Striding Edge and Helvellyn (3117ft, 950m), 19th September 2016

‘The finest ridge there is in Lakeland’ – A. Wainwright

I had been planning to tackle Striding Edge for a few years now but the weather, work and other commitments had always got in the way – until now! The walk today would also include the descent of Helvellyn over another classic ridge – Swirral Edge.

With the weather supposed to be dry and bright for the whole day we set off from Glenridding in an optimistic and expectant mood, and made our way up towards our first Wainwright of the day – Birkhouse Moor…

Looking back down to Glenridding and Ullswater

Place Fell and Glenridding

The impressive cairn on the northeast side of Birkhouse Moor with Striding Edge, Helvellyn and Catstycam behind

A rather messy and disappointing pile of rocks marks the summit of Birkhouse Moor. From here we head towards the ‘hole-in-the-wall’. This is where the path up from Patterdale joins our path and crosses towards Red Tarn.

Striding Edge, Helvellyn and Swirral Edge

As we continue to gain height I get my first view of Red Tarn

And Striding Edge begins to look a little more menacing the closer we get to it!

The start of ‘the Edge’ begins with a scramble up onto Low Spying How where the view to our left suddenly opens out with incredible views looking towards Fairfield and Dollywaggon Pike and down into the valley below.

St. Sunday Crag

Nethermost Pike

I spend some time here just breathing in the view. Striding Edge photos have been etched in my memory for years and I’d always wondered whether I would actually get to see it for myself. It is an incredible feeling (with just a touch of nerves!) knowing that I’m about to walk over this classic ridge, I could feel the adrenalin running through my veins and my heart was thumping in my chest. It was time to focus the mind, but also to enjoy and savour every step.

Looking back up to Low Spying How

Of course Striding Edge has unfortunately been the scene of many deaths over the years and as we cross the ridge we come across this memorial which is known as the Dixon memorial. The plaque reads: “In memory of Robert Dixon of Rooking, Patterdale who was killed on this spot on the 27th day of November 1858 following the Patterdale Foxhounds”.

Colin going for it along the spine of the ridge

As we steadily make our way along the ridge I was pleasantly surprised at just how comfortable I felt, but this feeling was about to abruptly come to an end! For at the end of the ridge is a huge rock-chimney called High Spying How, and the only way down it is a 7m scramble down almost sheer rock face. At this point many of the walkers who, like us, had never crossed ‘the Edge’ wonder whether there really is no other way down. It becomes a bit of a bottleneck as walkers summon up the courage to continue and many decide to watch others try it first before proceeding!

Looking down to Red Tarn below with Catstycam (left) and Birkhouse Moor (right)

Striding Edge and St. Sunday Crag

Morecambe Bay over Great Rigg

St. Sunday Crag, Fairfield and Great Rigg

After safely making it off High Spying How we are now faced with the final steep pull up onto the summit. The final part of the ascent is tough-going as the path is mainly loose rock and scree and particularly steep. Thankfully it begins to level out and I can see that we have made it onto the summit plateau.

Almost straight away we come to the Gough Memorial. The inscription reads: “Beneath this spot were found in 1805, the remains of Charles Gough, killed by a fall from the rocks, his dog was still guarding the skeleton. Water Scott describes the event in the poem “I climbed the dark brow of the mighty Helvellyn”. Wordsworth records it in his lines on fidelity which conclude as follows: “The dog, which still was hovering nigh, the same timid cry, this dog had been through three months space, a dweller in that savage place. How nourished here through such long time he knows, who gave that love sublime and gave that strength of feeling great above all human estimate”. In memory of that love & strength of feeling this stone is erected. 1890.

The summit of Helvellyn looking towards Catstycam and Ullswater

Striding Edge (left) and the summit shelter

The Coniston Fells

Grey Friar, Crinkle Crags and Bowfell

The Ordnance Survey column

Catstycam in full sunshine and Red Tarn

Our descent is over another classic ridge – Swirral Edge

At the point where Swirral Edge steeply drops down to our right there is another cairn. In this view behind it is Helvellyn Lower Man and White Side.