This continuing series of posts depicts our beautiful world, encouraging viewers to share them and help save our unique home from human carelessness and indifference.
Today’s photo was taken on the route approaching Malham Cove, a massive limestone cliff, shaped like an amphitheatre. This picture shows the beck that once created the cove, now flowing out from the base of the 260-foot-high wall (80 metres). During the melting of the last ice age (starting around 27,000 years ago and ending around 11,300 years ago), water from the massive glaciers covering the rock formed a huge waterfall that eroded the limestone and left behind this cove, now 980 feet wide (300 metres). Subsequently, the once great river was reduced to a stream that slowly dissolved the limestone and eventually escaped under the cliff its predecessor had formed.
At the top of the cliff lies an extensive field of oddly carved rock known as a limestone pavement. It is much cracked and distorted, with deep, narrow channels cut into the surface by centuries of rainfall. A fascinating place to visit, the cliff itself is a real draw for climbers, who ascend the near vertical surface, apparently for fun!
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Stuart Aken 
A springy image.
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That is such a beautiful picture, Stuart. I love how you have captured the light reflecting in the water.
We have lots of rock climbers here and many climbers travel here for it, also. We know of a niche (literally!) business that takes people out to various climbing locations and provides all the gear they might need including camping equipment and guides. This nearby park is apparently a climber’s dream: https://bcparks.ca/skaha-bluffs-park/#park-overview-container
We have gone hiking there but not climbing.
I did some when I was in the military (I vividly remember the first time; I could barely move my arms the next day) and it is definitely tremendous physical exercise, but not something in which I’m interested and certainly not now! Cheers.
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Thank you, Lynette. It was close to sundown, and the sun was shining on the chalk face, reflecting on the water. I’ve only ever climbed rock reluctantly, usually to get to a viewpoint for a photograph. But I know lots of people love the activity for the challenge and the sense of achievement. So your information will be of interest there. I’ll stick to climbing hills, I think. Especially now I’m in my 70s and sometimes stumble over something unseen!
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I enjoyed reading through the link, Stuart. What a beautiful spot.
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It is, Lynette. The Yorkshire Dales is a National Park, and most of it is unspoiled but functioning countryside. There’s a picture from the top of this cliff here on the website – https://stuartaken.net/2021/12/01/pictureoftheday-01-dec-21/
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Thank you very much, Stuart. After a moment, I remembered that picture.
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I’d love to watch those climbers and stick my feet in the cold water on a hot day!
Is that lichen on the rocks or snow?
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The climbers were amazing, Noelle. You wouldn’t get me doing it! And the water is always cold, but not freezing, so refreshing on a summer’s day. Yes, it’s lichen. If it had been snowing we would probably not have been able to get to the site, as when snow falls int this place, it falls heavily.
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