Helvellyn via Striding Edge

Route: Striding Edge and Swirral Edge

Meet at: Outside the Fairlight Guest House, opposite the car park in the centre of Glenridding, Postcode: CA11 0PD. As an environmentally conscious group, we actively encourage car sharing. Further details of car sharing arrangements from Sheffield, Manchester and elsewhere will appear in the comments section nearer the time.

Striding Edge is the most famous mountain ridge walk in England and on a summers day it makes for a classic outing. Traversing this dramatic long narrow ridge with its many outcrops and pinnacles provides a real knee trembling adventure for beginners and a highly pleasant easy outing for seasoned mountaineers.

The full day will include a short pleasant stroll to Grisedale Bridge, a long steady ascent of the foothills over Patterdale Common to “The Hole In The Wall”, a Grade 1 scrambling traverse of Striding Edge and scramble to the summit of Helvellyn (at 950 metres, the third highest mountain in England) where we will take a well earned lunch break before an entertaining semi scrambly descent of Swirral Edge and a long easy walk down the banks of Red Tarn Brook with plenty time to reflect on the adventure we’ve just had high up on the mountain before returning to our starting point in Glenridding.

Photos from some of our previous outings on Striding Edge can be seen here:

https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/33609441/

https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/33090207/

Difficulty: Grade 1 scrambling and low in the grade but with some exposure. Suitable for adventurous beginners with a head for heights. For more information on scrambling grades see:

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/understanding-scrambling-grades

While this is a technically easy, low grade scrambling outing, it is still not to be taken lightly.

Experience Required: Some previous winter mountain walking/scrambling experience is strongly advised.

Duration: Approx. 10 km with height gain of approx. 850 metres. Estimated time 5 to 6 hours.

Ordnance Survey Map: OS 90 Penrith & Keswick 1:50,000 scale.

Guidebook: Scrambles in the Lake District Volume 2: Northern Fells published by Cicerone Press.

Accommodation: For those of you thinking of staying over and making a weekend of it, we can make the following recommendations:

Sykeside Campsite and Bunkhouse: https://sykeside.co.uk

Gillside Campsite and Bunkhouse: https://www.gillsidecaravanandcampingsite.co.uk

Patterdale Youth Hostel: https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-patterdale

As always, if everybody wants to contribute £2.00 towards our Meet Up site fees and other operating costs that will be great, thanks.