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.
Jan Mašek says
Whoa, I’ve never seen so amazing one morning’s haul. One theme, still great diversity, every picture is exquisite. Unbelievable.
Thanks, Honza
Sean says
Thanks Jan, it was a perfect morning on the fells 🙂
Steve Bailey says
Wow! Some amazing pictures there, thanks for sharing them
Sean says
Thank you Steve, fabulous conditions – I could have stayed up there all day!
Jeanie Lazenby says
Magical! What a treat to be there and see that inversion. Love the images, especially the peak of Catstycam and Striding Edge peeking out. The first of the two images of Fletcher sat watching the view pulled at the heart strings 🙂
Sean says
Thanks Jeanie, yes it was a special treat indeed to witness that sunrise and inversion. It’s a big world for little Fletcher!
Nigel Wilkins says
Fantastic conditions! I’m only a little bit jealous…
Sean says
Hi Nigel, thanks – I struck lucky this time!
Sean
Angela Haworth/Clarke says
Catching up post Christmas – great walk and lovely views. Whilst you in the north were all enjoying cloud inversions and blue sky pre-Christmas we here in the Peak District were stuck in a grey fog for days on end. Finally saw blue sky and sun post Christmas
Looking forward to us both getting our websites full with many more walks in 2022.
Mitchell says
Insane pictures!
I think I was there on the same day, topped out of striding as the sun was rising.
Looking forward to some nice inversions this year, fingers crossed!