{"id":22662,"date":"2023-01-12T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=22662"},"modified":"2023-01-25T15:27:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T14:27:43","slug":"hiking-on-the-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/01\/12\/hiking-on-the-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiking on the edge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
WALK: <\/strong>Helvellyn and Striding Edge, Cumbria <\/span><\/h5>\n\n

Hiking on the edge<\/h2>\n\n

When it comes to pure exhilaration, few walks in the British Isles can compete with an ascent of Helvellyn via the tapering ridge of Striding Edge, promises Vivienne <\/strong>Crow <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

After edging your way along an exposed ridge, clinging to rock and clambering breathlessly up a scree-covered trail, the 950m summit is won and your spirits soar as a line of craggy peaks suddenly fills the horizon. <\/p>\n\n

Welcome to Helvellyn, England\u2019s third-highest mountain. Carved by ancient glaciers and still home to rare flora that has survived since the ice sheets retreated, this gnarly landscape presents adventurous walkers with exhilarating scrambles and a day that will never be forgotten. <\/p>\n\n

Striding Edge and Swirral Edge are best tackled in dry, calm conditions and only by those with a head for heights. Mountaineering gear and experience are essential in winter conditions. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
1 BESIDE THE BECK <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Leave Glenridding\u2019s main car park, turn right along the A592 and immediately right again. Fork right beside the beck. At a minor road, go left, soon joining a gravel path to the right. Keep left at a path junction near a gate and bear right at a fork. <\/p>\n\n

2 UP AND UP <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

After the next gate, turn left. So begins the climb! It\u2019s a slog at first, but you are greeted by the uplifting sight of the pyramid-like Catstye Cam and Helvellyn\u2019s fearsome cliffs. <\/p>\n\n

3 OVER THE EDGE <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Soon after passing \u2013 and ignoring \u2013 a ladder stile in the wall, join a path from the left, making its way to Striding Edge. Either keep to the exciting, rocky apex, scrambling easily over one or two small dips, or use the more straightforward path to the right. The biggest difficulty comes in the form of a rock tower, which has to be climbed down with care. Face into the rock here. Take a breather before the final, lung-bursting pull to Helvellyn\u2019s extensive summit area \u2013 big enough to land a plane on. <\/p>\n\n

4 LAKELAND VIEWS <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

At the top, bear right along the plateau\u2019s edge, passing the memorial to Charles Gough, whose dog guarded her master\u2019s dead body for three months after he fell from the mountain. Pass the summit shelter on the way to the trig pillar, from where the outlook takes in all of Lakeland as well as the North Pennines. <\/p>\n\n

5 SWIRRAL DESCENT <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Keep to the fell edge to find the sprawling cairn marking the path on to Swirral Edge. Carefully descend right to negotiate this rocky ridge. <\/p>\n\n

6 TANTALISING TARN <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

About 500m after leaving Helvellyn\u2019s plateau, fork right. Descend towards the Red Tarn and then fork left to drop into the valley of Glenridding Beck, crossing two tributary bridges on the way. <\/p>\n\n

7 FINAL STRETCH <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Bear left to cross a bridge over Glenridding Beck and turn right along a track near Greenside\u2019s converted mine buildings. Back in Glenridding, turn right after the Fairlight Guesthouse to re-enter the car park.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Watching the sun rise from \u201cthe dark brow of mighty Helvellyn\u201d, as Sir Walter Scott describes the mountain in his poem \u2018Helvellyn\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Vivienne Crow is a photographer and writer who specialises in the outdoors.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photos: Shutterstock<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few walks in the British Isles can compete with an ascent of Helvellyn via the tapering ridge of Striding Edge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":22658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"84","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"84","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_84-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_84-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"February-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"February-2023","purple_external_id":"February-2023-84-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"February-2023-84-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000084065||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084065||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.199","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.199","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.199","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.199","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-01-10T18:06:54Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"3bcd007c-ca59-4514-a52e-6ae9021ff64c","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-01-25T14:27:49Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AO80AfMpZRRSlLmrpAh_2TA","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[30],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7.jpg",1635,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7-240x300.jpg",240,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7-768x962.jpg",768,962,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7-818x1024.jpg",800,1001,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7-1226x1536.jpg",1226,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/12\/57bd40d9-47ef-4734-b512-02158f26c5f7.jpg",1635,2048,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Few walks in the British Isles can compete with an ascent of Helvellyn via the tapering ridge of Striding Edge","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22662"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23028,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22662\/revisions\/23028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}