Helvellyn, 26-27 Nov 2022

On Friday evening, I was in the last car to leave for Helvellyn, the third highest peak in the Lake District, with spectacular views and famous scrambles up its two ridges. Excited and apprehensive, with an ominous weather forecast predicting stormy weather, we headed North with driver Sam W. After an initial wrong turn leading us to a dead end, we got up to speed with a banging Spotify playlist. We took a service station KFC refuel and enjoyed an unexpected encounter with another group whose car we had caught up with. With satnav (Sam-nav?) functioning as intended, we made it to the Lakes with minimal fuss and began a bumpy ride uphill to the Bury Jubilee Outdoors Pursuits Centre, our bunkhouse for the weekend. Discombobulated by both the potholes and Sam’s choice of tunes – Spongebob Squarewave, we made it to the right bunkhouse and settled in.

That evening and night were overshadowed by a gloomy weather report, with an expectation of strong gusts of wind up to 60mph at the peaks, heavy persistent rain, and wind chill well below zero. Groups prepared for an early start and a wet day out hiking.

Saturday morning was grey and drizzling. Eager to do a longer walk but uneasy at the thought of being blown off Striding Edge, I ended up plotting a path up Grisedale Tarn via Grisedale beck, a seemingly more sheltered route via the valley, South of Helvellyn.

First heading south-east, we enjoyed a sheltered but muddy trek down the side of the mountain until eventually reaching the beck at the bottom of the valley. Following Grisedale beck, we climbed slowly but steadily. Every bit of ascent came with stronger winds and heavier rain, and by the time we reached Grisedale Tarn the visibility had vanished, and we were struggling to remain steady in the wind. Rather than doing the loop around the tarn as planned, we settled for a wet selfie at the waterfront instead before descending back down the valley. After stopping for a quick, cold lunch, the walk became easier with the wind behind our backs, and we had time to appreciate the quiet views in the valley as we returned to the bunkhouse.

By the time we arrived, chef James and sous-chef Jamie were busy preparing a Christmas meal for the group. I joined the potato and parsnip station with a few others, and soon tray after tray of boiled and roast potatoes were being filled. Three stuffed turkeys were removed from the oven ready to be served, with vegan wellingtons provided for the food-conscious. To accompany this, we had roast parsnips and brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets (of the pig and the vegetarian kind) and a generous portion of gravy. We enjoyed a fantastic Christmas dinner catching up on each other’s adventures of the day.

The wholesome meal and general exhaustion from the hike made for a good night's sleep. Sunday morning came, with a hint of excitement in the air. The weather had cleared and the MWIS forecast promised cloudy but rain-free skies. I put on my still-soggy boots, packed my camera and joined a route heading up towards Helvellyn via Red tarn.

The ascent was good fun, a little windy but nothing compared to the previous day, and we made fast progress. On reaching Red Tarn, our route leader Michael earnt the nickname Poseidon after succeeding in a daring rescue attempt to fetch a fellow walker’s water bottle that had fallen from her bag and was rapidly heading down the beck. Motivated and equipped with a fresh pair of dry socks, Michael and the rest of us headed up towards Striding Edge. With no intention of doing scrambling, myself and fellow hiker-photographer Oliver made good use of our cameras, enjoying the spectacular views down into the valley as we descended towards Hole-in-the-wall. The low sun managed to shine through the cloud cover, revealing a beautifully-lit landscape in every direction. There were great views down to Ullswater, with Helvellyn covered in cloud and mist.

After a very windy lunch break at Birkhouse Moor our group headed down to Glenridding and ended the hike at the Glenridding Hotel with some desserts and a gigantic portion of fish & chips. It was soon time to return to the bunkhouse for a final clean-up, as we packed our bags and set off for the long drive back to Cambridge.

Helvellyn, see you next time!

Trip List: Chris K, Liliia A, Ilia M, Chloe K, Natalie F, Thomas S, Lauren M, Morgan H, Michael A, Isabella M, James W, Grace S, Jamie B, Thomas R, Isabelle G, Oliver N, Darius K, Asher H, Chloe C, Saffron C, Sam W, Morgan H, Nick N, Joonas M, Jiannan S, Linying S, Nikhil G, Qin-Qin L

Author:

Joonas Majaniemi