Helvellyn weekend

We left the peak this weekend and returned to my home territory of the Lakes for a weekend at the Helvellyn Youth Hostel with a group of climbing friends. It's an annual event we have in different locations every year, with a weekend of outdoor activity doing what ever suits you, and then a fantastic meal laid on for the Saturday night.

We left our daughter at my parents for the Saturday night, and it was nice to relax and let our hair down knowing she was in safe hands. Eventually making it to bed at the unbelievably late hour of about 1.45am after a marathon session on Sing Star, encouraged by too much wine.

The evenings festivities had been precede for me by a fantastic run out on the tops around Helvellyn.

I climbed up from the Hostel along the side of White Side Bank, hitting the summit at the cairn there and then returning along the ridge to the summit of Raise.

Whilst up there it was fantastic, winter in full effect with fantastic winter views across most of the Lakes. Superb, reminding me why I love the mountains so much and more specifically my love of the Lakes.

With a few odd stares and a few questions asked I ran past walkers in gore-tex's and crampons, making sure my Inno's gripped the snow and ice well. Great fun.

From Raise I dropped down towards the mine workings above the Hostel, but feeling good I decided to push on further, turning east to go up again and aim for a contour round Sheffield Pike and into Glencoyne.

Glencoyne was beautiful, with no one else around, I traversed round to the fantastically named "Seldom Seen" farm, but before I reached there I headed up and over the shoulder of Sheffield Pike, leg burn on the push back up the steep incline reaching a maximum.

Once up and over the top I could feel the cold wind coming off the larger mountains at the top of the valley, reminding me that was still very much winter. Heading down the steep bank to the road that leads to the hostel, I have to dig my heals deep to ensure I don't lose my footing.

Back onto the track and I make my way back up to the hostel, my legs are heavy and my energy is starting to run low now. I push on, extracting what's left of my energy supply, as I do so my mind starts to wander with the end in sight. Passing the Travellers Rest, I can smell the ale drifting out of the bar and the quick gasp of warm air as someone opens the door. I'll be back here after a shower I think.

What a great weekend away we had.