Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Grisedale Tarn, St Sunday Crag and Birks

It was a beautiful day—Wednesday, June 27th, 2018—unblemished and glorious. Parking in the supplementary pub car park in Patterdale, I set off alongside the A592 past St Patrick's Church, turning left at Grisedale Bridge toward Thornhow.

Beginning the climb from the Grisedale valley to Hole in the Wall in the shade of Brownend Plantation, it was already hot by 10:00 AM. Gaining 500 metres of elevation over 2.5 kilometres required a steady, determined pace. Along the way, I chatted with a father and his two sons tackling Striding Edge, and a young couple from Glasgow crossing the edge for the very first time.

Reaching Hole in the Wall, I took a brief rest before beginning my third crossing of Striding Edge from east to west (my fifth crossing overall). Approaching Bleaberry Crag, Red Tarn glistened with a million smiles, welcoming me back to the awesome spectacle of Helvellyn, Swirral Edge, and Catstye Cam.

Crossing Bleaberry Crag and tackling the castles of Low Spying How and High Spying How (the Chimney) required careful scrambling and hand-foot coordination.

After completing the ridge, a final 100-metre haul up Helvellyn's east face brought me to the summit plateau. Standing at the trig pillar, views stretched north to Catstye Cam and Ullswater, south to the Coniston Fells, and west to the Scafells.

Leaving Helvellyn behind, I walked due south toward Nethermost Pike and High Crag, passing the memorial stone marking where the first aeroplane landed on Helvellyn in the winter of 1926.

After a steep, short climb to High Crag, I stopped for lunch and soaked my feet in the cooling air while admiring Striding Edge in the distance. Continuing across Dollywaggon Pike, I descended to Grisedale Tarn, where youngsters were swimming and cooling off. I joined them by soaking my hat and splashing my trousers in the refreshing water!

The final climb up Deepdale Hause to St Sunday Crag was a tough 180-metre heave in the relentless afternoon heat. Reaching the summit ridge and heading toward St Sunday Crag's eastern viewpoint revealed breathtaking views of the boomerang shape of Ullswater framed by Birk Fell and Place Fell.

Descending via Birks completed a glorious, unforgettable ridge walk back to Patterdale.