wri t es Simon says
by Simon Hastelow
Striding on the Edge
As I sit down to write this I have the remains of a monumental blister on the heel of my right foot. So large even the special ‘blister plasters’ don’t cover it. But it was gained during a very enjoyable and adventurous outdoor activity, climbing Helvellyn in the Lake District.
This might sound like the opening from a church parable about being prepared, facing your demons and soldiering on. Although it does feature all of those elements, I’m not preaching, just recounting the day. I hope you’ll forgive that it does not feature a 4x4 or any other motorised vehicle, other than my wife’s gutless Vauxhall Corsa that also struggled with some of the higher routes through the lakes. That is a moan for another day.
We’ve had this trip to the Lake District on the calendar for two years, originally booked in 2019 but we postponed it due to work commitments. Then it was rescheduled for the middle of the first wave of Covid, before we knew that was going to be a thing. Finally re-booked for the week after the restrictions ended. Luckily the delay for the those restrictions didn’t apply to selfcatering accommodation so we went ahead. The lengthy delays gave my wife the opportunity to add more and more activities to the wish list which, if we did all of them, would easily occupy a month-long trip rather than the week we had available, so we had to prioritise and Helvellyn was No.1 on the list. At 950m elevation it is the 3rd highest peak in England after Scafell (964m) and Scafell Pike (978m), both of which we’d already completed. The added attraction for tackling Helvellyn is that it can be approached via Striding Edge and exited via Swirral Edge. These are rocky outcrops leading to the summit which literally form an ‘edge’ which, in places, is no wider than a couple of hiking boots. There are ‘easier’ ways up to the summit but why would you do that?! Striding Edge stretches on for 1.5km. The photos showing the entire mountain top do not clearly illustrate the treacherous nature of the ‘path’. I use the term ‘path’ very loosely, there is no path, you just choose a place to put one foot then look for another suitable place to put the other foot within one stride of the last one. Repeat this process for one mile while holding on to other rocks so that you don’t fall to your death.Yes people have died on this stretch, quite a few of them. For this fat 54year old, just getting to the start of ‘The Edge’ was a sweaty endeavour in itself. We do go hiking regularly, and although my fitness levels are not what they were 20 years ago I still like to push the limits. I also sweat...profusely...regardless of the levels of effort. I leak copious quantities to the point where my shirt can usually be wrung out a couple of times along the route, and a towel is packed for every hike. I only say this to let you know that once I have exerted that much effort there’s nothing going to stop me from completing the task at hand, so when low cloud shrouded the entire upper-half of Helvellyn, including the Edges, we decided to continue anyway.
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THE MUD LIFE MAGAZINE
