Aye Gill Pike

About Aye Gill Pike

Sitting as the highest point of Rise Hill, this broad, grassy Marilyn separates the deep valleys of Garsdale and Dentdale. It offers a straightforward, often boggy ascent from the village of Dent. The summit rewards walkers with clear perspectives over the Howgills and the massive bulk of Whernside across the valley.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is likely a dialect variation of 'High Gill Pike,' with 'Aye' serving as a local phonetic rendering of 'High,' marking its status as the loftiest point on the Rise Hill ridge.
• •Though frequently referred to by its summit name, the entire six-mile-long upland block is known as Rise Hill, forming a massive, undulating barrier between two of the Dales' most celebrated valleys.
• •From the summit cairn, the view south is dominated by the 'Three Peaks' giant Whernside, while to the west, the smooth, velvet-like folds of the Howgill Fells—specifically The Calf and Baugh Fell—are clearly visible across the Rawthey valley.
• •As a Marilyn, the hill possesses at least 150 metres of prominence, a fact that becomes physically apparent when climbing the steep northern slopes from the Garsdale side.
• •In local parlance, a 'pike' usually suggests a sharp, pointed peak, but Aye Gill Pike is a sprawling, flat-topped moorland dome; the name is perhaps more of an aspiration than a geological reality.