Start/End : Patterdale
Wainwrights : Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, White Side, Raise.
Distance : 12.6 Miles
Height Gained : 4210 feet
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| The route : clockwise from Patterdale |
This walk is essentially the typical route up Helvellyn from Patterdale and via Striding Edge. The typical return is then via Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam (that route is described here). However, today I wanted to extend the walk further and so from Helvellyn, continued northwards and returned via Sticks Pass.
The walk starts along the single track road in the lower Grisedale valley before bearing off right to ascend the southern flanks of Birkhouse Moor.
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| The road from Patterdale down the Grisedale valley |
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| The path ahead climbing up to Birkhouse Moor |
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| Looking up the Grisedale valley to Dollywaggon (left, pointy summit) and Nethermost Pikes |
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| Grisedale valley with St Sunday Crag left |
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| Looking back to Patterdale |
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| Catstye Cam and Swirral Edge from the Hole-in-the-wall |
Anticipating the usual traffic on Striding Edge I had left at first light and thankfully reaped the benefits, by having the whole glorious arête to myself.
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| Red Tarn |
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| Striding Edge looking formidable |
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| Helvellyn momentarily out of cloud |
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| Red Tarn and Catstye Cam |
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| The start of the Striding Edge arête |
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| The Robert Dixon memorial 1858 |
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| Looking back |
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| The Gough memorial 1980 - Helvellyn |
When I got to the summit of Helvellyn it was under cloud, but the forecast was for this to lift and so I headed leisurely down to Nethermost and Dollywaggon Pikes to have some lunch and watch others hikers slowly picking their way across the now crowded Striding Edge.
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| Striding Edge southern face |
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| Striding Edge from near Nethermost Pike |
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| How many people on there now ?! |
As forecast, the cloud lifted from Helvellyn about an hour later and so I headed on back to enjoy the now clear views.
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| Helvellyn summit |
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| Looking over Catstye Cam towards Ullswater |
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| Looking over Swirral Edge towards Raise, and the onwards path |
From Helvellyn it's easy going on a good path over Lower Man, White Side and then Raise before the terrain dips a little to the col at Sticks Pass. Here, I headed back down to Ullswater and Patterdale.
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| Catstye Cam & Keppel Cove from Helvellyn Lower Man |
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| Helvellyn from its 'Lower Man' |
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| Thirlmere from Helvellyn Lower Man |
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| The northwards path to White Side |
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| Raise summit |
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| The panorama back southwards from Raise |
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| Sticks Pass from Raise |
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| Looking along Sticks Pass to Sheffield Pike |
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| Glenridding |
