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