost always a medic present. A finishers drop bag is transported from start to finish, must be robust and waterproof and may weigh up to 5 kg.
Participants must carry mandatory kit which is checked at registration; a survival bag is required rather than a foil blanket. The event contributes to the UTMB index for 50K ranking and awards ITRA points. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
