Wednesday3rd Dec, Winter Climbing, Helvellyn Massif

We headed from Thirlmere up to Browncove Crags, on Helvellyn, today for some winter mountaineering in the gullies, there was lots of snow about but it has not consolidated yet and was still very powdery. Lots of ice about and the turf , when we dug down to it, was very good for axe placements. There were a few teams about climbing on the buttresses but we choose to stay in the gullies.

After a few ascents of some gullies we headed up to the top of Helvellyn to get some sun and watch the views over the Lakes in the late afternoon sunshine. Striding Edge loooked inviting so we quickly descend down to the ridge and made a crossing with very few people about. To get back to the car involved descending to Red Tarn and making our way over Swirrals Edge back to the summit of Helvellyn. By now it was late afternoon and the cloud had started to come in as we made our way up the ridge and back to the summit.

Just as we summited the cloud broke and we watched the sun setting over Morcambe Bay before making our way back to the car park,using the moonlight to show us the way back down to the cars.