By Parkdean Resorts on 08/05/2018
Yorkshire is one of the UK’s most popular counties for a getaway, home to vibrant cities such as Leeds and Sheffield, as well as more historic places like Harrogate, Knaresborough and York. Of course, let’s not forget the amazing seaside locations like Whitby and Robin Hood’s bay, two of our favourites here at Parkdean Resorts.
Looking past these classic locations, there’s a more extreme side to Yorkshire to explore if you’re looking for a pulse-raising holiday with your family.
Cycling
Yorkshire offers lots of opportunities for getting out and about on two wheels, and whether you want to enjoy a leisurely cycle through the countryside or high-tempo mountain bike ride through rough, snaking routes, you're sure to find what you're after. For less extreme trips, be sure to check out the Trans Pennine Trail, Leeds-Liverpool canal or pretty cities such as York, where there are a number of ways to hire bikes.
On the other hand, places like the beautiful Sutton Bank, expansive Dalby Forest and Yorkshire Dales offer more extreme routes for those that have a higher level of fitness and don't mind getting muddy. For instance, as well as trails that are child-friendly, Dalby has a 21-mile red route and a black route that's been created to a championship level – perfect if you're already a bit of a pro.
If you’re looking to watch some of the best road cyclists in the world blast past at high speed, then consider booking your holiday to coincide with the Tour de Yorkshire, which will be held between the 2nd-5th May 2019.
Mountain Bike Trail in Dalby Forest - Photo © Phil Catterall (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Gliding
Whether or not you think gliding is particularly extreme very much depends on your attitude to heights, but whatever your thoughts, gliding along in an engineless aircraft is an amazing experience, especially when enjoyed at The Yorkshire Gliding Club.
Here, you can fly out over the cliffs at Sutton Bank on the edge of the North York Moors National Park and soar hundreds or thousands of metres high, letting you look down on the amazing countryside of the Vale of York and moors. It's certainly one of the best ways to experience God's Own Country!
Video sourced from Ben Smith
Surfing
While the traditional North Yorkshire seaside resort of Scarborough is more known for its huge sandy beaches and family-friendly seafront, you can also enjoy a far more active and thrilling pastime - surfing!
Scarborough Surf School is a highly regarded surfing school that welcomes people of all ages and abilities and teaches them the sport most people would associate with Bondi Beach in Australia or Navarre in Portugal - on the North Yorkshire coast! The waves are quite forgiving in Scarborough so it’s an ideal place to spend your days learning the ropes, especially if you’re staying at the nearby Cayton Bay Holiday Park.
Video sourced from Scarborough Surf School
Coasteering
A sport growing in popularity, coasteering is an eclectic mix of swimming, caving, climbing, cliff walking and cliff jumping! Along with your instructors and group, you’ll explore dynamic places where few people have trodden, along the clay and chalk cliffs that line the Yorkshire coast.
Cliff jumps range from one metre to ten metres in height, so there is something for all ability levels, especially important as such a new sport can seem quite daunting to even the most committed thrill seekers.
Coasteering - Photo © Bob Jones (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Potholing
Large swathes of Yorkshire sits atop a bedrock of limestone and while this rock is well-known for creating the cliffs, pavements and gorges of the county, it's also responsible for the extensive cave networks that snake underneath the surface.
The Yorkshire Dales is a particular potholing hotspot with over 2,500 caves having been charted, and here you can enjoy a range of courses that have been carved out by streams and rainfall over the course of millennia.
Guided potholing adventures are available from a range of companies throughout the Dales, each fully insured with decades of experience in instructing adults and children alike.
Rock climbing
With all sorts of inland cliffs, rocky crags and glacial gorges dotting the landscape, Yorkshire is a rock climber's paradise. If you're new to the sport, we'd advise you take a few classes or visit an indoor climbing wall to learn the ropes, but if you've got strength and can stretch, Yorkshire's rock climbing is unparalleled.
From easy locations like the brilliant balancing formations at Brimham Rocks, the rocks overlooking Ilkley and the exposed Almscliff Crag, there’s something for every level of expertise. There are even far more difficult climbing hotspots to enjoy too - including the gigantic cliff side of Malham Cove (home to some of the toughest climbing in the country), Gordale Scar and its pretty waterfall and the steeply overhanging Kilnsey Crag.
Video sourced from Andrew Moss
If you're looking for extreme sports on your next trip to Yorkshire, you can't go wrong with the above. Whether you're staying at Barmston Beach, Skipsea Sands, Withernsea Sands, or Cayton Bay, just ask the team on park and they'll be happy to suggest something great nearby!