The expedition didn’t start well with 6 out of the 12 cadets dropping out the week before due to exam pressure. I am glad to report that that was the end of the bad luck. The long range weather forecast looked OK and we were well equipped.
Wednesday took us up to Halton Training Camp to spend the night prior to the warm up day, if it could be called that, on Helvellyn the next day. The rain started in Halton about 2300hrs and was still going the next day when we went in for an early breakfast. Fortunately by the time we had driven to park in Patterdale the rain had stopped and, whilst the sun had not come out, it had brightened up.
None of the group had completed Striding Edge or Helvellyn previously so all were looking forward to it. We started out at 0900hrs and it wasn’t long before we got to the start of what is a beautiful ridgewalk along Striding Edge. Far from being difficult or precarious, the Edge is a nice rocky walk with stunning views and with many worn paths. It is easy to come off the main ridge if the weather was a bit more inclement. Even the rocky climb down at the end before the climb up to the summit of Helvellyn was not a real issue.
We arrived at the summit of Helvellyn just after 1200hrs and the sky was clear and clear views for miles and miles. As with all mountain areas, this lasted about 30 mins, by which time we were all in the Bothy Bag for a spot of lunch.
Completing the horseshoe with a walk along Swirral Edge we descended down to Glenridding and then headed to the café on Ullswater for an ice-cream before heading back to Halton.
With the wrinkles ironed out, the cadets spent the night packing. A kit check at 2000hrs led to a lot of unnecessary items being removed, on average saving 2-3kg per person. After this we talked through the overnight route taking in Scafell and camping at about 2800 feet just before the ridge between Great End and Scafell.
Friday brought more rain and this time it rained all the way to Langdale and then persisted. We agreed to wait for 30mins to see if would ease before setting out. 30 turned into 45mins and we darted out in a small window of dryness. Our luck held and that was the last rain we saw for the next 2 days.
On route up to Crinkle Crags, we got chatting to a number of people, all who commented on the politeness of the cadets. One group we met were police officers, current and retired, on a charity event called Light the Lakes. We chatted as we leap frogged each other all the way across to Bowfell. The event involved officers summiting as many peaks in the Lakes simultaneously and at 15mins before dawn lighting torches to light as many summits up as possible.
The event caught our imagination and as we pressed on we made the decision that weather dependant we would join one group on the summit of Great End at 0300hrs. After dropping our packs at the proposed campsite, we made a mission to summit Scafell and return before last light to get an early night so we could join the challenge.
On route we passed a Happy (NOT!) couple dressed in jeans and trainers - the lady even had her handbag! Bear in mind there was still snow and the wind was blowing at a good rate of knots. We summited Scafell, this year achieving 2 of the 3 tallest peaks in the UK having completed Snowdon earlier on in the year.
We returned to the campsite and recovered our packs and made camp. Grid NY2270,0806 makes an excellent campsite for about up to 6 tents. After an early night 4 of us got up at 0200hrs and headed up Great End to join our new friends.
At 0300hrs, torches a-waving, we could make out several other groups but it was impossible to see which peaks they were on. A great event and one we intend to join next year, and raise some money. Back to bed by 0430hrs we were then up again at 0800hrs. Waking up at 2400ft is what the lakes are all about, a magical view can make any ration pack breakfast taste good.
With Scafell having been completed ahead of schedule, we revised our route taking a winding route back, descending the Great Slab and taking the climbers path back towards Langdale. After a deceptively long descent we reached the bus and were back to Ambleside for a Cream Tea, which was well deserved by all. We then headed back to Halton for dinner, to pack and sleep before the drive back the next morning.
Covering 43.5km in the 3 days and reaching the summits of 2 nice fells made for a good trip and having a good base at Halton made the trip easier and manageable.
Thank-you Ulysses Trust - your ongoing support for even small trips like ours is appreciated. It doesn’t take much to inspire cadets and, based on the ideas coming from the cadets on the drive back, I have got a busy year to come!
Capt Stuart Cumine (Colston’s CCF)
