Striding Edge

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Helvellyn

Walked on 26/01/2009

Start point: Lay by opposite Swirls Car Park (NY 315 170)

Swirls – Browncove Crags – Helvellyn – Helvellyn Lower Man – White Side – Raise – Swirls

Distance: 6.3 miles     Total Ascent: 920 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours

Weather: Cold and clear with temperature inversion. 5°C

It ended up being a day of two halves with the weather, but I really couldn’t have expected anything better than the cold and clear weather complete with a temperature inversion that covered the whole of the south Lakes that I managed to see from the summit of Helvellyn. Later the inversion lifted and completely enveloped me making it a completely different walk during the latter stages.

Helvellyn

Helvellyn route map.

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Sunlight on Blencathra along St John's in the Vale.

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As soon as the snowline was reached it was time for the crampons as everything was iced over making the going slippery. This is the view from where I put them on and all is clear to the north over Skiddaw and Blencathra.

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Looking across Thirlmere to the western fells.

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White Side from the climb to Browncove Crags.

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Ice axe definitely required for this steep section to Browncove Crags.

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Finally up into the sunshine and the first view of a big inversion to the south.

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Great Gable is clear towards the left but there is cloud forming now on some of the other fells around it.

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Climbing higher - can't wait to get to the top.

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Stybarrow Dodd, Raise and White Side. Blencathra in the left distance has a covering of cloud now.

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The mist clearing from Helvellyn.

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The view to the south west...

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...and the contrasting view to the north west.

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All clear now on Helvellyn.

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It was a fantastic day to be on the fells today.

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Casper living on the edge.

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Swirral Edge, Catstycam with Ullswater beyond.

Edges_small

The Edges and Red Tarn from the summit of Helvellyn.

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Swirral Edge.

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The icy trig. column on Helvellyn.

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The southern half of the Lake District is completely covered in cloud today.

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Not many people around today.

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In fact I am on my own now, here looking at the snow corniced edge of Helvellyn.

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Looking to Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike.

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Swirral Edge and Catstycam with Raise distant left - that's the way I am going today.

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Frozen boulders and the cross shelter with Fairfield beyond.

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The Master of the Universe.

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Not much chance of getting a seat in the cross shelter today, it is 'full'.

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The mighty Striding Edge.

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The half buried Gough Memorial.

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Beautiful sunshine, beautiful inversion, beautiful snow.

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Casper in the winter wonderland.

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Helvellyn.

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A final view to the south as I head across the summit to Helvellyn Lower Man.

360_small

A 360 degree panorama from Helvellyn.

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White Side and Raise from Helvellyn Lower Man.

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The mist was starting to form in the Thirlmere Valley below, in fact it felt as though the inversion was moving towards me from the north and west.

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The cloud starts to pour over Browncove Crags.

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Still clear over Brown Cove to Sheffield Pike and Ullswater, Catstycam to the right.

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White Side and Raise from the descent of Lower Man.

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Swirral Edge.

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It's all catching me up now.

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The cloud is now pouring across Helvellyn and engulfing Swirral Edge.

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I've a feeling it is going to get me pretty soon.

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It certainly did! A glimmer of winter sun on White Side.

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A skier on Raise.

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Raise summit.

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Descending from Raise the weather had completely changed and it was now a rather dull day.

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A brief glimmer of blue sky once ,more on the final descent.

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Walking Diary

  • The Mosedale Horseshoe 01/03/2022
  • Caw 18/01/2022
  • Coniston sunset 17/01/2022
  • Blencathra 15/01/2022
  • Scafell Pike 14/01/2022

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