The forecast was making it look to good to miss today and fortunately they got it right. Striding Edge was looking good today, very good in fact with views for miles.

It seems like an age since I have been out but regular viewers will know why; it has been a lot of hard work for us with setting up the shop and the business. It will all be worth it though hopefully, but it was great to get out in the fresh air again this morning even if the weather was not the best after a week of lovely sunshine and where better to go than Striding Edge?

Things didn’t look good first thing this morning, the rain was belting down throughout The Lakes and the wind was rattling the windows at home. Normally this would not be a problem, but today was the day of the inaugural StridingEdge.net walk. Would it be ruined? Should we do a low level walk? No! was the answer from the troops meeting at Patterdale. So, onward and upward…

Wow, what a day today – bright blue skies and crisp white snow made for perfect walking conditions to Helvellyn via Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. Today I was joined by regular contributor to this site, Andy Lang; on the walk we bumped into Graham Thompson and the Trail magazine team doing a feature on Striding Edge and then Andrew Leaney on the summit of Helvellyn. Up on Catstycam we were alone and it didn’t look as though many had trod there today – only a couple of sets of footprints!

Back up to higher ground today with a walk to Helvellyn from Glenridding, ascending via Birkhouse Moor and Striding Edge and descending via Swirral Edge to Catstycam.