Sir Swirral - Photo Gallery
Walking with Fellrunning, I hope he's gentle with me.
Started from Glenridding, not many people around at 9 o'clock as we set off towards the Greenside Road. The abandoned mine workings around Swarf Beck are fascinating, ugly scars on the fellside but fascinating to think of the efforts of the miners in creating them. Follow the path signposted to Sticks Pass but ignore the rising path on the right hand side and continue on the level path until the breached dam at Keppel Cove is reached. Another masterpiece of ugliness.
Find a place to cross the stream coming down from Brown Cove and climb steeply over grass and boulders to reach the crest of the north west ridge of Catstye Cam and continue upwards. The dam, the sheepfold and Keppel Cove quickly look a long way down as height is quickly gained, there is a school party below, I can't believe that some of them are crossing the dam.
Keeping to the crest of the ridge and a path suddenly appears, an obvious path that leads all of the way to the top, the short snow flurry was the worst weather that we saw all day. I can't believe I climbed this fell in snow a couple of months ago, it really is very steep and quite exposed in places but I suppose that's why I love it. Swirral Edge is in view for most of the climb, it looks quite daunting, steep and icy.
The summit of Catstye Cam is what the word summit was invented for, a shapely steep sided cone providing excellent visibility all around, at least as far as Helvellyn anyway, it is misty in the distance. Red Tarn below looks black, the shiny ice on the surface reflects the white outline of Striding Edge, the blackness of the tarn is contrasted with a white icy edge. Towards Swirral Edge with a slight feeling of apprehension, the dark crest of the ridge is outlined by snow and ice.
I haven't walked the crest of Swirral Edge before but today all of the alternatives paths are iced up and far too dangerous, the crest seems like a good idea. It was a good idea, an excellent rocky scramble, some leg stretching required but no real problems, keep stopping to feel the height and the exposure – wonderful. You have to admire those ice climbers as they climb the corrie wall straight up the east face of Helvellyn. Towards the top larger boulders harbour patches of ice and the final exit is across ten feet of hard packed icy snow but with care and without thinking of the consequences of slipping down backwards the summit plateau of Helvellyn is reached.
All of a sudden there are plenty of people around, and all of a sudden the strong breeze chills you to the core if you keep still for too long. Time to descend Striding Edge if we can find the way off the summit on the scramble downwards, there it is close to the memorial stone in the middle of an ice field. Peter in his running shoes goes down first but I don't feel safe until I've put crampons on, but in putting them on my hands have become very cold I think, I can't feel my fingers but I think they must be cold.
I really quite enjoyed walking down the steep snow covered path whilst Peter found his way down over the rocks and grass to the small col at the start of Striding Edge itself. Crampons off again and out of the wind my hands warmed up quickly. Once again, the crest of the ridge is the only viable option, there is no ice at all on the rocky, narrow top of the arete. I haven't descended Striding Edge before but I have lost my fear of it and walking upright all of the way along the crest is a wonderful feeling.
At the bottom of High Spying How we met Karen for the first time, her friend has the most ridiculous spiky hat I've ever seen, Karen is worried about the path to the top of Helvellyn being icy. At the bottom of Striding Edge we have a route planning meeting, should we go over Birkhouse Moor or drop down to Patterdale. Sod it, let's go back the way we came.
What an excellent idea, the only problem with Striding Edge is that it usually doesn't last long enough. Back at the start of the scramble it is easier to find a way back to the top without using crampons although the last ten feet of icy snow is best done on all fours without thinking about how steep was the climb I've just done to get here.
We walked back to the top of Swirral Edge, and Karen and The Hat are there quite rightly concerned at getting down over the ten feet of icy snow. So how do we rescue a maiden trapped by the Swirral monster, have we got a knight in shining crampons? Before I had considered the consequences the words had already come out of my mouth, “Why don't I put my crampons on and you can hang on to me?”. A ludicrous suggestion, gratefully accepted and successfully accomplished.
Another fine walk along the crest of Swirral Edge before the final easy climb to the summit of Catstye Cam, calf muscles now complaining every two minutes. Mist had now covered the summit of Helvellyn and was threatening to overtake us but by the time we had got the the bottom of the easy eastern descent from Catstye Cam blue skies appeared and the tops were clear.
The final walk back to Glenridding on the opposite side of the beck to the mine road gave us more problems with ice than in the rest of the day put together as the streams had spilled onto the path and frozen.
Climbing Helvellyn will never be the same again, Striding Edge once just won't be enough.
Andy Wallace 20th February 2003