Silva Dales Traverse

Event overview

The Dales Traverse® is a 55 km ultra on Sunday 29 March 2026 that follows Wainwright’s coast to coast route from Kirkby Stephen to Richmond. The route has an estimated height gain of 1,400 m and the event promotes an ethos of self-sufficiency. Minimum entry age is 18 and entry fees start at £65. The race is part of the UTMB index (counts toward a 50K ranking) and is worth two ITRA points and three mountain points.

Route, support and logistics

The route passes through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, over the Nine Standards and into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, weaving through Swaledale to finish below Richmond Castle. The route is not fully waymarked but follows a well established national trail. Participants receive a waterproof race map at registration, access to a digital map via the Avenza app, and a downloadable GPX file; the final GPX is emailed to participants shortly before the event.

Support points include Nine Standards Rigg and a staffed Dales Bike Centre support point at about 37 km. The Dales Bike Centre offers indoor and outdoor covered space, toilets, hot and cold drinks, soup and cake, and usually a medic; it is the only place on course where retiring is permitted. A finishers drop bag is transported from start to finish with a 5 kg limit and mandatory kit is checked at registration. There are no sleeping provisions at start, support or finish locations. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.