Patterdale, February 2003

15th February 2003 - A Very Long Walk Up Helvellyn

This started off as a walk along the Helvellyn Ridge, via Hart Crag, Fairfield and Grisedale Tarn. Having done a winter mountain skills course the weekend before, I was well aware of the need to take crampons and an ice-axe. So I didn't take either - well, my friend didn't have any, so it seemed a bit pointless (excuse the pun). The weather was absolutely incredible - you could see for miles, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and this was February! Ok, so it was very very cold, but there was no wind, so all in all it was very pleasant. On reaching Helvellyn ridge, we found it covered in a sheet of ice, and the intended route down towards Red Tarn was a cliff of ice. So, following a twisted knee (crampons would definitely have been a help), a slight detour was in order. We ended up having to walk all the way to Glenridding. We arrived in Glenridding as it was getting dark. And then there was a long walk along the road back to Brothers Water. Luckily there was a full moon, so at least we could see vaguely what we were doing. However, in the dark, we missed the back route into Brothers Water by quite a distance, and had to go back and find it. Eventually arrived back at the campsite at seven or eight in the evening, having covered 19 miles since leaving at ten that morning... an epic indeed! The day finished off with a meal cooked outside and a bottle of birthday wine - with ice crystals in it! The gas canisters constantly had to be cycled up jumpers and into sleeping bags to keep them working. Extreme stuff! Anyway, following all this was a well deserved night in the campsite bar.