A wonderful and magical hike above the clouds with the lads for our Christmas walk - I had to be back for a meal in the afternoon so we decided on classic Helvellyn using the Patterdale approach there and back.
Only the real highest tops where above the inversion today as the cloud level had risen.
Cold at valley level but warm on the top. Both edges free of snow but some icy sections needing care.
A day to remember!
- Approaching Striding Edge and already above the cloud
- St Sunday Crag and Fairfield just poking above the cloud
- Classic Striding Edge
- Striding Edge
- Looking back along the edge
- And again
- Spectacular weather
- Final climb now ahead
- Catstyecam sticking out
- On the final scramble to the plateau - don't let the angle he's taken this photograph fool you....it's not that steep
- Looking back along the edge
- Conditions were even better as we reached the plateau
- Must be like this in heaven
- Looking over towards Nethermost Pike and Dollywagon
- Catstyecam and beyond
- Striding Edge from the summit - now slowly being engulfed too
- Just magical
- The summit plateau - not many people about here and warm in the sun
- Only the real highest tops were sticking out today - here's Scafell Pike
- Swirral Edge to Catstyecam
- Anton and Will on Catstyecam
- Andy, Rob and Dan on Catstyecam - it's rare for us all to get together for a walk so even better to get the weather we did
- Looking back at Helvellyn
- One last look at heaven before we drop back into the fog
