Helvellyn, White Side & Raise

Yesterday was the best day weather-wise we have seen in the past few weeks so we decided to make the most of it.  We only have one job for The Park at the moment a patrol, now patrols normally take us about 2 hours to complete & are generally reasonably low level, the one we had was neither. 
Helvellyn is a reasonably difficult mountain from the Ullswater side as you encounter either Striding or Swirral Edge shortly before the summit, both of which require some scrambling, however from the Thirlmere side it is a doddle, a path resembling a staircase takes you from the car park to the summit & this was the route on the patrol.
We start to gain some height, looking down on Thirlmere (the sun is so low that there are a lot of the photographer’s shadow in the pictures)

And again from a bit higher, as you would expect on a day like today & a half term there were a lot of people out

A panorama
 
Skiddaw & Blencathra in the hazy distance
 
This section was the only tricky bit, but that has been sorted since the last time we walked this route
 
There is no breeze up here at the moment
 
Leaving the “staircase” it’s a relatively flat walk to the summit
 
Two walkers on the horizon on the route we will exit by
 
 
Catstye Cam & Swirral Edge
 
Someone is camping on the summit plateau, wonderful view to wake up to
 
Looking down Swirral Edge
 
Red Tarn with Ullswater in the distance.  Helvellyn (950m) the 3rd highest summit in England
 
We then set off down to continue the patrol
 
Looking back at Helvellyns summit, it’s a busy place
 
Catstye Cam
 
The paths are like motorways up here, you can’t miss them
 
The route next takes us to White Side (863m), there isn’t any furniture to check up here
 
And then onto Raise (883m)
 
The cairn at the summit, looking back towards Helvellyn
 
We then drop down to a crossing known as Sticks Pass
 
And then turn to head back towards Thirlmere
 
A very well maintained sheepfold
 
Once at the bottom we head along a route back to the car park.  The waterfalls on Fisherplace Gill.
 
 
It took 5.5 hours to complete & was good exercise even if there wasn’t a lot to report back to The Park