Everyone had arrived at High Trenhouse the afternoon before and we'd enjoyed a delicious evening meal as we started to get to know each other.

High Trenhouse used to be a farm and has now been converted into a comfortable centre not far from Malham Tarn - a wonderful place to get away from the Easter crowds.

The rooms here are not large but there are mostly ensuite singles and all are attractively decorated.

This holiday offered both Gentle and Intermediate walks, and women were free to swap grades from day to day if they wished.

Today had dawned bright and sunny and we had a late breakfast and leisurely start.

The Intermediate walk headed off with me, Heidi, first around Malham Tarn via the bird hide and followed the Pennine Way down the gorge-like Ing Scar to the top of Malham Cove.

Here we bumped into the gentle group.

On the top of the cove we could see climbers and the village below us.

We then went down the steps by the side of the cove across the fields and into the village for lunch and 'refreshments" - coffee and beer.

Suitably revived we set off for Janet's Foss where we watched a climber try to get up the waterfall and then headed towards Goredale Scar.

Some stayed at the tea van by Goredale Bridge whilst the rest of us took the detour up to the waterfall in the gorge.

We then climbed gently up back through fields and limestone crags towards Trougate. The last bit was along the road where we passed an old smelting chimney.

The Gentle walk had meantime taken the same route around the tarn but since they had Yvonne with them they identified more birds in the bird hide: goldeneye and great crested grebes.

They took the gradual way down to Goredale Scar via Trougate and the top of Malham Cove, spotting sandpipers along the way.

Here they took their first break and Yvonne spotted a peregrine falcon, perched on a branch high above the crags.

Second tea stop was at Janet's Foss and included wild garlic tasting in the woods.

There was time for a choice of tea or beer in Malham before their very welcome taxi back.

In the evening women played fiendish games of scrabble over drinks from the honesty bar at the centre. Some women also visited the pub in Malham to sample the local beer.

We woke to an even warmer sunny day, and the forecast cloud and showers never materialised.

The intermediate walk was to Attermire via Stockdale with lovely views back from Nappa Cross down to the tarn.

We said hello to some friendly highland cows on the way.

At Attermire whilst sunning ourselves and lunch, we met up with the gentle walk and debated whether to go down into Settle or not.

We chose to go to Catrigg Force instead - a spectacular waterfall in a rocky gorge.

Our third break was at Jubilee Cave.

The way back took us along the dusty bridleway back to Greenhouse.

The Gentle walk had meanwhile made a leisurely pace along the bridleway past Gorebeck to Jubilee Cave.

There they had first lunch and took a look at the cave.

They then wandered along the bottom of Attermire Scar past Victoria Cave and stopped for another sit in the sun.

A little further on they surprised the intermediate group sunning themselves!

One member of the Intermediate walk took the wise decision to swap groups at this point - and from here the gentle walk continued down past Blue Crags into Settle - where tea and cakes and beer and cider were to be had.

On the way down they stopped to look at some rare sheep, donkeys and bold rabbits in a field.

The taxi arrived again and took them home where the jacuzzi and sauna were waiting.

For both walks there were stunning views of Ingleborough and Penyghent and Pendle Hill in the distance as well as Fountains Fell, the intermediate walk for the next day.

This was quite a pubby group, and in the evening a large contingent decamped to Settle for a crawl of different pubs, whilst the remaining group members undertook yet more fiendish games of scrabble.

An easter themed breakfast awaited us - eggs of all kinds, croissants and hot cross buns, yummy!

A large group volunteered to go on the intermediate walk up Fountains Fell (in spite of Yvonne's attempt to tire them out the previous day or was it to avoid her "easter' bonnett?!)

We went along the Pennine Way past Tennant Gill to the cairn on the northern end of the fell.

On the way up we stopped in a shake hole for a rest and to shelter from the wind, which was fierce.

When we set off the cloud covered the mountain but as we reached the top it cleared and we had marvellous views of Penyghent and Ingleborough.

We sheltered from the wind behind the wall, had lunch and easter eggs, and then set out past the tarn, over a wall and across the dry bogs back to Trenhouse.

It was an adventuresome walk in strong wind off the beaten track and across open moorland, finishing with a short stretch back along the road.

The gentle walk had meanwhile set off the same way along the Pennine Way but then headed gently up Cowside to the rocky limestone landscape of Back Pasture.

There were fabulous views down to Littondale from the small peak but it was too windy to linger.

They managed to find sun and shelter at Middle House, then walked down on the Monks Road and up to great Great Close Hill to another panorama across the tarn and Malham Moor.

Yvonne had bought some chocolate eggs so they did egg rolling and eating on the way down to the tarn!

Another stop off in the bird hide to watch the grebe's progress which included some of its mating display.

Both groups were back early and glad to get out of the wind. Some went to Settle for meringue, afternoon tea and Yorkshire curd tart.

After a delicious dinner many went to the pub whilst the rest had a pleasant chat around the fire and a final game of Scrabble.

Today we woke to low cloud and quite a strong wind.

Many women decided to start their Easter Monday drive home early and 10 of us set off to Malham to begin our walk.

A few others decided to stay at Trenhouse and take a short walk to the tarn before getting a taxi to Settle for their trains.

Today's walk was from Malham beside the river and we all walked together.

Our path took us through fields next to the river towards Airton and a little beyond where we turned around and walked back to the teashop for cake tea and coffee.

We spotted a goosander and a dipper along the way and walked through fields of new born lambs, fell ponies and Shetland ponies. A lovely finish to this comfortable and mostly sunny Malham stay.