Third time lucky!

We did it. For the third time of trying. At last.

I would hazard a guess that if you asked most people to name a mountain in the Lake District, the answer is usually Helvellyn, This is now helped by it having been voted 'Britain's Favourite Walk'. We have been visiting the Lake District in earnest for well over a decade now, but when we tell people about our experiences of trying to complete the challenge of climbing all the Wainwright peaks, the question had always inevitably been 'have you climbed Helvellyn?' We were always slightly embarrassed to admit that we hadn’t.

The first attempt failed because we were woefully unprepared in almost every way, so that attempt was aborted at Grisedale Tarn. Attempt two was slightly better from a preparation point of view, but the weather, coldness and Bro's thigh cramp scuppered that attempt, but we were at least on the Dollywaggon end of the Helvellyn ridge that time. Fast forward half a dozen years and lessons have been learnt, mistakes rectified, experiences put into practice and we finally conquered the mountain.

worth the wait - the view from helvellyn

We have been to Swirls car park opposite Thirlmere countless times over the years. With an old dog, then a young dog then a sick dog, it provided a lovely little spot to park and take a really gentle walk up to Helvellyn Gill where the dogs could potter around by or in the water, without any real effort. The views down the valley towards Skiddaw gave the humans something to look at as well. This time it was different.

We once met a couple on Tarn Crag and got talking about climbing the Wainwrights. They had at that time done around 50, as had we. The difference was that they had done the 50 highest and we, the 50 lowest. As we parted, Bro and I pondered which approach was best. A friend of mine who had never been to the Lakes before, went with her new husband who persuaded her to climb 'something'. That something was Scafell Pike and she hated every minute of it and hasn't been back since. I really think, for us, it has been better to build up to the bigger fells; to make all our mistakes on the relative safety of grassy banks with lower elevations and shorter distances. For all of the first half of the Wainwrights, we had a hugely strong dog on a lead with us, which could have been dangerous on some of the bigger, rockier fells. We've also been able to build up fitness, amass all the right equipment, work out what food and drinks works for us and most importantly, enjoy it and face it with the right attitude.

So back to Swirls car park. We decided to go for the rocky path up to Brown Cove; a 2.5km climb which is not too bad, if a little relentless, but with the added advantage of gaining height quickly. The views of Thirlmere and the northern fells were welcomed at each pause for a breather. Eventually, we summited on a lovely mild September morning and had breathtaking panoramas all around us. It was wonderful and real sense of achievement.

Outdoor Ramblings

‘The greatest adventure is what lies ahead’