Contentious opinion. Been over striding edge seven times now in all seasons and all condition from full winter with axes and crampons to fine sunny days. It still needs to be treated with respect as i found out 2 weeks ago on a fully clagged in day with greasy rock. Misjudged a step, slipped and fell 5 meters from the top of the ridge down to Red Tarn ended up fracturing my leg. Respect the mountains...
Glad you’re ok man that obviously could have been a lot worse! Thanks for mentioning that here as it is a very important message on a video like this. Hope it hasn’t knocked you too much sounds like you get out there a lot so I’m sure you’ll be up another fell as soon as the leg lets you 👍🏻
@@jackasnacks Thanks for replying. It needed mentioning. My pride took a worse hit than my body but i'll be back in the fells as soon as i can. Cheers for the reply pal :-) Stay safe on the fells
@@AndyBarker666 Move to NZ... coming down the other day, I managed to do a trip /slip on greasy surface and pitched forward over the edge. Completely hung up in a supplejack curtain . Was hauled back out by my mates, once they had got over their hysterics. If it had been Scotland, I think I'd be dead.
From my experience of doing it a couple of times, is that the primary danger, apart from if the weather is really bad, is that you get lots of inexperienced people trying to do it at the same time. Its not somewhere you want to be when someones acting erratically because they are freaking out.
I've been up there in winter with thigh deep snow and pretty big cornices on striding edge itself. A young lad fell off and died a few hours before I got there. In those conditions you need crampons, ice axe and a good knowledge of winter walking/climbing. In decent weather if you have a head for heights it's a fine walk. I think the problem for some people comes down to the exposure, not something most ppl deal with on the day to day and it can freak ppl out.
Good video mate 👍 it was me and my girlfriend that's didn't make it she was having a bit of panic attack Nice to see you added the picture aswell. Quality
Ah great that you found my channel! Yeah it’s unfortunate that your girlfriend had a bit of a panic attack at the foot of the final section. I hope that one day you manage to help her up there again 😀 great meeting you up there!
It's a beautiful place. I've done x 2 1st in my 20s and I was very inexperienced in hiking and heights but I was lucky to be with someone who was experienced as I totally freaked out and was stunned into stillness much to the annoyance of those around me. It gave such a buzz I'd never experienced before when I came down was so happy to be alive celebrated with camp stu and a bottle of leibfraumilch!!! 80s. I did it again in later life much better but I'm no good with heights and was still very anxious at 1 point . So happy I did it though ☺
I agree with every word you say. I've done Striding Edge twice and I never felt worried, despite having a lousy head for heights. I found Swirral Edge harder, because I feel more in danger of falling whilst descending. Sharp Edge is much nastier, if much shorter. None of them are as bad as Crib Goch, The Aonach Eagach, The Forcan Ridge, Liatach or An Teallach. And don't even think about the Black Cuillin!
Brilliant little video this and I couldn’t agree more. Done both Striding, Sharp & Swirral edge and I have to say I think I have striding the easiest. Didn’t find any of them particularly easy but I do feel it’s more a mind over matter type of situation, well explained video and have to agree with everything you said.
I know I’m late to respond to this, but what about Swirral did you find harder that Striding? I’ve done Swirral before a number of years back now and I found it nice until the very end. From memory, the last part was really scary because it was a very sudden steep climbing with loose rocks. I haven’t done striding edge but I’m wondering if maybe I’ll find it easier?
Really informative clip, yes Swirral edge is more technical for a very short distance however it has less dizziness as you are kind of hemmed in, I tend to fell run (and walk) huff and puff and always go up Swirral, what about Halls fell Blencathra so under rated that is my favourite. I never attempt any of these ridges in wet or windy weather although in my young days I completed even sharp edge in ice, must have been mad, however after fifty years of outdoor walking, running and a few slips you realise just how close being safe and unsafe can be, it happens in a split second therefore I only in favourable conditions these days.
I am actually going up the Blencathra area tomorrow to film another video so i'm sure i will see Halls Fell! I don't think my route includes it as i am doing a particular route to share with everyone on the channel that i think people might find interesting. I want to try Crib Goch in Wales which is supposed to be another extreme edge in the UK. I love the appeal of them! I'd like to get them all done whilst i am motivated and able to do so but i will definitely be careful! Making the videos on them does help me realise the dangers.
New subscriber from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Popped up on my feed today - working through all your vids - pleased to have found your growing channel - love the content!
From south side Chicago now living 2 hours south in Normal. Excellent drone footage. Crashed and lost my drone first day out with it. Keep the videos coming dude.
I went up there the other day and u must say it’s quite the adrenaline rush especially as I don’t like heights but if you get the chance to do it go on the actual edge and not the part below
Can’t remember how we got up Helvellyn, but we came down Striding Edge. I lost my nerve and struggled, but in retrospect the paths were good and there was shelter from the wind.
Depends entirely on the conditions and the ability of the person attempting it. In good conditions it's fine and if you're confident it's easy. In winter with ice and wind it's a very different proposition. When it's blowing a hoolie people can and have been blown off and on occasion killed. As you say be sensible, check conditions and it'll all be good!
I tried to do striding edge yesterday but turned away and went to have a look at swiral but turned from that too I could feel myself getting really tense I just think one trip or mis judgement couple that together with potentially being crag fast and it's a big problem I asked myself is it worth the risk
I found your videos when I was doing my own Strid video, stayed around and subscribed because you go to places I'd love to go. I've wanted to walk Striding edge for years, and somehow never quite gotten around to it. I'm based in West Yorkshire, Hebden Bridge area, and spreading out further and further to make films. 🙂
I have been through Hebden Bridge a few times Tom. Left a comment on your Strid video very good work i enjoyed it. Subscribed to you! Will be looking out for your Striding Edge video have a good time out there!
@@jackasnacks Thanks Jack, there's not as much exploring on my channel, quite a few repeat visits to old dumpsites... but I hope you can still find some enjoyment in my videos, I'm certainly getting enjoyment from yours.🙂
Well I'm a new subscriber, so it's nice to know I'm appreciated. 😎 Seriously though your channel was randomly suggested to me yesterday and I'm checking out your content. So far I've really enjoyed it, and I shall continue watching. Thanks for sharing your work. I sincerely hope you continue to gain new subscribers. 😎
I have been up there twice, once in good weather and all was great. The other time the weather closed in and it came in very misty/foggy then we bricked it as the routes you mentioned all look the same in poor visibility. Compasses don't work properly as well due to all the iron in the rock, so getting your bearings is tricky. If you know it well as a local then YMMV. 👍
It's about 3 hours to the top of Helvellyn, which is just above Striding Edge. Then about 2 hours back down :) I was worried i wasn't going to be able to fly the drone if it was too windy but it was fine once i got to the top!
There are a number of problems with striding edge, first is the sheer numbers of people who attempt it, second is the weather can change in minutes so you can unexpectedly have strong winds, fog and icy conditions up there, another thing is that people underestimate it, one slip and you can fall 100m. It’s for these reasons that so many people die there, it’s a rare year when someone doesn’t die on striding edge, in 2015 Helvellyn claimed 5 lives, the edges claim most of them.
Walked Striding Edge when I was about 12 with my grandparents, it was just a walk and we didn’t think it was anything to worry about. I remember it getting very cold, even though it was summer.
I walked Striding Edge on a school trip aged 15. At the summit the weather closed down and we had to descend into a white mass of stones and grass curving away, that was larey compared to the edge.
We have a track, starts on the other side of the road. Climbs a fair bit higher, probably a lot steeper but...thick bush all the way, and so absolutely no "exposure" meaning that in all weathers it is just a nice walk that leaves one feeling pleasantly tired and virtuous. I wonder if being able to see the daunting slope forever rising doesn't engender anxiety which does not manifest when one effectively cannot see very far ahead ( or to the sides)?
It is strange because the drone shots make it look very sharp but the walking shots seem to be on a wide trail. I was on a slightly similar ridge somewhere on the US Appalachian trail where you had to walk on the exposed edge of uplifted bedrock. It was quite sharp, the "trail" was about as wide as my pinky finger. However the drop off on either side wasn't quite as steep and there were trees to break any fall eventually. Anyway, you had a nice view. Reminds me of where I used to go running. It is kind of fun running on rocks like that because you get hyperfocused on each foot landing safely so you don't notice the physical effort much.
Did it last week in good conditions and it was fine. Sharp edge which I did earlier this summer was far more exposed with a dangerous drop if you did fall off.
Thank you Jack - loved the drone footage. Been considering this walk for far too long to admit to, now I figure it's time to get me kit out and do the bug%*r, just like you, on me own. New sub from Staffs 🙂👍
Haven't done it myself, went up Swirral and looked across at people queuing right along Striding and realised I'd made the right choice! Have you done or thought about doing Jack's Rake? I've really enjoyed watching your videos recently (subbed on this one) and I bet you could get some cracking shots with the drone.
Me too. I was going to mention tha Knife's edge trail on Mt Katahdin. Its the same deal except higher and steeper and more people killed. Not bad though since the scariest part of the edge collapsed s few years ago. Difficult if you have any fear of heights.
My family came from the North of England about 250 years ago. My last name is Norris, which is just a version of Northman or Norseman according to what I've read. Norse makes the most sense to me.
Striding edge is wide enough to get a car across imo. It looks dramatic from distance or drone but the ridge itself is super wide! And swirral edge is wayyy easier than striding! Both these ridges require no mountaineering skill unless traversed in winter conditions! The only advice I would give to anyone wanting to hike Hellvelyn via these ridges - is to make sure you check the wind! Strong winds on these ridges are not to be taken lightly! ✌️
Hi mate.. just a quick question.. do you have to go down squiiral ridge? If you want to return to ullswater? Going with someone that struggles more downhill so take on board what you was saying about squirrel edge.. wouldn't sound fun for my mate..
Not without adding a considerable amount of time to your hike. The only way around swirral is to continue past where swirral starts and take your first right and follow that around. It goes behind catseycam and back towards ullswater but potentially adds another hour on. I recommend going down backwards on swirral as if you’re climbing backwards. Facing forward feels a bit daunting at times
Creepy stuff Mark. Hoping to get some more footage for you guys that is much clearer. I'd love to film it in a much brighter setting with a much wider lense if not a 360 cam
