Start point: Patterdale (NY 394 160)
Patterdale – Hole-in-the Wall – Striding Edge – Helvellyn – Swirral Edge – Catstycam – Patterdale
Distance: 7.6 miles Total Ascent: 900 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 08:15
Weather: Half beautiful, half dull! 7oC
I couldn’t resist a walk over Striding Edge today in winter conditions and at the start of the walk, it looked very promising indeed. I was glad later that I had set off relatively early for this walk as a sheet of cloud caught us and covered the fells whilst I was on the summit of Helvellyn. I cannot complain though as it was a superb walk in brilliant conditions. On the way back down to Grisedale it was nice to bump into a couple of Striding Edge followers and have a chat.

A lone figure ahead on the climb towards Striding Edge. I stopped here to put crampons on and by the time I caught him at Low Spying How, he was admitting defeat and turning back as he was not equipped for the conditions - a wise move I think.

Ullswater beyond Birkhouse Moor. Look at that great sheet of cloud creeping towards us from the north and east.

Dougal and Casper on Helvellyn - there isn't much of the trig. column sticking out of the snow, these two are almost level with it!

Looking back up Swirral Edge. The deep packed snow has smoothed out the normally rough and rocky path making the going more straightforward than usual.