Coming off Striding Edge on to Helvellyn

Another glorious day in the Lake District. This time a shorter but spectacular walk and scramble to the summit of Helvellyn via the one of the best ridge walks in the country - Striding Edge - which you can see in the background.

It's a long walk up the side of Grisedale from Patterdale to gain the ridge, always aiming for the hole in the wall on the skyline which never seems to get any closer.

The ridge is only a few hundred yards long, airy and exposed, especially if you try to follow the exact ridge line. This is the third time I've been along the ridge and Susan's second. We just wanted to see if we could still do it 12 years after the last time.

There are still a few such ridges to do, especially Sharp Edge on Blencathra, so that must be our next objective.

We sat on the summit ridge for lunch overlooking Red Tarn and Patterdale just above a very steep snow bank. While we were there a chap came along with skis and poles and sat contemplating going down that snow bank.

As we were descending Swirrel Edge off he went, slaloming down this bank of dirty snow arriving safely at the bottom. He then promptly climbed back up to the summit and, we're told, did it again.

All that remained was for us to complete the long descent back to Patrerdale and enjoy a couple of cups of tea, a wallow in the bath , but a couple of foaming pints and another sparse dinner.