We travelled to the Lake District for a long week-end of walking to compensate ourselves for the cancellation of our Everest trip the day before departure.

Friday the 19th March involved a 5 hour drive to the Lake District, a misty walk up the Langdale Pikes and then to our Youth Hostel at Glenridding.

Saturday dawned a glorious day.  We decided to walk along Striding Edge, up to Helvellyn, Fairfield and back to the Youth Hostel at Glenridding.  Total distance 20Km, with a combined ascent of just over 1500m, 8.25 hours including stops.

On Striding Edge


The summit of Helvellyn and a plaque commemorating the first aircraft to land on a mountain in Britain in 1925

Grisedale Tarn and the path up Fairfield

We then head home to the YHA skirting Patterdale and Glenridding

Sunday started nice and sunny so we headed for Scafell Pike.  We started the walk from Seathwaite to the North of Scafell Pike.  A cold wind picked up and the clouds rolled.  Fortunately the skies cleared after about half an hour and we had another perfect day for walking including sunburn!  Only 14.5Km today and an ascent of 1135m.

Two views of Scafell Pike from Esk Hause.

A panorama just before Scafell Pike and the final climb.

The summit of Scafell Pike

We then descended back to Seathwaite via the Corridor Route and Styhead Tarn