Striding Along The Edge

Day 26 – Wednesday 15 April. Back to walking alone (it’s OK, I don’t mind) I arrived at Patterdale about 0845 and parked outside the school, reckoning it wouldn’t be a problem during the Easter Holiday. Despite gloomy forecasts the weather was nice and bright although I was worried that the high winds might cause problems on Striding Edge. A Green Woodpecker was yaffling almost non-stop while I put on my boots and set off.

It’s a long path up towards the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ and then on to Striding Edge itself, the Lake District’s finest arête. The wind direction must have been right, as it felt only a bit breezy, and the rock underfoot was nice and dry, so I enjoyed the ups and downs on the narrow top. Even the ‘tricky’ 20 ft scramble down the rock tower at the end seemed easy, although the final pull up to the summit of Helvellyn (3118’, visited for the second time) is a nasty scramble up loose scree. Once on the top plateau the wind showed itself and was pretty strong.

It’s really just a pleasant ramble south to traverse Nethermost Pike (2920’) and Dollywaggon Pike (2810’): there are great views from the edge over the eastern crags but the wind made it difficult to walk too close to the edge all the time. After Dollywaggon Pike there’s a long descent to Grisedale Tarn, which I skirted above and to the west to get on to Seat Sandal (2415’). Mike had wanted to climb this from Dunmail Raise two or three weeks ago to save time and energy today, but I declined, so I pulled his leg when I spoke to him this evening by saying it was only a twenty minute climb from Grisedale Tarn. It was, really. But the descent east back to the tarn is very steep and shaly in places, needing care. The views to Fairfield, Cofa Pike and St Sunday Crag were quite impressive.

St Sunday Crag (2756’) looks huge from this direction and a bit daunting, but the path which slopes up to Deepdale Hause is without difficulty and from there it’s a straightforward ridge walk to the summit. Birks (2040’) was the final, grassy top, after which I was back at the car, with the Woodpecker still laughing, by 4.00. I decided I just had time to make a detour to Coniston to pick up the walking poles which I had left in Harry’s Café a couple of weeks before. The Easter traffic was bad around Ambleside but the poles were still there behind the counter, so thank you Harry!

I can't count Helvellyn again so that makes 145 - should get to 150 tomorrow...

Photos: 1. Looking back along Striding Edge; 2. Still some snow left at Helvellyn Summit; 3. Grisedale Tarn and Seat Sandal; 4. Looking from Seat Sandal to St Sunday Crag, Cofa Pike and Fairfield.