Flamingo Shorts, False Assumptions & a Cracking Sunset

A dip gone rogue, 10/10 views, and a walk I absolutely didn’t plan for

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I recently set off in search of a nice cold water dip under a waterfall. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Because in true me fashion, I didn’t do any research.

🗺️ Assumption: Quick walk, quick dip, maybe a brew.
📉 Reality: 1 hour 40 minute drive, no car park, and an unexpected 1hr 20 walk each way.

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🅿️ The Start (Or Lack Thereof)

No official car park here. Ended up parking in a layby by a reservoir — no postcode to give you I’m afraid. Just vibes and a bit of phone signal.

Sat nav took me as far as it could before the road turned into something that would make a tractor weep. At that point I realised this was going to be more than a light stroll in flamingo shorts.

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🥾 The Trek In

• Rough terrain a lot of the way
• A few peaks and troughs (good Snowdon warm-up, actually)
• Not a walk for flip flops, let’s put it that way

But here’s the thing: the views were STUNNING. Seriously. Yorkshire doing what Yorkshire does best.

Worth every misplaced step and quad burn.

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💧 The Falls

Eventually arrived, sweaty, tired, but buzzing.
And Lumb Hole Falls delivered:

• Waterfall was absolutely belting it down
• Bit of a scramble to get in, but manageable
• Not too busy, a few young’uns sat around with tunes (surprisingly decent ones too)
• Easily one of the best wild swim spots in Yorkshire I’ve found

Would I go again? In a heartbeat.

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🔄 The Way Back: Accidental Gold

On the return I decided to try the circular route instead of backtracking.
Still ended up looping back the same way, but:

⛅️ The sunset views on the way down were absolutely unreal.
Golden hour hit differently across those hills.

Honestly, one of those walks where the misjudgement ends up becoming the highlight.

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🧠 The Lessons

Would I do it again? Yes.
Would I plan it properly next time? Also yes.

But honestly, even with no plan and questionable footwear choices, this trip was a win. Wild, scenic, and just the right amount of chaos.

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⭐ The Verdict

• Parking: Layby, no official spot
• Walk Time: 1hr 20 each way
• Terrain: Rocky, a few steeps — boots recommended
• Swim Spot: 9.5/10
• Views: 10/10
• Planning on my part: 2/10
• Experience overall: Solid 8.5/10

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Been to Lumb Hole yourself? Let me know if you found a proper parking spot or just suffered in silence like I did.