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The peaks, which form part of the
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Pennine range, encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the North of England.
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The long-standing designation "The Three Peaks" is well known locally, and in past times nationally.
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However, there are now a number of "National" Three Peaks adventure challenges involving Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike (respectively the highest summits in Scotland, Wales and England).
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The epithet "Yorkshire" is therefore now commonly added to differentiate Yorkshire's Three Peaks from those (although Whernside is partially in Cumbria, with the summit trig point being narrowly on the Cumbria side, the whole mountain is within the historic county of Yorkshire).
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In common with neighbouring fells, the Three Peaks are carved from an almost flat-lying succession of sedimentary strata of Carboniferous age.
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The lower slopes of each of the fells are formed from massive limestones assigned to the Visean age Great Scar Group.
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The upper slopes of each of the fells are formed from alternating bands of limestone and mudstone grading up into sandstone, all of which are assigned to the Brigantian and early Namurian ages Yoredale Group.
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These alternations are considered to be a classic British example of cyclothems.
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Differential weathering and erosion of the various bands has given Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent a distinctive, stepped appearance.
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The summits are capped by Grassington Grit, a variety of Millstone Grit.
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Considerable areas of the flanks of each of the fells are covered by peat whilst other areas are blanketed by glacial till notably across the southern and eastern slopes of Pen-y-ghent.
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The Ribblehead drumlin field is considered to be one of the finest in England.
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Fringing Ingleborough on each side however are impressive areas of limestone pavement.
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Extensive networks of caves have developed within the limestone strata such as the White Scar Caves, and potholes which attract cavers from all over the country.
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It is home to England's highest waterfall at Gaping Gill, where the Fell Beck drops vertically down a pothole, into Britain's second largest cavern.
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The beck re-emerges further down the mountain adjacent to Ingleborough Cave, where visitors can take a guided tour of a floodlit part of the cave system.
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Whernside, being more rounded, is visually less imposing than its neighbours, but its summit is the highest point in North Yorkshire.
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The area is rich in historical interest.
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The summit of Ingleborough has the remains of a huge Iron Age hill fort, while the Settle-Carlisle Railway runs between the mountains, crossing Ribblehead Viaduct at the foot of Whernside.
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The Three Peaks walk of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough is probably the original three peak walk within the UK.
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The first recorded ascent of the three hills was in July 1887 by J. R. Wynne-Edwards and D. R. Smith in a time of 10 hours.
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The walk covers a distance of to (depending on route) circuit of all three peaks with nearly of ascent and descent.
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A challenge that many walkers aim for when undertaking the walk is to complete the walk in under 12 hours, though as Alfred Wainwright says in his book "Wainwright in the Limestone Dales", "Some participants have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted, walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort" (edited quote).
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The route most walkers take varies from the fell race in that most traverse the 'nose' of Pen-y-ghent from Brackenbottom Moor and do not ascend from the Pennine Way.
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Additionally, Whernside is generally traversed along the right-of-way to the east, initially following the railway line, all of which can add extra distance to the route.
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For most people the route starts in the village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, though many start from various points in the circular route, such as Chapel-le-Dale.
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Historically Chapel-le-Dale was the starting point though this probably changed when the Pen-y-ghent Cafe started running their clocking in and out service for walkers in 1968.
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The cafe did run a free safety-service for walkers, but that has been temporarily suspended.
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However, walkers can still register the beginning and end of their walk at Pen-y-ghent Cafe.
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Those that complete the walk within 12 hours are invited to pay to join the Pen-y-ghent Cafe's privately owned 'Three Peaks of Yorkshire Club'.
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The Yorkshire Dales National Park runs a voluntary Friends of the Three Peaks project.
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The proceeds of this go towards the upkeep of the paths on the route.
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Certificates, medals and membership forms are awarded by local participating businesses.
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Understandably the Three Peaks Walk is seen by many as a challenge and it has become very popular for charity sponsored walks and Saturdays in early summer can see several hundred walkers make their way round the route.
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In addition to it being seen as a walking challenge it has also become a race for fell runners and cyclo-cross cyclists.
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However, there is no bridleway access to the peaks (except Ingleborough from the Ingleton side only) so any bicycle access is on a permissive basis on race days only.
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The Three Peaks were featured on the TV programme "Seven Natural Wonders" as one of the wonders of Yorkshire.
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The Reverend Horton Heat
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The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician Jim Heath (born November 2, 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio.
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Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist.
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A Prick magazine reviewer called Heath the "godfather of modern rockabilly and psychobilly".
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The group formed in 1986, playing its first gigs in Dallas's Deep Ellum neighborhood.
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Its current members are Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath on guitar and lead vocals and Jimbo Wallace on the upright bass.
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The band signed to Victory Records on November 27, 2012, and released its 12th studio album, "Whole New Life," on December 4, 2018.
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The band describes itself as rock and roll that's influenced by 50s rockabilly, punk, country, surf and jazz standards.
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The band mixes country, surf, punk, big band, swing and rockabilly into loud, energetic songs with often-humorous lyrics.
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Video games, cartoons and commercials have used the band's songs, giving The Reverend Horton Heat mainstream exposure.
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Heath's first band was 50s cover group called "Chantilly" featuring David McNair, C.A.
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Flores, David Flores and Sara Flores.
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However, Heath was more into blues and not really good enough to be in the band and was kicked out.
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So Heath went to practicing.
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Within a year, Heath played in a cover band called Southern Comfort with friends from W.B.
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Ray High School, David McNair, Jeff Nolte, Sam Reid, Steve Hall, before attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall of 1977.
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At UT, he often entertained friends and dormmates and was often found playing in the stairwells at Moore-Hill Dormitory late into the night.
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Heath left school in the spring to join up with a touring cover band by the name of Sweetbriar.
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Three years later, former dormmate David Livingston, now in his senior year of school and at home visiting family, saw a familiar face on stage and reunited with Heath.
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Livingston told Heath stories of the punk music scene in Austin and the acts playing at venues such as Raul's and Club Foot.
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Once, while home on another visit, Livingston took Heath to a Dallas rock and roll venue, The Bijou, to see an act called The Cramps.
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After the show, a brawl between punks and rockers broke out in the parking lot.
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While Heath and Livingston escaped any involvement in the scuffle, Heath later claimed to have had an epiphany on that evening saying, "I didn't know anything about the Cramps.
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I thought it would be a punk rock show, and it was, except that they played "The Way I Walk" by Jack Scott and "Surfin' Bird" and I realized that the roots rock and rockabilly that I had grown up with was able to cross over into the punk thing.
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It gave me ideas."
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Always a fan of 50s, blues and honky tonk, Heath returned the favor by taking Livingston and his wife to see The Blasters in Dallas at the Hot Klub.
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Livingston would later manage the band and co-wrote, with Heath, the song "Liquor, Beer and Wine".
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Heath had married a former bandmate from Sweetbriar, Jenny Turner, and together they had a child, Kendall; they decided that the rock-and-roll lifestyle was over and that it was time to have normal adult jobs.
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But in 1982, Ted Roddy and Heath started a mainly rockabilly group called Teddy and the Talltops with Phil Bennison aka "Homer Henderson" on bass and Jas Stephens on drums.
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Heath also moonlighted on some gigs with "The Hot House Tomato Boys" from Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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The band also included long time friend Tim Alexander.
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Around 1985, Heath was known as "Big Jim the Sound Guy" by those who frequented two warehouses that by night became music venues, Theater Gallery and The Prophet Bar while playing with.
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Theater Gallery owner Russell Hobbs nicknamed Heath "Horton".
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Heath used the old Sweetbriar PA system to earn extra money, running sound for bands such as the New Bohemians, End Over End, Dino Lee, Shallow Reign, Burning Desire, The Textones and Three on a Hill as well as doing sound reinforcement for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flaming Lips, The Pandoras, Husker Du, The True Believers and Michael Stipe from REM.
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For the Red Hot Chili Peppers gig, Heath and Jeff Liles, the booking agent for Theater Gallery formed a one-gig, local all-star band called "Beat Orgy".
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Heath sang one song during the set, "Folsom Prison Blues", and it caught the ear of Theater Gallery owner, Russell Hobbs.
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Heath decided then and there to start trying to get solo gigs.
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Russell Hobbs asked Heath to play the opening week at his new venue, "The Prophet Bar".
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When Heath showed up for soundcheck, Hobbs told him his stage name was going to be "Reverend Horton Heat".
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The title "Reverend" was a total shock to Heath.
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The Horton part was already Hobbs' nickname for Heath and the rest was a shortened version of his last name, Heath except spelled "Heet" (Heath changed that part to "Heat").
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Heath initially said no to the proposed stage name, thinking it was too close to Reverend Gary Davis and "The Reverend Willie G." (Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top), guitar players whom Heath holds in high esteem and didn't want to be thought to be pretending to be in their league.
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But Hobbs had already made flyers and listed the show in the papers as Reverend Horton Heet.
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At that first show, to Heath's surprise, there was a healthy audience who enjoyed his sets and were calling him "Reverend".
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So, Heath, being somewhat poor and desperate decided to take the name except for the spelling of Heet.
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Hobbs later claimed that the Reverend part of Heath's stage name was the idea of artist/musician John Battles.
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All of this transpired somewhere around the time of Heath's divorce from Jenny Turner.
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Within several weeks of starting to play as Reverend Horton Heat, Heath began recruiting local musicians to play with him—sometimes unrehearsed.
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The very first show of Reverend Horton Heat with a band consisted of Heath, Jack Barton, Peter Kaplan and Tim Alexander.
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As Tim Alexander had a full-time gig with "Asleep at the Wheel", the band became a trio, However, Tim Alexander played piano, organ and accordion on many RHH albums as well as playing organ in Heath's side project "Reverend Organ Drum".
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Kaplan would be replaced by Mike Goodsell on drums.
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Then Mike Goodsell was replaced by Bobby Baranowski, formerly of the Werewolves and Lou Ann Barton.
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After a gig in Houston, Jim Wallace approached Jack Barton after the show and asked to try his bass as the band was tearing down the gear.
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His double slap style attracted the interest of Heath and he obtained Jim Wallace's phone number.
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Coincidentally, in the early 80s, while Heath was in "Teddy and the Talltops", Wallace was playing sometimes in a Houston band called "The Teddy Boys".
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Wallace played in a band called "Six Gun" that came to Dallas to share the stage with "Teddy and the Talltops" at the old Twilight Room.
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However, Heath and Wallace did not meet formally at that gig.
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In early 1989, at exactly the same time of Rev.
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Horton Heat's first release, a seven-inch 45RPM single "Big Little Baby" on the label Four Dots owned by Carl Finch of Brave Combo, Barton and Baranowski both quit the band even though the band was doing well in multiple markets (Dallas, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Oklahoma City and Nashville).
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"Big Little Baby" was a limited pressing and is now somewhat rare.
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So, with future gigs on the books, the earliest being only two weeks away, Heath called Wallace and asked him to be in the band.
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Heath drove down to Houston to talk to Wallace about being in the band and Wallace agreed.
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