Sunset over Grasmoor

Long Shadows in the Moonlight

Well indeed the sun had truly set by the time I got off the fell, moonlight and a decent head torch my only comfort.

Looking back to Skiddaw

Cornice

The day had started late, looking at the weather forecast the evening previously I had expected fog lower down and had delayed my journey so that I don't get to Braithwaite until around ten in the morning. I wish I had got up early, as you can see from the photographs the air was clear and very cold, the snow unconsolidated powder, knee deep in places, everywhere white and wintry. The initial pull up to the shoulder below Grisdale Pike, Sleet How, is pretty steep but the trail is well made and the sun is out, it's very warm work. Stopping frequently for photographs as the views back towards Skiddaw and Blencathra are amazing, Grisdale Pike is still not in view. Then as the ridge proper is gained the vista opens up to encompass the whole horseshoe around Coledale itself. The views stretch from the Solway all the way south to the Langale Pikes, Scafell Pikes and everything else in between. I'm reminded of similar views we had earlier in the year on the Lakeland 3000, except this time it's white not green.

Whiteside

Stopping briefly on the top of Grisdale Pike itself for another photo opportunity it's then down to the col and back up to Hopegill Head, often called Hobcarton Pike, the latter being my preference. The route has to be forged through knee deep powder snow as no one has been this way. There's a crust on the snow and it's exhausting work. Once there Hobcarton provides a welcome rest for food and drink and endless views of the mountains and snow. To the north you can see all the way to Galloway. The ridge to the west, Whiteside, looks positively Alpine.

By now the sun is well past midway in the sky and it's increasingly obvious that the likely hood of getting down before dusk at least is slim. Despite encouragement from a passing photographer extolling the virtue of Grasmoor I declined and pushed on over Sand Hill and down to the col at Coldale Hause then on up the very long slog up to Crag Hill. It doesn't get any easier.

Crag Hill

There's only time to linger briefly at the top of the ridge to take another photo or two, this is too good to miss, before pressing on down and back up to the slight top beyond Sail. Another photo stop and the last of the coffee. Now I'm alone on the hill it seems, everyone else has bailed out down Sail Pass. I push on, despite being very tired and the inevitability of darkness, to the last top on the route, Causey Pike.

Frost

Causey Pike is reached just as the sun was setting. The photo at the head of this entry was taken just before dropping steeply down towards the path and Braithwaite. Moonlight and then the new head torch, bought for the Lakeland 3000 earlier in the year, get me off safely if a little slower then anticipated. The usual. crampons off, then crampons back on, uncertainty adding to the delay.

Crag Hill to Sail

Down to the road at Newlands and there's still some way to go to get back to Braithwaite and then the car. The icy tarmac road is as lethal as any on the hill and seems to go on for ever. That which was a very pleasant summer stroll in shirt-sleeves earlier in the year is now just a grind. Then welcome lights in Braithwaite, a corner shop is still open and a welcome cup of tea is ordered. I realise I have no money to pay, having left my wallet in the car, still a mile or so away but the store owner takes pity on me and refuses payment anyway and indeed offers cake. I declined apologetically. The friendly hospitality is very much appreciated and restores my faith in humanity. (You know who you are, thank you!)

Update: loking back on the times it wasn't too bad after all, excepting of course I got back in the dark. Compared with our last outing in August which took 5 hours for exactly the same route the 7 doesn't seem so bad.

sail

sail, uploaded by rantoutloud.

It's now very late in the afternoon, around 3:40 and there still some 6 miles or more to go. It is going to be dark on the way down.

rime

Rime Ice, uploaded by rantoutloud.

GP

GP, originally uploaded by rantoutloud.

At the start of the day, really at least an hour and a half too late, for which I was to suffer for later in the day.

Tomorrow's Outlook

A light Breeze and minus 2°

The outlook for tomorrow's weather over in the Lake District is good. Enough of this tarmac! breakout the ice axe and crampons, to the hills!
The Mountain Weather Information Service

Oh and it's worth looking at the new mobile weather forecast from MWIS too.

Lakeland Langdale

View from col below Pike O'Stickle

Pike O'Stickle

View Crinkle Crags & Langdale Pikes in a larger map

Coledale Round

Whatever the weather

View Braithwaite-Coldale in a larger map

An un-hurried brisk glorious Lakeland day of changeable weather from thick fog to clear skies, blustery winds to calm and sheltered. Beautiful views over the Newlands Valley with grass so green it defied the imagination. A memorable day for sure.

11 miles, 5327ft of ascent, 5 hours.

Waterlogged on High Street

Haweswater : You can see why

Small Water + Haweswater

The weather didn't look promising desite the weather man on Radio 4 this morning suggesting dry and sunny day with a little showery weather in the North West. Remember this is the Lake District and the Victorians built the resevoirs here for a good reason, it's normally pissing down and today was no exception.

High Street, 2700 odd feet and it's far easterly aspect I thought would keep most of the cloud and rain off, wrong. It was raining moderately when I arrived at the car park at the southerly end of Haweswater, which despite the weather, was already crowded.

The route taken was the one from Haweswater or rather Mardale Head, around the resevoir 'The Rigg' and up the steep, craggy and almost dead straight ridge directly to the summit of High Street. The two main features along the route are Rough Crag and Long Stile are bounded on the north by steep crags that fall into Riggindale and on the south side by Blea Tarn. Beautiful views on a sunny day no doubt but from my perspective today were just notional landmarks 'over there somewhere' hidden in the mist and cloud.

View High Street in a larger map

At the cairn at the top of Long Stile, a brief stop for some munchies, more clothing because it was by now very windy and cold, a chat to some folk doing the same thing a study of the map and then off at a run to the summit itself. The run and the additional layer helps to warm me up but I still can't see anything and decide that common sense means get down and to the pub as quickly as I can!

The route is easy now there's a very well defined path to Mardale Ill Bell and beyond to Nan Bield Pass where the path drops down to Small Water then directly back to the car park.

Final Adjustments : 4 days to go

Training : Final Planning

With only a few days to go it seems like I've a million and one things to think about. The route itself, final adjustments like 'skirt around the top of High Raise save 400ft and so on. With one eye on the weather, op-out clauses, Seathwaite, Wythburn, skip Helvellyn, the potential variations are mind boggling.

Clearly my real mind set is imagining myself on every part of the route, moving strongly and actually completing the trip. I think this approach means half the battle, the mental one, is being started now, before I get on the hill and will give me a much better chance of success. I think the training decision to walk as much of the route as possible over the past few weeks has been really helpful, really positive and one hell of a confidence boost.

Problem is the weather looks shite for Friday night, I don't fancy walking off the edge of Helvellyn into Brown Cove in the middle of the night in thick cloud. Bought a new head torch, Black Diamond H7, bright it is for sure.

9 Days and Counting

Start Time 06:00 12th June 2009

It's less than 10 days to my attempt on the Lakeland 3000. After the warm weekend trip up Scafell Pikes I've been taking it relatively easy. A Hexham run out yesterday evening, the usual 6~7 miles. I don't know exactly how far as I left the GPS at home. Thinking of taking it easy until a final jog on Saturday or Sunday next weekend.

I've carried out some detailed analysis of timings from previously recorded GPS track segments of the routes I've done over the last few months. These have corresponded to the planned and estimated times on my schedule. This is encouraging as it does mean it's possible but on the other had one or two of those tracks were taken at speed. I'm relying on two areas of estimate flexibility. One is many of the recorded tracks include the stops for food or photography and these will largely abandoned. The other is I have conservativly estimated the road sections where I'm really hoping to make up some time. Many of the down hill sections have been estimated as being very similar to the corresponding uphill ones, usually down hill is much quicker than up.

Food and diet will be a feature of the next week or two too, concentrating on packing in the carbohydrates rather than adding protein.

I'll be keeping a close eye on the weather too. I've yet to master the controls on that function!

	Sunrise 4.36	Sunset 21.49		Six AM Start
Location	Light	Leg Distance	Leg Time		Notes
Keswick Moot Hall	daylight	0	0	06:00:00	Start
Skiddaw		5.25	2.5	08:30:00	steep uphill
Keswick		5.7	2.5	11:00:00	down hill
Borrowdale				11:00:00	road
Seathwaite		8.33	3	14:00:00	road
Halt			0.3	14:18:00	20 min stop
Scafell Pike		3.68	2	16:18:00	long uphill
Scafell		1.13	1.2	17:30:00	vertical
Scafell Pike		1.13	1	18:30:00	vertical
Broad Crag		0.5	0.3	18:48:00	uphill
Esk Hause		1.23	0.5	19:18:00	downhill
Angle Tarn		0.75	0.3	19:36:00	down hill
Stake Pass	dusk	1.5	0.75	20:21:00	flat
High Raise	dusk	1.6	1	21:21:00	steep uphill
Wythburn Church	dark	4.3	2.15	23:30:00	long down hill boggy
Halt	dark		0.3	23:48:00	20min stop
Helvellyn	dark	2.3	1.2	01:00:00	steep uphill
The Swirls Car Park	dark	2.5	1.2	02:12:00	down hill
Keswick Moot Hall	dawn	8	3.5	05:42:00	road
		47.89	23.7		finished

Re-Hydration

After the 13.1 miles and over 4,500ft of climbing yesterday in the heat and sunshine yesterday still trying to recover fluid balance.

On days like yesterday it's hard to overestimate the amount of fluid
and energy lost, don't hold back during or afterwards.

Training : Lakeland 3000 Shakedown

The Final Piece of the Jigsaw

View Borrowdale in a larger map

The day started out cool and calm. The photo of Hartsop Dodd captured in a brief stop on the way to Windemere station. On arrival only to find connecting trains late and connections failed, the reliability of Northern Rail brought into question. Would this have happened under good old British Rail?

Re-route via Oxenhome and the delay made up and we're on our way to Borrowdale, via Keswick and the crowds are awakening, some are in Saabs and Volvos and we queue up behind them and process down the road to Seathwaite. This gives us time to view the road and paths which forms one of the road legs of the route itself. It may look easy but I bet there's scope for a balls up and the eight miles from Keswick after the first pull up Skiddaw this will be tough in the heat; if it's as hot as this.

Cresting the hump back bridge at Seatoller and we're brough up a jolt, there are 100's of cars and presumably many hundereds of people too. So much for a Friday being less crowded, it's half term of course.

We're keen to get going and make excellent progress along the path, past the farm where the route crosses the river Derwent at Stockley Bridge. Then on an upwards quite steeply to Styhead Tarn. A quick stop to check the map, it's ages and half a lifetime ago since I've been here. Locating the Coridoor Route another 1500ft and the col at Lingmell is topped. All the while making guesses, which top is that, Scafell, no you can't see it from here.

Great Gable

Its crowded now and the haul up to Scafell Pike is taken as fast as possible, topping out at the cairn 2:10min from the start. Stopping for something to eat and drink, consulting the map and options to be discussed and with decisions made. Scafell is only reached by losing around 850ft and climbing back up, via Fox's Tarn again; then doing it all over again on the way back! The view from the more secluded summit is well worth it.

The route home is via Broad Crag and Esk Hause then Sprinkling Tarn With it's beautiful seclusion and cool and inviting water it's difficult not to linger and swim! Grab a few photos, Gable is impressive from here, then on to Styhead Tarn rejoining the route up, back to the car. Damn it is HOT!

Wasdale to the Top of England

Scafell & Pike

View Scafell via Fox's Tarn in a larger map

Another new trip for me, Scafell and from Wasdale. Tim and I were to reccy the link between Scafell Pike and Scafell by driving into Wasdale Head and then taking a route from there to Mickeldore, the col between the two tops.

We set off in foul weather from the head of Wasdale at about 9:00, wet and windy, the forecast looking to be accurate. Climbing steeply, skirting Lingmell Gill the route goes straight towards Mickledore via Brown Tongue, into the thickening cloud and showery rain. It's warm work and there's the usual dilemma of 'overtrousers' or 'no-overtrousers'. I adopted the latter dress code.

The path steepens at the head of the cove and the scree underfoot does nothing to help forward / upward progress. When it's saturated like this it's more like walking in wet cement. Then suddenly we're on the col itself, cloud and wind making this spot feel very isolated and dropping the temperature enough for us to add layers. We're glad the wind is not at the forecast 'gales' 50mph level, that would have been too much.

Now the direction is down, the other side of the col towards the bottom of the East Buttress looking for a short cut through the rock and vegetation to a point 1/3rd the way up Fox's Tarn Gully. We see several possibilities but nothing definite and its very wet and slippery and opt for the safer option of the Gully itself. This is waterfall climbing, but it's steady and absorbing so the loss of height is quickly regained and without too much time lost. Fox's Tarn itself is just a peaty pool of water with a huge boulder sat in it but provides a necessary landmark, we bear right up the steep slopes behind to the summit ridge. The well cairned path bearing back around to the left to the summit of Scafell proper.

Time for a refuel, food and coffee in the cloud and wind a photo or two for posterity. Then suddenly the cloud parts and we catch a glimpse of Wasdale below, only a glimpse mind as the cloud rolls back in. This is no place to linger and with no view to keep us there we head off back down the way we have come. Finding the top of the gully easily we drop down the waterfall just as wet going down as up.

Mickledore

At the foot of the gully we have a steep climb back up to Mickledore, this time we hug the base of the gigantic cliffs in a further attempt to find the elusive shortcut. This time we do indeed see where the faint 'path' seems to go right into the heart of the craggy moss. Note the word 'path' is a very lose term and I am not confident that in a tired state this is the way forward, better the safer option even if we lose that extra 20~30m in height.

From the end of Mickeldore, just below Broad Stand we see our next objective in the clearing cloud and mist, Scafell Pike. The highest point in England is gained in short order, its now familiar bulky cairn covered with people of all shapes and colours. There's obviously an event on as there's a marshall with a radio and fell runners appearing every so often, only to disappear at an alarming speed. Our enquiries establish that the event is "The Three County Tops", Helvellyn, Scafell Pike and Coniston Old Man.

Author, Wastwater

The route down is via Lingmell Col and is fairly straight forward, if long and steep at the end. The weather plays tricks, at one time heavy showers and others bright sunshine. The clear spells allow some good photos of the unusual view of Mickledore and down the Wasdale valley all the way to the West Coast and the Irish Sea.

Tim looking down on Wastwater

Great Gable and Styhead Tarn

Hellvellyn :A walk on the West Side

From Wythburn to Helvellyn, Thirlmere and back

View Helvellyn in a larger map

It's the first time I have attempted Helvellyn from the west side of the mountain. Starting at the Wythburn car park, just behind the very picturesque church, close to the southern end of Thirlmere Reservoir it self, the route climbs straight up the fell side towards Nethermost Pike and then on to the summit. Some 2550 ft of climb in just over 2 miles.

The Path from the car park, bloody car park charges, don't get me started, climbs steeply through the forest and is all the same quite a pleasant walk. Braking out onto the hillside the views down to the reservoir a spectacular. The clouds are rolling in now and again but from this side the view is good all the way up to Keswick. It's steep and warm work despite the light but cold wind but once the shoulder just below Nethermost Pike is reached the path eases and I can start running again.

There's no one about and its quiet apart from the birdsong, skylarks. The views open up through the mist which is by now obscuring part of the view to the summit, and Striding Edge is obvious. A lone walker appears out of the mist just as we reach the shelter.

A brief stop for more photos and then we're off, following what will be the route on the Lakeland 3000 walk. But then I see the time, progress has been good and I realise if I go down now I'll be back to the car before 11:00. I decide to extend the route over White Side and Raise, two tops I have never visited.

This is good the route is great and apart from a drop down from White Side it taken at a run. Passing only a couple of walkers and one mad person with a bicycle, he's pushing it up hill.

The route then takes a fairly unremitting descent to Thirlmere Village. It's hard on the knees and thigh muscles. At the bottom the path then hugs the side of the hill parallel to the road and an aqueduct for 4~5 miles. Some of it is rough going and very tiring especially as I'm now cold and it's started to rain heavily. This is not a good option for the big one. I practice fell falling just as I get to The Swirls car park and in sight of joe public. The path from here is a wide forest track and is much easier going, except for the final hill in the last mile or two, arriving back at the car just under 4 hours after I left, 10.5 miles, 3000ft of climb.

to go or not to go?

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks iffy with rain and high winds until later in the day. The model is obviously complex and confidence low. Sunday is probably a better bet with a short 12 -18 hour window of less windy showery weather predicted.
-via phone blog.

Me, Mad?

Not compared to Sarah

My planned Lakeland 3000 walk later this spring causes my colleagues to say that I am mad. If you think I am then what would you say about Sarah's race calendar and planned events for this year?

Lakeland 3000

All four 3000ft peaks in the Lake District

View 3000 in a larger map

Update Update

We completed the walk at 3:24 on Saturday 13th June 2009. see Lakeland 3000 for details

The Idea

The idea is to set a challenge for yourself, one that is not totally unrealistic but one that you know will stretch your endurance and determination beyond a point where you have been before and a bit more.

Why?

Why not? Well actually for many reasons:

• To have a focus and reason for getting and staying fit.
• To be sociable.
• To have something to do with spare time, other than work.

The Detail

The actual challenge is to walk the four 3000ft tops in the Lake District in one day starting at and returning to The Moot Hall in Keswick, all within 24 hours and unaided.

That's an approximate total of 46 Miles, 11,000ft of ascent.

1. Keswick Moot Hall 06:00 Friday
   
2. Skiddaw Summit
3. Keswick
4. Borrowdale
5. Seathwaite
6. Lingmell Col
   
7. Scafell Pike
8. Scafell
9. Scafell Pike
10. Broad Crag
    
11. Esk Hause
12. Angle Tarn
13. Stake Pass
14. High Raise
15. Steel End
    
16. Wythburn
17. Helvellyn
18. Thirlmere
19. Keswick Moot Hall 06:00 Saturday
    

Skiddaw : Hey there is a view!

Skiddaw from Keswick Moot Hall

View Skiddaw from Keswick in a larger map

A bright but hazy morning saw me up early and after a brief rather manic drive along the A69/M6/A66 saw me in Keswick by 8:00.

The weather forecast was a bit dire with rain and showers predicted for the afternoon. So, determined to see if there was a view for the summit of Skiddaw I planned the early start. In all the years I have been walking in the Lakes and the many times I have actually been up Skiddaw I have been surrounded in mist or buried deep in cloud and rain and never seen any kind of view from the top.

The other reason for chosing this particular route was to reconnoitre it in preparation for the Lakeland 3000s later on this year. One of the key things we learned from the Yorkshire 3 Peaks trip was that knowing the route meant that virtually no time at all was spent looking at the map. That saved us a huge amount of time as we were inevitably making good forward progress all day, stopping only for food and drink. This walk from Keswick's Moot Hall to the summit of Skiddaw and back, is the first section of the L3K trip. Making sure we can get out of Keswick at the start and back through the town and on to Borrowdale in the dark will be important.

As it was I got a little lost at the beginning and found the dead end that is the road up to the Keswick Hotel and the Station. A short detour and a stop or two two for photos and to embed the path into the memory meant that it took about half an hour to clear Keswick and get to the start of the Latrigg path at the end of Spooney Green Lane.

Once on this path there is no real possibility of losing your way. This is a main road of a path and it continues around Latrigg, forming part of the Cumbrian Way long distance path.

This early in the morning there were few people about and I made good progress, running some of the time, walking otherwise. The climb from Hawell monument is pretty unremitting calling for some determination, head down, keep going. It's not until the shoulder above Jenkin Hill is reached does it become flat(ish) enough to break into a jog again.

The summit is still some way from here but the views are indeed fantastic despite the haze, and its windy a somewhat refeshing cold Southerly breeze bringing a welcome relief.

A short stop on the summit to pat the ubiqutious dog, say hi to passers by and take the odd photograph, using thenew camera's self timer and the trig point as a tripod. But the breeze is actually quite cold and it's not long before I'm off at a fair pace down.

The path is quite steady from the top and I'm able to crack on passing all those still on their way up. Most of these folk are well overdressed or so it seems. Maybe it's just me being a bit self rightous.

View Skiddaw from Keswick in a larger map

The way back is obvious, through the plantaion around Latrigg again and Spooley Green Lane but then I missjudge the road and forget the gate and well get a bit lost on the old railway track back down into Keswick. It's not long before I realise and correct my mistake and get back onto the road, coming back into Keswick along the road in from the A66. Back at the Moot Hall in what is now a crowded market place at about 11:00, 3 hrs round trip, 11.1 miles according to the GPS.

 

Coledale Round: Blistering Pace

Testing Times & Drinking From your Own Bladder

In an attempt to have one big training day this month, prior to and far enough away from from the iROC event, I went to the Lakes and did what is the Coledale Round. I've walked this several times this year alone, it's one of my favourites, taking in the North Western fells of Grisdale Pike, Eel Crag (Crag Hill) Sail and Causey Pike from Braithwaite. The route itself takes all the tops you can see in the photo above, from right to left.

I noted the time I took on the last but one outing was around 4.5 hours for the 9.5 or so miles. The last trip was in a monstrous hurricane and trip times don't count. This time I was aiming to do it as fast as possible, maybe under 3 hours would be ambitious.

Hydration

The new rucksack, Haglof TIGHT PRO, was as the marketing blurb said 'hydration system compatible'. What that actually meant was if you spend another £18 you can fit a bladder and a drinking tube inside the sac and use that instead of your trusty SIGG bottle you have had for the last 30 years.

I have been a bit sceptical about these, thinking that they were just a gimmick and an expensive way of being somewhat anti social. After all it's not as easy to share a drinking tube and bite valve amongst friends than passing a bottle around. However I have to say, today it was just the thing. It meant no stopping, drinking and eating on the run.

It was, and my excuse was there was too much weather. The forecast had been for cloudless tops and fine windless day. The windless bit was correct but by the time I was there, 8:00 it was still cloudy and well I got a wee bit lost coming off Hobcarton Crag. Not really lost you understand just enough to stop and get the map and GPS out to make sure I didn't, get lost that is. Well there's at least 10 mins I reckon.

The pull up from the car park to the top of Grisdale Pike is steep, it progresses in three sections each getting steeper and I found it very difficult at the beginning. More time lost against the plan, mainly down to pacing myself badly from the start.

From the summit of Grisdale Pike, now in thick mist, the path drops down a bit before regaining some height on the pull up to Hobcarton / Hopegill Head. From there it's a long run down to Coldale Hause, the col between there and Eel Crag. Finding the right direction in the mist caused a momentary worry and a dive into the 'sac for the GPS and map just to make sure that I took the right direction, almost due south over Sand Hill.

The next phase of the climb is hard slog, it's a long pull up and round the back of Eel Crag to the top of Crag Hill and I mean a slog. It's no where near as steep as the final ridge to Grisdale but the un-remitting length is what drains the energy.

From the summit of Crag Hill, a well defined trig point if ever there was one, the route takes the Easterly ridge down a surprisingly steep and narrow rocky ridge, across the col to Sail and a number of switch back tops to the final top of the day, Causey Pike. This was taken at an almost constant run, stopping only to pat the dog on the summit of Causey Pike and turn around to go back down to the col and head off down the steepest of rabbit runs to crossing of Stonycroft Gill. On from there through Barrow Door, along the steep gradual path alongside Barrow Door Gill to Braithwaite, parting the various groups of family walkers (....and look Emily he's got special shoes too. )just beginning their day out, at some speed.

The worst bit of the day, the grind up the road from Braithwaite to the car park. It's less than half a mile but steep tarmac and the blisters had really begun to make their presence felt. Back at the car, 3 Hours 28 minutes and 9.87 Miles, according to the GPS. Verdict: over an hour shorter than previous, not bad, shows promise, could do better. iROC still might be possible.

Improvements to the time, iROC is almost2 miles shorter, but just as steep, no mist (we hope) and its taped so no diversions, I wasted 5 mins off track just after Sail, and well there's another month's worth of training to do. Is it going to be enough?

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Blisters

Over the years I have suffered from blisters. No matter what boots I have bought, how much I have spent or how long I have broken them or my feet in I have always got blisters.

Earlier this year I though I had it cracked, new boots some cheap HiTec bendy boots, light weight and for a time blister free. But it didn't last long before they too attacked the back of my feet. Then I was advised to use 1000 Mile Socks. What a bloodless revelation. From that point on I have not had any blisters of any significance.

That was until this weekend, I wore one of them inside out on Saturday. That makes all the difference, the technology doesn't work like that. So I ran all day Sunday with a hole in my foot! Arrrhgg I will not make that mistake again!

For those who wish to look at the gory details see this blisters photo. I do not advise it for those of a nervous or squeamish disposition.

Ice Cold : On the Edge

The Icy Adventures of Gripp Type-Thinne II

"The best snow and ice conditions in 20 years", that's what the man promised and that's what we got. Well pretty much. It was a little misty and the view was restricted later in the day but the conditions underfoot were solid hard neve and just fantastic walking and climbing.

The path up from Patterdale, very familiar now, takes no time at all and stopping only to take the odd photograph the top of the ridge is reached at the Hole in the Wall within the hour. The hole is nowhere to be seen, it's under about 10ft of had packed snow and only the very top of the ladder stile is to be seen.
We stop to put crampons on, Gripp looking very pleased he'd brought them this time. I swapped windproof fleece for another base layer and windproof jacket expecting the wind on the ridge itself to be bighting.

The conditions were fantastic, firm ice and snow making foot placements solid and confidence building, the wind not distracting at all except in one or two places. I even had time to stop and take photos of the mele along the ridge, for it had become obvious that there was quite a number of folk determined to take advantage of these conditions.

The last step down at the end of the ridge required some care, holds and ledges packed hard with ice and then the final pull up to the summit, seeking out steeper ice along the face to make it more interesting.

After a brief stop at the "shelter" made even more tenuous in that regard since all the snow packed into each and every corner had reduced it's meagre effectiveness even further, we set off over the actual summit of Helvellyn to the cairn above Swirral Edge. The steep ice was firm enough to walk down a seemingly impossible slope to the easier ground along the ridge itself. This is no where near the edge that it's bigger brother demonstrates at the other side of the corrie.

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Windward Ho!

The Coledale Round Extreme

The forecast was for extremely windy weather, 60mph + and was described by the MWIS as

South or south-easterly in the range 35-40mph, but on higher summits 45mph, gusts locally in excess of 60mph Will continue to make for very difficult walking on exposed higher areas - with any mobility difficult on highest summits and ridges. Severe wind chill.

I can vouch for the accuracy of this prediction. At one point in the walk I literally had to crouch down and clamber up the path almost on all fours in order not to get blown over the edge. Most of the time I was leaning with a 30 ~ 40° list into the wind in order to stay upright.

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There was a point when I sat down at the summit of Hobcarton Pike, or Hopegill Head if you prefer, when the coffee flew sideways and not into the mug, when the rucksack moved 3' to the left in an instant, when a fellow walker passing by was blown onto all fours, that I nearly decided to go down via Coledale Hause and back along the valley. However foolishness got the better of me and I continued up Eel Crag and along the ridge, Sail and Causey Pike, stepping back along the ridge a while before dropping down to Barrow Door and along Barrow Gill and back to the car at Braithwaite.

The header photo for this entry is taken looking south from the summit of Eel Crag more towards Pillar rather than Scafell group, some of the other shots on Flickr do take in the whole vista.