Stunning day on Striding Edge, Helvellyn and Swirral Edge - 17th February 2014.

Gearing up for Striding Edge with the Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team for company at the Hole in the Wall. The world and his dog (literally), seemed to be out today after weeks of poor weather. (Ok for you guide types that can get out during the week!).  

It was a bit murky at first on the ridge, sadly, but it started to improve as we got past the small chimney, downclimb and then up onto Helvellyn.

The snow on the ridge was mostly good. There was a little softer stuff as we made our way up through the baby cornice onto the summit of Helvellyn. 

As the sun came through, we could the masses behind us on Striding Edge.

Jon going through his first (small) cornice!

The reward was stunning 360 degree views like this of Ullswater. 

And this looking across the plateau over to Dollywagon Pike.

Willy and Jon, and loads of others, at the almost buried summit shelter on Helvellyn. Having spoken to a few folk, we got the impression that the snow in the gullies wasn't all that good yet, and there were some big-ish cornices. So we opted not to climb any. However, later we did see teams going up, all unroped, so maybe it was okay, or they were lucky?  

Willy and Jon, carefully descending a snowy Swirral Edge. We did see folks with just those little spike things you get for icey paths, some with no crampons (foolhardy or skillful?), and a few with trainers. 

A very alpine looking Swirral Edge.

Some big cornices on the northern side of Swirral Edge overlooking Brown Cove.

Spindrift making for a very atmospheric descent of Swirral Edge.

Looking back at Helvellyn summmit and Swirral Edge from the path up to Catseye Cam.

Looking down from Catseye Cam onto a frozen Red Tarn and Striding Edge.

People silhouetted on Striding Edge against the late afternoon sun.

For a little extra sport, as we didn't do any actual climbing, we crossed back over to Striding Edge, via Red Tarn, and headed for some slightly steeper ground below the ridge.   

This gave Jon (and us) a brief chance to go up through some easy mixed ground onto the ridge.

Willy, waiting for Jon to top out on the ridge. 

A last chance for photos back at the Hole in the Wall, before descending back into Patterdale.

HD Video of our day, with some top tunes from The Black Keys !

Mixed conditions on Striding Edge, 20th January 2013.



The forecast seemed to suggest deteriorating weather conditions in Glencoe, so we journeyed south to enjoy "slightly" better weather on our round of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. The ridge wasn't completely covered so it was a choice of "crampons or no crampons". We chose the latter on the grounds we would end up on our backsides with them on.
A bitterly cold day, in fact too cold to sit for long at the summit shelter on Helvellyn. The descent of Swirral Edge was also a bit wild at times but soon eased off. Not as busy as a summers day, but still a few folk about , plus we saw a couple of teams(climbing) top out on Helvellyn. 

Quite a bleak looking day ahead of us but at least we could make out where we were going! 

Not quite enough snow on the ridge to warrant crampons, but extra care was needed in any case.

   

Striding Edge, 21st October 2012.

After 8 weeks or so of not getting out for various reasons, we finally get a decent weather window and free time to do something. Lorna and Ruth game to try a grade 1 scramble to see how they would cope after all this time, so we went for the Lake District classic of Striding Edge. The car park at the Patterdale Hotel was surprisingly quiet, but we soon were amongst the crowds as we go to the Hole in the Wall with the first view of Helvellyn and Red Tarn Cove.

Lorna and Ruth (above) getting their first taste of exposure since last year. (Ruth had been to Skye a couple of weeks earlier with Ian, but found the scrambling a little easier). 

Ian and Ruth further along the ridge.

Myself and Lorna posing in our new jackets! ( I was determined to put it on, even for a short while!).
Lorna in her Montane Prism down jacket and me in  Patagonia Sheltersone jacket in a tastefull Mango colour! 

Looking down from the trig point on Helvellyn onto Red Tarn with Striding Edge to the right.

Ian and Ruth on the summit of Helvellyn. 

Lorna, Ruth and Ian starting their descent of Swirral Edge.
Possibly a ridge walk such as this was a little too exposed for Lorna and Ruth at this stage as they both said they didn't feel confident in their abilities having still not fully recovered. So they did take some of the escape paths on the ridge to avoid any awkward moves - stuff they would've almost ran over, a year ago. I think Lorna found it frustrating to get advice from (well meaning, but unaware) kids, day trippers and pensioners!   

Wild camp - Red Tarn, 4th June 2011

A late start, around 2pm-ish on Saturday, gave my self, Stevie and Gordon enough time to make the 7 mile walk in to Red Tarn from the Patterdale Hotel before the low cloud really came in. We went via Grisdale as if to make for the Hole in the Wall. Then on to Lanty's Tarn and around the north side of Birkhouse Moor and the path to Red Screes and up to White Side at 863m. From here we went south to Helvellyn and then down Swirral Edge to the outflow of Red Tarn. We had hoped to get a good view of our potential camping spot but it was not to be!

We pitched right next to the outflow of Red Tarn Beck and set about cooking our tea (two packets of variously flavoured cheesy pasta for me). Gordon made noodles whilst Stevie "did something" with a beef curry he had brought with him. Sadly we couldn't take in the view of the crags through dinner so we set about setting the fire.

Environmentalists please note our pre-packed in the wrapper logs were placed on top of a large flat stone, surrounded by four more large stones to protect the ground. 

I woke at 4am and wondered if it was going to be sunny outside. I peered out of my tent to find that dawn was just breaking, with a thin layer of mist hanging over Red Tarn. So I took a few photo's and a short video before going back to bed.  

Later, about 8-ish, I got up again to find it reasonably sunny and a great view of Helvellyn's crags across the tarn. After breakfast (Tea, flapjack and jam roll), we set off on the remaining 7 miles back to Patterdale. This time via Striding Edge, Nethermost Pike 891m, Dollywagon Pike 858m, then down to Grisedale Tarn and the climb up to St Sunday Crag at 841m.
Sunday night was spent at Sykeside Farm Campsite where we had a barbecue followed by some Jennings Smooth Bitter at the Brotherswater Inn!

   

Red Tarn Cove, 31st January 2010

Top day in The Lakes with Lorna today! It was pretty cold, but excellent snow conditions on Striding Edge and Swirral Edge making it possible to keep to the crests most of the way. There was plenty of folk about on the ridges and quite a few teams in the two gullies left of Viking Buttress, the Buttress itself, and the broken ground left of the gullies. There were also folks using the ground left again to gain the end of Striding Edge. This is where we eventually climbed back up the ridge on grade I ground up an unamed (?) gully (maybe II at a push near the top) after descending Swirral from Helvellyn's summit and dropping into Red Tarn Cove and traversing below the main bowl, which no-one seemed to be climbing I assume due to the cornice. We passed below the buttress and the gullies and only came across small patches of windslab.
Once back on the ridge we reversed the route back to the Hole in the Wall and down to Patterdale and the long drive home. 
If only the bloody petrol wasn't so expensive these days! :(

The view from the Hole in the Wall.

Lorna with Striding Edge behind.

Me looking along the ridge to the final slopes up to Helvellyn.

Lorna on the final part of the ridge leading up to the summit.

                                    

The view from the summit shelter of various climber topping out.

                                   

Looking across the cove from Swirral Edge.

                                   

Descending Swirral with Catseyecam in the distance.

360 view from Red Tarn Cove.

                                   

Crossing the main bowl. Note the cornice which some folks insisted on venturing near the edge of!

                                   

From left to right: No2 Gully grade I, Number 1 Gully grade II and Viking Buttress. Hopefully we won't miss the boat with the recent weather and come back, maybe with the rest of the crew (?) and tick these off? 

                                   

Lorna on her way up to the little gully we found near the end of the ridge.

                                   

Me on my way up.

                                   

Me at the top!

Strolling along Striding Edge.

      

On the Edge.

Well it was good to get out eventually after missing the boat a few times recently. As I was solo today, I opted for a trip to The Lakes (same driving time and a bit less tiring?). The Met Office report for Striding Edge was good so I didn't want to miss the boat with this one in case there's a mega thaw. (Apparently cold again at the end of the week).

   
The start of the Edge is a little further on after you pass over Bleaberry Crags and Low Spying How and High Spying How. The snow was pretty much firm from about 600m, just before The Hole in the Wall. (which is still half buried).

Looking back along the ridge, which is possible to cross on it's crest for most of the way.

The way ahead with the ridge rising to Helvellyn's summit at 950m in the cloud.

Looking back at the so called "bad step", just right of centre, which is just a short chimney

easlily climbed down facing in.

                                     

The large memorial to the Manchester artist Charles Gough stands above Striding Edge, close to the summit of Helvellyn. In the spring of 1805 he slipped on ice from a sharp rock and fell to his death from here. The story of his faithful dog, which remained watching over its master's body for three months until it was discovered by a shepherd near Red Tarn, was later immortalised in the poem 'Fidelity' by Wordsworth and by Sir Walter Scott.

The summit shelter didn't provide much shelter today though as it is still full of snow!

The murky view of the descent of Swirral Edge. Later the view improved and I could see several teams of climbers gearing up near Red Tarn, which looks frozen but may be not! Even without a guidebook, I could see plenty of opportunity to find grade I/11 climbs and probably avoid the cornice that is still there.