Author Topic: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN  (Read 2341 times)

darksky

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My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« on: 14:20:58, 11/10/07 »
 O0 Right i think ive got it..,here goes:- My short break started at Manchester train station waiting for my train to Windermere,ARRIVES at Windermere un be known to me because it was 3rd October all the buses were very few and far between and i could'nt get a bus any where i needed to go,which was YHA HELVELLYN as i was booked in there,a ''kind'' taxi driver offerd to take me for £37[i dont think so] anyway after cursing everyone and everything i had to get another [cheaper] taxi to TROUTBECK YHA which was full,so i went to AMBLESIDE YHA which was very nice and on the edge of WINDERMERE LAKE, so i booked in for the night put my rucsac in my shared room and made my way back down stairs to where most people were,winding down from there day of activites with a drink and conversation,so i joined them and had a pretty ok night,Anyway next morning i rang YHA HELVELLYN and found out that they were now fully booked for a whole week[fantastic] trying not to let it get to me and ruin the reason why im here i then got the shuttle bus to a campsite as close to where i wanted to be which was HELVELLYN and the campsite was GILLSIDE which was ok..,so i set my tent up on top of a hilly area looking down on rest of site and looking up to some beautifull fells and veiws,and once i was set up the thought of the few minor problems i had no longer matterd as i was where i wanted to be[sort of]..,So anyway 2nd day in lake district,ive got my bearings i know what im doing so today i thought i'd relax have a small walk around GLENNRIDING and plan my route upto STRIDING EDGE and HELVELLYN and set off in the morning. DAY 3 was a real nice sunny day and weather forcast said sunshine allday''buzzin'' so i set off up a path from campsite up Gillside Beck through a hole in the wall and along the wall stretching more or less to Striding Edge,all i took with me was enough water and food my sticks and maps which i never used untill i got to the path coming off SWIRRAL EDGE as there was no need to as the traffic was pretty busy,which was nice in a way as i got to chatting with some nice people, Anyhow got to Striding Edge which is an awsome sight to see for the 1st time,so i made my way over taking my time and taking it all in and of course taking photos along the way,and i remember seeing a man aged about 50,ish just hopping along with his hands in his pockets[smart [censored]] showing off,and i thought to myself if he tripped he would'nt be able to get his hands out of his pockets quick enough[hehe] So i get to the staircase and make my way down thinking not much further now, i clamber up the last stage and reach the top[quietly buzzin] had some energy bars and a drink,sat at shelter for 10 minutes took some pix had a walk along the top taking in the great veiws and i will admitt i was pretty tired so decided to make my way down SWIRRAL EDGE, all of a sudden there was nobody around apart from the odd straggler walking different paths, i took the route back to Glennridding which eventually brought me out at YHA HELVELLYN so i popped in to chat to staff there and rest awhile then made my way to the TRAVELLERS INN pub for a well deserved drink of jennings bitter and some hot food and a couple more drinks,had a good laugh with people i'd met earlier that day and then made my way back to GILLSIDE campsite,now i hope i can get some pix on with this..here goes
« Last Edit: 13:01:34, 15/10/07 by darksky »
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Mr. Blister

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #1 on: 16:45:16, 11/10/07 »
Excellent report, Darksky!  And some quality pictures as well.  My fave has to be the last one, if it wasn't for the people in the distance, it has the quality of desolation.  :)

Out of curiosity, what programme did you use to post the pics? Photobucket?

 ;)

darksky

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #2 on: 18:20:46, 11/10/07 »
 O0 Cheers MR.B.., and yes i used ''photobucket''/ by the way have you done Helvellyn?  as i thought it was truly amazing especially looking at Striding Edge for my first time{Awsome} and i would defo do it again and again, in fact next time i do, do it, i wanna check out the surrounding peaks as im dissapointed in myself for not doing so in the first place as thats what i planned but because i still had to get back down i did'nt want to get caught out with it going dark as i was on my own, but next time i'll start alot earlier, Yeh cant wait for this little gathering at Great Langdale ive been told its beautiful,have you been up there before mate?
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Deerplay

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #3 on: 00:32:28, 12/10/07 »
Good write up and good pictures. Sounds like a good trip all round despite the changes to the plan. Gillside is a decent campsite. Do they still sell raw milk from the farm?
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darksky

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #4 on: 13:09:25, 12/10/07 »
 O0 Thanks Deerplay.., Yeh your right GILLSIDE is a nice campsite but as far as them selling fresh milk, i dont know,i never saw any signs of such, in fact i did'nt see any cows on that perticulary farm/site,plenty of sheep though, and a quite noisey Owl and loads of rabbits,i also saw a beautiful Fox and some chap i was speaking to said there was a good few Badger Dens he knew the wereabouts of,would liked to of seen that, yeh this chap was just into Valleys he was valley mad and he went on to telling me about all these HIDES he knew of to watch wildlife,sounds good,do you know of any HIDES in the lakes?  also now i remember he said there was a place where red deer have a area just for them selves,as he said he did'nt even know that red deers were in the lakes untill he was shown them, i had no reason not to beleive him.
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KIDSTYPIKE

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #5 on: 13:16:01, 12/10/07 »
Darksky,

Many congratulations on your first ascent of Helvellyn via Striding Edge with the descent down Swirral Edge. It is one of Lakelands classic routes and as you noticed very popular.
Your pictures of the walk were very good, I'm pleased that you had a good day.

Regards,

Dave

PS.....I'm just back from a local walk ....hope to have it on my website soon.

darksky

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #6 on: 13:34:31, 12/10/07 »
 O0 THANKS DAVE..,i did thoroughly enjoy myself and its just made me  more eager to get right back soon as possible..,I'm so pleased with myself for choosing the walk/climb that i did..,i know lots of people on here have done this walk so many times but it was my 1st time so forgive my excitement and enthusiasm about it, the thought  a child with a new toy springs to mind hahaha
'''get out there and experience as much as you can its beautiful and have yourself alotta fun doing it'''

summitzero

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #7 on: 16:09:58, 12/10/07 »
Nice shots D/S

Glad you enjoyed your trip, it sounded really great and good weather    O0
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darksky

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Re: My FIRST time up HELVELLYN
« Reply #8 on: 01:48:56, 23/10/07 »
 ??? ONE step at a time as is said by many..,the most important thing about my walk was i really had fun from beginning to end and that matters to me.
'''get out there and experience as much as you can its beautiful and have yourself alotta fun doing it'''

 

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