Weather: Cloudy and still
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Distance covered today: 14.6km (8.8mi)
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Says Wainwright; “Early writers regarded Striding Edge as a place of terror, contemporary writers, following a modern fashion, are inclined to dismiss it of no account. In fact, Striding Edge is the finest ridge in Lakeland. For walkers, its traverse is always an exhilarating adventure in fair weather or foul, and it can be made easy or difficult according to choice. The danger of accident is present only when a high wind is blowing or when the rocks are iced; in a mist or on a calm day, the Edge is a really fascinating place.” (Thanks to Paul for that quote).
In time, Wainwright became more critical of the Helvellyn route. In his “Coast-to Coast Walk”, he suggests Helvellyn “has two big attractions apart from its lovely name and literary associations – a very extensive view and the exciting traverse of Striding Edge – but it is a tourists’ mountain, very much so: in fact the most often climbed mountain in the country. The paths, worn as wide as roads, are stony and dusty and noisy with pilgrims.”
Those of you who have toiled through my blog will already have experienced my angst about missing Helvellyn and Striding Edge, and indeed my encounter with the red devil. It had to be done! A plan was hatched.
Initially, my idea was that I would climb it with my daughter, Anna and her husband, but as things developed, his family also came on board as well as Edmund, an old friend of ours and an experienced fell walker. The weather looked likely to be a problem, but taking our lead from Wainwright, we decided that we would ascend Helvellyn in “fair weather or foul”, provided only that it wasn’t windy or icy (the latter unlikely in August!). At the last minute, Anna dropped out with a recurrence of an old rugby injury to her knee. (Yes, my petite and lovely little Anna used to play rugby…..)
We set out on the standard circular route from Glenridding to the summit of Helvellyn via Striding Edge and then back down via Swirral Edge and Glenridding Common. In fact I found the paths less worn than Wainwright had suggested and there were fewer people walking than expected, though we were always in sight of other walkers. Wainwright was of course very pernickety about paths and people, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been that surprised. I was intrigued to discover that with an absolute height of 950m and a relative height of 712m Helvellyn is the second highest “Marilyn” in England, though it is of course a minnow compared to the Scottish whales. It transpires that a Marilyn is a mountain or hill in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or Isle of Man with a prominence or relative height of at least 150 metres (492 ft), regardless of absolute height or other merit. The name was coined as a punning contrast to the designation Munro, used of a Scottish mountain with a height of more than 3,000 feet (914.4 m), which is homophonous with (Marilyn) Monroe. See the Wikipedia article here.
Approaching Helvellyn from the Grasmere side, Wainwright commented that “the gradient eases after an eternity of toil” and that was certainly what it felt like to me! In my case though, the excitement of suddenly seeing Striding Edge itself for the first time after all these years completely transfixed me. I found the path along the Edge less vertiginous than I had expected, though I had some difficulty negotiating the scramble at the far end, such that I kept our party waiting while I fastidiously clawed my way down, along and up the rocky ledges. They were all very understanding!
The weather forecast had predicted heavy rain from midday onwards, but the unpredictability of the weather in Lakeland for once worked in our favour, as if apologising for previously sabotaging me on Kidsty Pike! The rain held off until we returned to base from outer space, at which point it literally bucketed down, complete with lightning and thunder. We couldn’t have been luckier.
As we walked over the remarkably amicable breast of Helvellyn to the cairn at the summit, having finally transited the Edge, the sun appeared and bathed the most stunning views I have seen in England in breathtaking contrasts in all directions. Simply stunning!
I now understand why people do this walk more than once…..
The ascent out of Glenridding
Looking back at Ullswater
Lunch at "Hole in the Wall". A moment for serious contemplation!
I can't resist these atmospheric walls in the middle of nowhere
Striding Edge suddenly appears! Those tiny, pointy things are people!
The Edge gets closer!
Looking down at the exquisite Red Tarn
Even closer to the Edge!
Brotherly affection
The valley to the South
Iain ascends the Edge!
Experience.....
We make it to the other end of the Edge
The view from the top of Helvellyn
Nonchalantly approaching the summit
Team pic!
Descending to Glenridding. A thigh-burning 900m descent
The hands say it all!
Elevation profile: Striding Edge is clearly evident, including the perilous little descent just before we faced the scramble towards the top of Helvellyn
