One of the highlights of Rally the Globe’s Yorkshire Cloverleaf rallies in 2021, the run from the Tan Hill Inn to Hawes in the heart of Wensleydale works equally well in either direction and can easily be extended into a day’s tour of the northern Dales.
At 1732ft above sea level, the famously windswept Tan Hill Inn is Britain’s highest hostelry.
Heading south from here, the single-track road takes a tortuous route over blind brows, and between heather and free-roaming sheep.
It pays to approach every crest with caution, because occasionally the road takes a sudden turn and gouges in the Tarmac bear witness to sumps and suspension long past.
A couple of hairpin bends bring you down from the moor and into the dry-stone-walled greenery of Swaledale and the hamlet of Keld.
Turn left on to the B6270 and thread your way through remote farms, before a right after the village of Thwaite takes you up the intriguingly named Buttertubs Pass.
This is a steep climb with a hairpin left that needs to be approached at just the right pace to keep your momentum without overcooking cornering speed, and shortly after there is a viewpoint layby where a welcoming bench is the perfect place to take in the majesty of the Dales.
After reaching the summit, there’s another section of glorious moorland before you drop into the bustling market town of Hawes.