Helvellyn Sunrise

Walked on 17/12/2021

Start point: Wythburn (NY 324 136)

Wythburn – Birk Side – Nethermost Pike – High Crag – Dollywaggon Pike – Seat Sandal – Wythburn

Distance: 8 miles Total Ascent: 1042 metres Time Taken: 5 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 06:30

Clear                 
Temperature      5 ℃ 
Felt like        5 ℃
Wind Speed       1.3 mi/h
Wind Direction   ENE

Regular followers of this site over the years will know I like a sunrise walk and particularly at this time of year up to Helvellyn. All the conditions looked to be good for a decent sunrise today so I felt compelled to go for it, and I am mighty glad I did as it was absolutely fantastic up there. Previously all my December walks up there have been memorably cold but this time it was not so bad. Of course you never know what the conditions are really going to be like walking up in the dark but the view of the inversion to the east when nearing the top was fabulous and I knew I was in for a treat from that moment.

Pre-sunrise and it is shaping up to be a fantastic day ahead.

Ghostly Striding Edge is completely enveloped in cloud.

I had time for a walk along the summit plateau before the sunrise proper - there were another couple of people there to witness the spectacle as well.

Here we go, the first glimpse of sunrise - it is, of course, relatively late at this time of year at around 08:30.

Catstycam looking solitary.

Well worth the wait...

...and well worth a photo or two.

Helvellyn sunrise.

It is absolutely superb this morning.

The clouds look like you could jump from the edge into them. Perhaps you could swim to Catstycam?

Striding Edge looking fantastic, like some sort of prehistoric beast emerging from the clouds.

No man is an island.

Fletcher leads the way from Helvellyn.

Striding Edge is constantly changing with more - or less - being revealed by the clouds as they ebb and flow.

Acres of fluffy clouds as far as the eye can see to the east.

Looking great from every angle.

Fletcher is oblivious to the magnificence behind him.

I did hang around on Helvellyn for a good while (for me anyway) and walked along the ridge a couple of time before heading south to Nethermost Pike, here looking to the west with Bowfell to Great Gable in view through the inversion.

The inversion clouds are sinking away from Striding Edge and Catstycam now.

A penny for them Fletcher.

Heading for High Crag.

A panorama to the west. The central part if the lakes along Thirlmere was clear of cloud.

Fairfield and the Ill Bell ridge beyond.

Seat Sandal under a cloud cap. I stopped on Dollywaggon Pike and had a coffee and watched the fascinating cloud movements unfold. The cloud was pouring from Grisedale Tarn and down Raise Beck and began to fill up the Thirlmere valley.

Looking along The Tongue from Dollywaggon Pike summit, a good place to sit for a while. Amazingly I never saw anyone along this ridge after I left Helvellyn.

...and looking back the other way.

At the old gatepost that marks the start of the steep descent to Grisedale Tarn, Seat Sandal summit is out of the clouds now so let's go for it!

More thoughts for Fletcher on the way down. Oh my, I had forgotten how steep this was!

We're going in!

Then, as if by magic, the cloud has all but gone looking to Fairfield and St Sunday Crag from the steep climb to Seat Sandal.

Grasmere, Windermere and Coniston from Seat Sandal summit.

A brocken spectre? Nearly....sort of...not quite. If the clouds were a bit thicker it would have been a cert from that position but not to worry.

The view from Low Wood on the way home - rarely is Winderemere this calm.

Seat Sandal

Height: 736 metres / 2415 feet Grid reference: NY 34399 11424 Category: The Eastern Fells

Seat Sandal from Great Rigg

Seat Sandal from the old fence post below Dollywaggon Pike

St. Sunday Crag and Fairfield from the descent of Seat Sandal

Grisedale Horseshoe

Walked on 12/10/2010

Start point: Patterdale (NY 394 160)

Patterdale – Hole-in-the-Wall – Striding Edge – Helvellyn – Nethermost Pike – High Crag – Dollywaggon Pike – Seat Sandal – Deepdale Hause – Saint Sunday Crag – Birks – Patterdale

Distance: 11 miles Total Ascent: 1419 metres Time Taken: 6 hours Start Time: 06:45

Weather: Sunny and clear. 13C

I was up early this morning to make the most of the expected good weather to come for the day. I wasn’t disappointed and it turned into a fantastic and memorable day on the fells with incredible clarity and an inversion over the Lake District as well. When I set off from Patterdale this morning (in the dark!), the temperature gauge was showing -1C but once the sun rose it was really warm and I ended up completing the walk in shirt sleeves.

Grisedale route map.

It was below freezing when I left Patterdale and pretty chilly climbing to the Hole-in-the-Wall, here looking back towards Patterdale with Ullswater under the early morning mist.

Sun rising but not visible here yet. That mist is following me up the valley below.

The sun rising over High Street.

All a-glow heading for the Hole-in-the-Wall.

Beautiful sunrise and the inversion has flooded into Grisedale.

Climbing the steep section of the path.

Looking to Birkhouse Moor from the Hole. All the low lying ground to the east is covered with mist.

Helvellyn and Catstycam at dawn.

A panoramic view.

Looking back from the climb to High Spying How.

Even the normally dull as ditchwater Great Mell Fell looks good today, taking on a special interest in the inversion.

The Mell Fells and Gowbarrow Fell rise from the mist, Sheffield Pike in the foreground.

The mighty Striding Edge.

Flat calm Red Tarn.

The view from High Spying How.

Crossing The Edge.

Red Tarn and Catstycam.

Panoramic Red Tarn.

Looking down on Striding Edge.

There is a big inversion to the south too looking over the cross shelter. In fact the whole Lake District is surrounded by the inversion.

The view from the summit of Helvellyn.

Dougal and Casper on the summit.

The 'Isle of Skiddaw', the Vale of Keswick is beneath the cloud somewhere.

A panoramic view of the Vale of Keswick.

Swirral Edge and Catstycam, the Pennines beyond Ullswater.

Cross Fell beyond Ullswater.

Looking into the bright sunshine from Helvellyn.

Looking to the south west from the path to Nethermost Pike. That distant fell (Black Combe), in solitary peeping out in the clouds intrigued me - I wonder what it would be like to be stood on the top of it? Actually, I have had a similar experience on Hard Knott with Connie (here) and you never know whether you will actually ever get above the cloud.

All clear over Bowfell, Scafell and Great Gable.

Striding Edge.

Misty Grisedale.

The view from Nethermost Pike.

Casper takes it easy heading for Dollywaggon Pike.

The Solway Firth is also under inversion between Robinson and Grasmoor to the north.

Dollywaggon Pike from the steep climb to Seat Sandal.

Thirlmere under cloud and Skiddaw from Seat Sandal.

The Vale of Grasmere.

Thirlmere

Saint Sunday Crag and Fairfield from the descent of Seat Sandal.

Seat Sandal from the start of the climb to Fairfield.

I took the path to Deepdale Hause which turned out to be a good one to get to Saint Sunday, well worth a go. It was cold along here though in the shade looking down on Grisedale Tarn.

Seat Sandal and Grisedale Tarn.

Fairfield and Cofa Pike from Deepdale Hause.

Dollywaggon Pike across Grisedale.

Looking west from the climb to Saint Sunday Crag.

The Helvellyn ridge.

The summit of Saint Sunday Crag.

Heading for Birks below, Place Fell beyond.

Dougal and Casper on Birks.

Looking back to Saint Sunday from Birks.

On the edge of heaven?

Ullswater panoramic.

Place Fell.

Striding Edge

Walked on 03/12/2007

Start point: Patterdale (NY 394 160)

Patterdale – Hole-in-the-Wall – Striding Edge – Helvellyn – Nethermost Pike – High Crag –Dol lywaggon Pike – Seat Sandal – Grisedale Tarn – Patterdale

Distance: 11 miles Total Ascent: 1170 metres Time Taken: 5 hours

Weather: All sorts, with snow on the tops. 6oC.

It was a bit wintry to say the least today. The climb up to and across Striding Edge was quite clear but with plenty of soft, fresh snow around. As soon as I hit the top of Helvellyn, the clouds came down and made the views non-existent. From then on, there was all sorts of weather – rain, sleet, snow, hail – you name it! Still, it was nice to get in the snow again. It certainly makes a change from the somewhat damper weather we have had recently.

Grisedale from Grisedale Beck. Looks like there is a bit of snow on Dollywagon Pike and Nethermost Pike.

Looking along Grisedale near the start of the climb, St. Sunday Crag up to the left.

The view from further up the path.

Looking back along the valley to Place Fell.

The climb to the Hole-in-the-Wall.

Birkhouse Moor from the Hole-in-the-Wall.

Catstycam and White Side from the start of the climb towards Striding Edge.

Are you ready for this climb?

Heading for Striding Edge and Helvellyn.

The retrospective view along Low Spying How to Birkhouse Moor and Ullswater. Place Fell seems to be getting a bit of sunshine.

Striding Edge and Helvellyn from High Spying How.

Red Tarn and Catstycam from Striding Edge.

Crossing Striding Edge.

Casper getting set for the crossing. There was a strong wind building across the Edge now.

From further along.

Casper leads the way across the sharp arête.

Looking back along Striding Edge.

The final part of the climb to Helvellyn - plenty of snow up there.

Sunburst over Fairfield.

Striding Edge from the climb to Helvellyn.

Casper - he's doing well the lad!

The Gough Memorial on Helvellyn, erected 1890.

Where did all this snow come from?

In the cloud on a white Helvellyn summit.

Frozen Helvellyn.

Out of the cloud descending from Helvellyn towards Nethermost Pike.

Striding Edge from Nethermost Pike.

A bleak looking Nethermost Pike summit.

Grisedale from Dollywagon Pike.

Seat Sandal from the old fence post below Dollywaggon Pike.

The steep descent down to Grisedale tarn and then straight up the other side for a similarly steep climb to Seat Sandal.

Fairfield and Great Rigg across Grisedale Tarn.

That was about it with clear weather, it was changing almost by the minute now. This is St. Sunday Crag and Fairfield from the descent of Seat Sandal with sleet and hail moving in.

A brief clearing of the weather for a view along Grisedale heading down to Patterdale. A couple of minutes earlier - and later - there were no views.

Falls in Ruthwaite Cove.

Plenty of water around today.

he head of Grisedale from the valley.

Pinnacle Ridge

Walked on 22/06/2004

Start point: Patterdale (NY 390 160)

Patterdale – Pinnacle Ridge – Gavel Pike (72) – Saint Sunday Crag (73) – Cofa Pike (74) – Fairfield (75) – Seat Sandal (76) – Grisedale Tarn – Patterdale

Weather: Sunny and warm.

Another fine and warm day today for a climb up to Saint Sunday Crag using a new route (for me) to the summit, Pinnacle Ridge, a serious and quite challenging technical grade 3 scramble.

The route begins following the Grisedale Valley path until the far edge of Elmhow Plantation is reached.

Nethermost Pike, Dollywagon Pike and Helvellyn from the entrance to the Grisedale Valley. Following the zigzag path up the slopes of St. Sunday Crag from Elmhow Plantation, a grassy terrace is reached. From here it is a right turn to traverse across the horizontal terrace. On reaching a scree fan, Pinnacle Ridge can be seen above with a large, smooth prominent slab clearly visible. This is known as 'The Cannon'.

Ullswater from the horizontal terrace.

Climbing 'The Cannon'...

and the view from the top of The Cannon.

Onwards and upwards from the Cannon

...and again - don't slip! Past The Cannon, the ridge continues over further prominent pinnacles until a difficult rock pitch is reached.

Climbing the difficult rock pitch. Once this is climbed, its virtually home and dry to reach the lower slopes of Saint Sunday Crag. This is truly an exhilarating way to reach the summit.

Looking down Pinnacle Ridge to the Grisedale Valley below. Once onto St Sunday ridge, it is eastwards first to the 'thumb' of Gavel Pike offering a great view of Ullswater.

Ullswater from Gavel Pike. Then an easy ascent to the summit of Saint Sunday Crag itself.

Crinkle Crags and Bowfell from the slopes of Saint Sunday Crag.

Fairfield from Saint Sunday Crag summit. A descent to Deepdale Hause then another ascent to Cofa Pike before the final rocky ascent to Fairfield - a flat, bouldery plateau.

Seat Sandal and Grisedale Tarn from the descent to Deepdale Hause.

Looking back to Saint Sunday Crag and Gavel Pike from Cofa Pike summit.

Bowfell, The Scafell range and Great Gable from the bouldery summit of Fairfield. From Fairfield it's a steep descent westwards and then a very steep ascent to the summit of Seat Sandal which offers good views over Grasmere.