Striding Edge with 9 & 11 year olds (walking)

Hi

We’re in the Lakes next week and I want to do Striding Edge from Glenridding with my son (fit/confident). My wife (fit not confident but wants to do it) and daughter (fit) and Father in law (65, fit and confident) are talking about coming too.

I believe the traditional ask is “will we die”… but having watched the Youtube vids it looks perfectly do-able… Thoughts?

You will all be fine. Bit of a scrable down at the end before the pull up Helvellyn but really nothing hard about it at all.

My dad took me over it when I was 6.

I did it when I was about that age, didn’t die. QED.
Make sure you have the proper clothing / boots / equipment etc. and can read a map and you’ll be fine.

Took my kids over at that age. You can make the exposure greater or less depending on choice of path. But no issue with sticking to crest of the ridge throughout. The chimney at the end is the only tricky bit but is still fine. Great day out and nice to combine both ridges and then up Catsycam with roll down the wonderful grass slope – great childish fun!!

IMO Swirral is more exposed than Striidng in short sections (ESP in winter)

In mist be careful to take the higher path after the hole in the wall and avoid Red Tarn 😳

There’s a family pic of me on striding edge age 7. Parents didn’t seem too worried as they’re 100m behind me taking the pic. Your kids will be fine

Brill. Thanks for the quick feedback.

Yes I did it 5 years ago with a mate and his then 12 year old daughter. She was fine it was the dad that struggled….

I researched the mountain rescue incidents before and most incidents were on the scramble up after s e. I can’t remember the name of the area but it’s the scramble after s e to the summit.

If weather deteriorates you can always opt for the path alongside the ridge.

Good luck

Terrified me so I turned back. I am afraid of heights though. You won’t know till you get there really, if its too much for some of the group you can turn back and wait down at red tarn (as I did) or hole in the wall – assuming you are doing a loop say up via striding down via swirral. Note the small Lanty’s tarn is worth a detour on the way back.

Perhaps go for a less Windy day if you have the choice, purely because it’s kinder on the brain.

Out of curiosity, of those that have done both Striding and Swirral Edge, which would you consider the more difficult?

I always assumed Striding Edge, but youtube vids of that always seem tamer than the scramble I had up Swirral Edge.

Swirral Edge was mostly fine, lots of 3 points of contact, but more of a scramble than I had expected (the last push being the worst bit iirc)

My only experience of Striding Edge was NOT doing it, since we had bikes, and it was blowing a hooley, and we were convinced the rescue helicopter was going to crash when someone fell off. Think it landed down by the tarn.

As above re final slope being bad bit, I’ve seen people crawling on their hands and knees up the final slope (or on the arses going down). It’s quite steep and loose. Back down swirrel edge is a great day out (finding top of swirrel Edge descent is very difficult in cloud)

I’ve seen people crawling on their hands and knees up the final slope

There’s normally a well worn zig zag path. Next week will be uber busy as it’s half term…

Swirrel Edge is nothing really, however a lot of people fall off the very top bit in winter and then it’s straight down the side without stopping

Good excuse for some photos!

Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Liz on Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Liz on Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Liz on Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Liz on Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

@andy – see tmh’s post. If you are confident and skilled its fine the boys from Hope carried their bikes up it in the winter I believe (on a vimeo video). FWIW people have died falling off both Striding amd Swirral but thats more common in fhe winter,

As per @BA take care in bad viz, when we where there my friend went down the wring side, ended with a Patterdale rescure curtosey call 😳 mobile reception up around Helvelyn is poor /non-existsant

A sensible adult with each kid should be fine. You can avoid most of the tricky bits along the ridge top.

Nice photos @footflaps – seeing photos like that made me think I could do it but when I got there my head melted !

@hb70 You’ll be fine doing it with them. The only proviso is do not do it on a weekend, its bloody packed and that in its self is what makes it dangerous.
Having been up and down it in full on winter conditions, with parties of school kids and various other groups. The only time I was actually convinced it was accident waiting to happy was on a sunny bank holiday, there were so many on the ridge of Striding Edge, coupled with a number of people who really scared and should not have been there (that day). There was also the added menace of impatient people trying get past others who were finding the exposure nerve racking. For the first time being there felt dangerous. I always leave the place for a quiet day now.

edit crap spellng

I can really recommend Sharp Edge on Blencathra, Start from the Mill Inn, Mungrisedale.

Andy – depends on conditions and seasons IME. Both are mild scrambles (albeit exposed) in summer but can be epics in winter. Striding is longer and has more sustained exposure but is technically easier with hand only really needed at the chimney and the climb up to the summit. Swirral always surprises me – there is more actual scrambling and IME more likelihood of an extended fall due to different slope characteristics ie broad steeper slope versus narrow arete.

Love them both in all seasons though – and the climbs of the E face in winter. Technically not too difficult but exposed (if soloing/unroped) and great finishes at the summit!)

There’s normally a well worn zig zag path

Multiple from what I recall, but it must put the heebie jeebies up people who’re not great with heights

yes, sharp edge and Halls Fell ridge on Blencathra are both great (and IMO again, Sharp is more xposed than the Helvellyn ridges!!)

if its too much for some of the group you can turn back and wait down at red tarn

or if the Swirral Edge side, take a detour up Catstycam which is “easy” (if you call being up an exposed mountain, easy), and then drop back to the tarn. Nice place for lunch, reasonably sheltered when I’ve been there, and not a queue for a spot at the shelter at Helvellyn Summit to eat your packed lunch.

Will be there this weekend. Was thinking of going via Lanty’s Tarn and Grisedale Tarn, and then picking a pike or 2 depending on what the weather is like, and the hordes, and what takes my fancy. Dollywagon, Fairfield, St.Sunday crag. something like that, unless someone advises otherwise.

Nice photos @footflaps – seeing photos like that made me think I could do it but when I got there my head melted !

You need to go with a group of confident people, then you just get dragged along!

My wife hates heights, but I manage to coax her up most things eg Jack’s Rake etc

The ridges down from (or even up) Nethermost and Dollywagon are less crowded alternatives and excellent days out in their own right

And (not for kids) Pinnacle Ridge on St Sunday Crag – but I actually used a rope on that!!

and the climbs of the E face in winter. Technically not too difficult but exposed (if soloing/unroped) and great finishes at the summit!)

Don’t have any striding edge photos to hand but for willy waving this is Soloing up No.II Gully (or is it No.I?). I was taking a photo of our tent which is a yellow dot by the side of red Tarn. the easy winter climbs on there are great I especially like Nevermost Cove Gully

Perhaps but I’ve truned back on a few things, as my friend says “never let andy sit down he won’t get back up again” 🙂 In the Alps if it has a chain/rope or ladder its not for me, my hands sweat so much I can’t hold on. I can’t watch those matterhorn peak videos without getting stressed. I can fully appreciate my wife’s fear of cats, she can’t even watch one on TV !

and just did it again today in lovely weather..

Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

This is the one tricky step, had to guide a random couple down it as they couldn’t work out where to go:
Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Yours truly
Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

and the wife
Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Striding Edge, Helvellyn by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

I did it quite a few years ago with my son of about 12. I was scared stiff.
Recon my mistake was going anticlockwise. On the steep rocky bits all those coming up just seemed to push you out of the way and its a long way down.
I opted for the lower path round the top, basicly for the safety of one’s offspring.
Some lady took a tumble near us and ended up down towards the Tarn. That was most unnerving listening to her screams as she was bouncing of the rocks like a rag doll.
So my advice is to go Clockwise and give it plenty of respect. as they say in yorkshire, It will be fine 😯

Did St. Sunday Crag today. Was going to go up via Dollywagon too, but decided against.

Seem to have caught the sun a bit. That’s probably a first for me in the Lake District.

Saw helicopter buzzing about when I was walking back down Grisedale. Seemed to be looking around Striding Edge (hard to tell from where I was).

Now… where shall I go tomorrow?

Saw helicopter buzzing about when I was walking back down Grisedale. Seemed to be looking around Striding Edge (hard to tell from where I was).

Yep, we were watching it, just circling around then went off down Patterdale back North..

Now… where shall I go tomorrow?

Somewhere quiet, will be heaving tomorrow as it’s the start of half term and a BH WE! We’re going to head up High Street…

@footflaps – very nice and yes from the photos it “looks fine”, it was misty when we where there so couldn’t see properly which gets the imagination going. As I said once the vertigo kicks in I loose “motor function” and sweaty hands which makes it”s more likley I will fall which … etc plus I usually manage to trip walking along the High St and not the one you are speaking of !

@bear thanks for sharing – screams all the way down ! Knowing about the monument at the top doesn’t help.

PolarisAndy off here took this vid of his heli landing on the ridge, he’s a doctor with Penrith or Patterdale MRT, was quite impressive stuff. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8303567.stm

will check the vid later. last time I saw a heli up there, it was blowing a hooly* and we were convinced it was going to crash. think it had to land down near the tarn to pick up someone that fell off striding edge.

todays heli seemed to come roughly from fairfield, circled back round to the grisedale side, and then I thought I heard it over the patterdale end of the lake, but couldn’t see it.

not just BH weekend, and half term (although I saw kids in uniform ttoday), but nice weather too. did have scafell pike pencilled in, but cba to drive that far, and that’s gonna be heaving too. might just see what parking is still left in and around glenridding, and pick something depending on how the legs feel.

(*enough that when I tried riding bike from Helvellyn towards Sticks Pass it forced me thru 90deg, and had to bail)

The one time I tried it, in fine weather, I got about as far as Footflaps’ second photo, at which point I had to lie down and cling on to the grass as I was convinced I was going to fall at any second. Even lying down on my front I thought my rucksack (20L daysack) was going to unbalance me and drag me down the slope. My wife had to take it off me so I could attempt to crawl back to safety and have a cry… not my proudest day!

Would like to try it again though, as my vertigo/fear of heights seems to have vanished in recent years.

I did it at the age of 10, in the snow. as long as someone in your group is experienced and can stop your little ones wimping out and talking of sliding down to the lake on your backpack you will be fine.

I had to make a jam butty half way along – got told off for not buttering both sides of the bread 🙂

Scared the hell out of me, but one of the strongest childhood memories I have, which I guess it’s all about.

Striding is OK – as others have said, one steep drop and a gravelly path up to summit. Worst bit will the crowds IME, complete with dogs, odd lines being taken, photo’s and selfies on steep bits etc.

Swirral has a few more unavoidable bits in my view, and is a notch up it challenge, but a condifent kid will manage it.

IME, kids respond generally well to moderate exposure and challenge on these things. They enjoy excitement, get that you need to take care and crack on – as long as you support and spot at key bits, you can swallow down your innner H&S king and watch them grow in front of you…

We took on Crib Goch at easter, having done Striding and a good few other simpler Scrambles….

Crib Goch and Snowdon by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Crib Goch and Snowdon by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Crib Goch and Snowdon by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Crib Goch and Snowdon by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Ben Venue by Matt Robinson[/url], on Flickr

Yep Crib Goch is much more fun. Not done it for years…..

Took a bunch of work colleagues over it in winter in the 90, sans crampons! Possibly not the brightest thing I’ve ever done, although no one died.

CRIB GOCH – DAMIAN NEAR START by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

CRIB GOCH – DAMIAN ON APPROACH by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

CRIB GOCH – FULL TEAM ON RIDGE by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Crib Goch – chapeau and cool photos again. I find it difficult to watch people on that from below on the Pyg Trail, it feaures on the front cover of a great little book I bought second hand from Amazon for £1 – The High Peaks of England and Wales. A mate made climbing all the 3000ft Peaks in Wales one of his 50th year challenges, he’s one easy one left to do so, Carnedd Llewel so I may join him – I am promised no exposure !

Striding Edge I think ?

That’s Swirral Edge in the Hope film.

For what is worth, if you’re comfortable on that sort of ground yourself, keep your sensible had on, and go on a good day, I don’t see any big issues with taking youngsters around the edges. Personally I prefer to go up Swirral and down Striding. Swirral is more fun in that direction, and do the most difficult sections on Striding in ascent. The only downside is that you are going against the flow, although that can be an advantage!

The most common place for people to go seriously wrong on Striding Edge is beyond the “Bad Step”, where the edge meets the headwall. People get phazed by a rock buttress (which is actually very easy), and get into trouble on difficult ground getting to bypass it.