Silva Dales Traverse

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 travels through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, over the Nine Standards and into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, passing through Swaledale to a finish below Richmond Castle. The event promotes an adventurous ethos and a culture of self-sufficiency.

The course includes multiple staffed aid stations and is defined by those checkpoints and virtual guidance times. The Dales Bike Centre aid station provides indoor and outdoor covered space, toilets, hot and cold drinks, soup and cakes, and is the only location on course where participants may retire. Medical cover is usually present at aid stations. The headline elevation is around 1,400 m, though exact distance and ascent can vary between editions.

Navigation support is provided: participants receive a waterproof paper map at registration, a digital Avenza map showing real-time location, and a downloadable GPX file. Mandatory kit is required and checked at registration; a survival bag is compulsory and a finishers’ drop bag (maximum 5 kg) is transported from start to finish. The event offers meat- and fish-free catering, with gluten-free and vegan alternatives. There are no sleeping facilities at start, aid stations or finish. The 2026 edition is sold out; a 2027 date is listed. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.