I spent last weekend walking and scrambling in the Lake District with some friends from uni. It was a brilliant weekend with fantastic weather, over Saturday and Sunday we did the classic route of Helvellyn via Striding and Swirral edge, except with a twist.

On Saturday we ascended Helvellyn via Striding Edge and then continued north along the ridge over White Side, Raise, Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd and Clough Head. Once we reached the end we descended down to Dockray and a well earned pint in the sun.

After an evening lounging in the sun and enjoying a BBQ we got up to another day of sunshine and headed up to the classic grade 3 scramble, Pinnacle Ridge up St. Sunday Crag. It was great fun and we even found the start without too much difficulty, I was surprised while climbing the ridge just how crampon scratched the rock was on a classic summer scramble. Once we were at the top I continued with Rich up to Fairfield, down to Grisedale Tarn and then up to Helvellyn including all the subsidiary peaks before descending down Swirral Edge before finishing on Catstycam. After we reached the final peak we pretty much ran down to the valley which meant the descent took no time, and which meant that from the summit of St. Sunday Crag we completed the walk in 3 hours.

View over Ullswater

View over Ullswater

Walking up Mires Beck

Walking up Mires Beck

Walking up to Striding Edge

Walking up to Striding Edge

On Striding Edge

On Striding Edge

On Striding Edge

On Striding Edge

On the final slopes of Striding Edge

On the final slopes of Striding Edge

On the summit of Helvellyn

On the summit of Helvellyn

Walking along the ridge north

Walking along the ridge north

Walking up to Stybarrow Dodd

Walking up to Stybarrow Dodd

Lovely view towards Keswick

Lovely view towards Keswick

Walking down off Great Dodd

Walking down off Great Dodd

Traversing above Glenridding

Traversing above Glenridding

View over Glenridding

View over Glenridding

At the start of Pinnacle Ridge

At the start of Pinnacle Ridge

Scrambling on Pinnacle Ridge

Scrambling on Pinnacle Ridge

On the pinnacles

On the pinnacles

On the pinnacles

On the pinnacles

On the pinnacles

On the pinnacles

Great position on the final pinnacle

Great position on the final pinnacle

Descending from Nethermost Pike

Descending from Nethermost Pike

Walking back to the campsite

Walking back to the campsite