Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam

After arriving in the Lake District and completing the Gowbarrow Fell walk the previous day, Dave and I found our accommodation in Penrith, settled in, enjoyed a few beers in town, and late in the evening were joined by Steve and Chris, who had driven all the way from Hampshire to join us. A few celebratory pints later, we were all suitably merry and eagerly looking forward to this spectacular walk!

Following a hearty breakfast with Allan and Moira, our lovely hosts at Glendale Guest House in Penrith, we drove to Glenridding, met up with our friend Rick, and set off from the village car park toward Rattlebeck Bridge.

It was a damp, rainy morning as we set off, but fortune favored the brave: the continuous morning rain ceased right as we reached the beck. Our planned route climbed from Rattlebeck Bridge onto Birkhouse Moor via Mires Beck, before crossing Striding Edge to Helvellyn, with Swirral Edge and Catstye Cam as subsequent targets.

Our first obstacle proved trickier than expected. Recent rainfall had swollen Mires Beck, and the path crossing just up from Rattlebeck Bridge required care. I bounded across without hesitation, but others hesitated—particularly Dave and Steve, who deliberated over the best stepping stones. After some trial and error, everyone made it safely across.

We ascended Birkhouse Moor in single file with Steve leading. As we climbed, Ullswater unveiled itself more gloriously with every metre gained. Reaching the crest of Birkhouse Moor, we left views of the lake behind, richly compensated by our first imposing sight of Striding Edge. Ominously, cloud banks were rolling over the ridge as we approached Hole in the Wall. Donning waterproofs, we battened down and took a food break while waiting out a passing shower.

Despite the rain interlude, spirits remained high. Excitement peaked when the clouds parted to reveal a crystal-clear view of the entire Striding Edge ridge. Off we went with aplomb! We made our way confidently over Bleaberry Crag and Low Spying How, before negotiating the narrower rocky band of Striding Edge toward High Spying How and the memorial cross.

Rick, Chris, and I took turns leading while Dave and Steve enjoyed following closely behind. After the dip past the memorial, we split up for our individual final scrambles up to the Helvellyn plateau, regrouping safely at the summit cairn.

We met at the Helvellyn summit cairn just as a party of 30 mountain guides on a training walk departed. Phew! We had the busiest crossroads in Lakeland to ourselves—or so we thought, until two gregarious sheep took an unholy liking to Chris and Rick's food boxes! We relaxed on the summit for a long while; with the rain gone and a glorious afternoon unfolding, there was no rush to leave.

For me, the remainder of the route was fresh territory, beginning with the descent off Helvellyn onto the Swirral Edge band. While less celebrated than Striding Edge, Swirral Edge proved a thrilling challenge, requiring careful scrambling where Dave took a slight tumble—scuffed but completely unhurt.

After navigating Swirral Edge, I led the way up Catstye Cam—a wonderful, sharp-peaked pyramid mountain that Wainwright rightly praised for its soaring lines. We scaled the top and paused to soak in the magnificent views before beginning our descent.

We headed down the southern slopes near Red Tarn to follow Red Tarn Beck along Glenridding Common in warm afternoon sunshine, accompanied by the soothing sound of tumbling waterfalls. Reaching the Glenridding Youth Hostel, we joined the final mile of unpaved track back to the village—easily the least inspiring section of an otherwise true epic walk. Back at the car park, we agreed it had been an absolute masterclass.