Left nice and early so managed to get to Wythburn car park at 10.00. The car park would have cost me £5 but the ticket machine was “Not in use”. Great.
A group of Polish (I think) people were smoking in the car park and set off before me. A short time later I overtook them, to say they were inappropriately dressed just doesn’t cover it, ready to go clubbing more like it!
Lovely walk through pine woods, rising steeply onto the fell with a few craggy bits and water chasing down. I’m starting to see what Wainwright means, it’s more interesting in terms of variety of landscape.
Fairly got up quickly. Had a chat with a bloke on the way and even patted his dog. Turned right at the junction and whizzed up to Nethermost Pike. Windy and some hard drizzle on the tops. Short whizz up to Helvellyn having looked across at large quantities of mad people doing Striding Edge despite the great wind and cold. I was told it was only 5 degrees on the top, but in my new Paramo I didn’t feel cold at all.
There was a tent on the summit which may have been connected with a triathlon (swim, “run” [not when I saw them!], bike). Also saw another tent down by the tarn and another one on my way down.N
Quick look round the top, had my sandwich in the rather grim shelter, sharing it with a couple and 2 small dogs with coats on. Wretched dogs far too close to my sandwich for comfort so had to eat it fast. I did feel cold in the windiest section of the shelter so didn’t hang about. Then more whizzing back down. A little rain on the way down but got down very quickly.
I never saw the Poles again so think they must have given up quite early on.
Great to have a walk with actual views for a change and not loads of rain.
[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=helvellyn&aq=&sll=54.541601,-2.988281&sspn=0.125474,0.41851&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Helvellyn&t=m&ll=54.527059,-3.017635&spn=0.029885,0.051498&z=13&iwloc=A&output=embed&w=300&h=300]
Please visit Map and Compass and learn how to interpret a map with me and my navigation partner, Cath.
