Adventures of Phil's Stag Weekend - Part One

Nigel shares his adventure of his youngest son's celebration, Phil, is getting married in August, and rather than get involved in his stag 'do' with his mates I decided to let them have that without me and arrange a weekend for me to go away with him and Chris, his elder brother.  So, on a warm, sunny day in June we headed down to North Yorkshire to How Stean Gorge for the first activity of the weekend - Gorge scrambling.

Nestled in the heart of Nidderdale in the Yorkshire Dales between Stean and Lofthouse, How Stean Gorge extends for about a kilometre along the course of How Stean Beck, a tributary of the River Nidd.  Over thousands of years the beck has worn its way through the limestone forming a 20m deep gorge.  What I hadn't considered when booking the experience was how we would enter the gorge; however, when we arrived and looked over the edge, I realised we had to abseil the 20m down into it.  As I had not done this before, I must admit to being a little apprehensive, as I think my lads were too, although none of us said as much.  Under the guidance of an experienced instructor, we donned wet suits, harnesses, and hard hats.  The guide assured us during the safety briefing that he had not lost any participants in the time he had been taking groups down the gorge, which reassured us.

We made our way to the top of the abseiling point, which was off the side of a bridge, not walking down a cliff face as I had imagined. The initial step over the edge was the most daunting, and as it was Phil's stag 'do', he was nominated to go over the edge first.  He made the descent look easy which gave the rest of us more confidence.  Once committed, the journey down became an exhilarating blend of trust in the equipment and awe at the surrounding scenery.  The descent gave spectacular views of the gorge's geology, including ancient rock layers and lush vegetation. The sound of the nearby river added to the ambiance, creating a serene yet thrilling environment. We all certainly had a sense of achievement once we had conquered the vertical drop.

It was now time for the gorge scrambling, an activity that combines hiking, climbing, and swimming, as we navigated our way up and through the river gorge.

Starting at the base of the gorge, we made our way upstream, climbing over rocks, wading through pools, and swimming through deeper sections. This was probably the hardest part as my swimming is not too strong.  Although the water was cold on the hands, the wet suits helped us keep warm, apart from the occasional sudden gush of cold water down the back of my suit which was an unpleasant surprise. 

As we made our way upstream through the gorge, we scaled small waterfalls, which became natural waterslides on the descent down the gorge.  We also jumped into water pools, which the instructor assured us were deep enough for us not to get hurt.  We made sure he went first just to be on the safe side.

On the way back downstream, we took an offshoot through a short tunnel where we needed light from the instructor's head torch to see the safe route.  This added an element of exploration and discovery to the activity.

We exited the gorge further downstream from where we had entered, and I was relieved to find that we had only a short slope to climb out of the gorge before we could walk back to the starting point.  The sense of accomplishment after navigating the gorge, or descending from the bridge, left us all with lasting memories.  I would recommend the experience to anyone, as it gives an unforgettable experience, combining the enjoyment of the stunning natural beauty of the gorge mixed with a true adventure.

Outdoor Adventures in the Yorkshire Dales | Nidderdale (howstean.co.uk)