Alan Hinkes, left, Sir Chris Bonington and Kathryn Beardmore at Ribblehead, with Whernside in the background. Photo: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Two Everest summiteers tackled Yorkshire’s highest mountain in the company of parliamentarians.

Cumbria resident Sir Chris Bonington and Yorkshireman Alan Hinkes joined members of the all party parliamentary group for mountaineering on its annual jaunt to the high ground of Britain.

The two celebrated climbers were part of a group that included MPs and Peers on the 21km (13-mile) route from Ingleton to Horton in Ribblesdale, taking in two of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks, Whernside and Ingleborough.

The visit was co-ordinated by the British Mountaineering Council, which administers the group.

Representatives of the Yorkshire Dales Society, the Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation, the Outdoor Industries Association, and the BMC also joined the event, along with Skipton MP Julian Smith and Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland.

Kathryn Beardmore, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s director of park services, said: “It was a wonderful day organised by the BMC and I was really pleased they chose the Three Peaks for the event, which aimed to promote the health and economic benefits of walking”.

“As well as being a fantastic landscape, the Three Peaks are very accessible to large parts of northern England because the Settle-Carlisle line runs through the area.”

The group pauses for a picture during the walk. Photo: Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Dave Turnbull, the BMC’s chief executive, said: “The day was all about promoting Britain on Foot, a campaign run by the Outdoor Industries Association to encourage people into the great outdoors.

“The Three Peaks is a great circuit and it was good to see so many people out and about enjoying them.”

Part of the route followed the steep stone steps on Ingleborough which were recently repaired as part of the Three Peaks Project with funding from the BMC’s Access and Conservation Trust.