Sometimes you've just got to be there

It's great to travel - but its even better to love where you live.

Whilst I've been away I've seen that conditions back in the Lakes have slowly improved - with a glorious forecast for today & knowing that this needs to be a heavy office week to make up for Scottish trips it left me with one obvious choice....up and out early.

I'm not a fan of early mornings in day to day life - but if there are mountains involved I always seem to manage. Up at 5am and out soon after I was parked up in Glenridding by 6am and walked in by moonlight. Slowly the sky lightened - Catsycam looked thoroughly Alpine with its North face glowing - but I knew I'd got the pace right for my objective - seeing the first light hit Helvellyn's East Face. I'd thought about it - sunrise from the summit is OK - but the view as the face lit up from Swirral Edge was much much better. Just after 7am I arrived at Red Tarn - and with each step up towards the col to Brown Cove the view just got better & better.
Obviously it would be daft to be here & not continue round and down Striding Edge - which was in fabulous condition with a few delicate ice moves in the first chimney.
I couldn't have a day like this without some extras; they show:
Striding Edge - sadly the sun disappeared between 8am and 10am.
The fantastic view into the heart of the Lakes from the summit.
& the sole other person I saw on the mountain temporarily ahead of me on Swirral. Regular followers will be pleased to know I overtook him before the top lol!