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Helvellyn - Striding Edge, Swirral Edge.

Helvellyn - Striding Edge, Swirral Edge.


Postby A Drunken Taffer » Thu May 22, 2014 2:16 pm

Wainwrights included on this walk: Birkhouse Moor, Catstyecam, Helvellyn

Hewitts included on this walk: Catstyecam, Helvellyn

Date walked: 21/05/2014

Time taken: 4

Distance: 13 km

Ascent: 949m

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Helvellyn - With Striding Edge, Swirral Edge and Catstyecam

It's a Wednesday, the sun is shining and I have my opportunity to tackle Helvellyn on a clear day. I grab my bag (and apply a lashing of sun cream) and jump in the car heading for Glenridding.

Parking on the road leading up to the Travellers Rest (It's free, the joy :wink: ) I don my rucksack and head up the road toward the pub. I get no further than 100m before having to stop to take off my fleece as it really is that warm!

Layers succesfully removed I head along the steep path that runs alongside Miresbeck, turning around every so often to enjoy the views of Ullswater opening up as I gain height.

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After following the path for a good while I reached the top of Birkhouse Moor, and Helvellyn with its two glorious ridges came into view.

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I had decided to take Striding Edge on the ascent, and descend the other side using Swirral Edge. Making my way up toward Striding Edge I came across two gents, stopping to have a chat one of them told me that he got to the start of the ridge and vertigo took over, so had sensibly turned back. We chatted for a while about different routes up the mountain without the ridge walks before I bid them good luck and carried on.

Striding Edge in clear weather, is not for those with vertigo but fortunately I have never suffered from it! Choosing the actual ridge walk as opposed to the path slightly further down I wandered along the Edge thoroughly enjoying myself, stopping every so often to take photographs.

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After the final scramble up to the summit plateau of Helvellyn I turned to view Striding Edge in all its glory.

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I then strolled along to the summit point of Helvellyn. I wandered around the summit for a while, enjoying the phenomenal views in all directions of the Lake district. before making my way to the cairn at the top of Swirral Edge where I stopped for a spot of lunch.

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I then descended along Swirral Edge, and carried on along the path to the summit of Catstyecam, before descending back to Red Tarn. I then followed the path winding its way down the Grisedsale Valley. A slight uphill segment at the bottom of the valley led up to Lantys Tarn.

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From Lantys Tarn it was a simple downhill through a field of bluebells back to Glenridding and the car.

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A superb day out, would definitely recommend to any who have not yet walked Helvellyn. 8)
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A Drunken Taffer
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Posts: 46
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Re: Helvellyn - Striding Edge, Swirral Edge.

Postby houdi » Thu May 22, 2014 9:19 pm

Makes all the difference when you get a nice sunny day. First time I went up Helvellyn the cloud line was right up to the summit edge. I was standing at the Swirral Edge marker cairn staring down, hoping it would clear long enough for me to see the way down, when a bloke stepped up out of the mist from Swirral Edge. I nearly sh*t myself!
houdi
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Re: Helvellyn - Striding Edge, Swirral Edge.

Postby colgregg » Thu May 22, 2014 9:46 pm

Ever the Lakeland classic. Glorious weather too, nice one.
colgregg
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Re: Helvellyn - Striding Edge, Swirral Edge.

Postby AJNicholls » Fri May 23, 2014 8:29 pm

Good stuff and nice pics too. Did Striding Edge last Saturday and Swirral Edge last Sunday. Helvellyn is certainly an interesting mountain. :)
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