Walk Notes

After a few walks with the “C” party of the Barrow Ramblers I thought that I would undergo the task of joining the “B” party and get the summits visited. I am hoping over time I will conquer all 214 of the “Wainwrights”. I joined the party at Patterdale when we got off the coach, the weather didn’t look too promising at first but quite soon after it started to brighten up. The climb from Patterdale to the “Hole-in-the-Wall” I regard as quite a drag and very strenuous, at one point I wondered whether I would make it………..but, I am sure it was fellwalking’s way of blowing out the cobwebs as this was the first mountain I had tackled in 7 years………the last being Black Combe (1970ft) in May 1998. When  we arrived at the Hole-in-the-Wall we stopped and had lunch and after 20 minutes we then started the ascent of Striding Edge. It had always been an ambition of mine to do this walk. We gradually climbed up Striding Edge ever higher until we reached the “Rock Chimney” and I was amazed at the amount of people on Striding Edge at that point. After conquering the rock chimney (or walking the path under it like I did!!) there was an awkward scrambly climb upwards to the summit of Helvellyn (3117ft), I found this part quite a challenge, tiring, but very enjoyable. At last, I eventually reached the summit of Helvellyn (for the second time as I had an earlier walk to Helvellyn from Nethermost Pike with the Ramblers in 1995). I was overjoyed when I reached the summit, from there we went on to Helvellyn Lower Man (3033ft), White Side (2831ft) and Raise (2897ft) and then descended down Sticks Pass and on to Glenridding. Although I was completely shattered when I got back, I am glad I did it. I will be staying with the “B” party.