Start point: Patterdale (NY 394 160)

Patterdale – Hole-in-the Wall – Striding Edge – Helvellyn – Swirral Edge – Catstycam – Birkhouse Moor – Patterdale

Distance: 7.8 miles     Total Ascent: 925 metres     Time Taken: 5 hours 30 minutes

Weather: Snowy with blue skies and a light breeze – perfect. 4°C

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!