Catstycam

First walk of a new holiday, with only 6 more Wainwrights to get the full set for myself and Caroline.  This walk got the first two out of the way, plus getting the third that we had not revisited since our honeymoon.  I was nursing two broken bones in my shoulder, so couldn't take a rusksack and definitely no scrambling.  Two years earlier we'd not been able to get to Sheffield Pike, and we'd never quite made it up Catstycam either.

Difficulty: 5.8

Walkers: Tim, Caroline, Isabelle (21), Evie (15), Poppy (13), Piper

10:35, 0.0km 0h00 0m, Start (138)

12:02, 2.8km 1h27 520m, Sheffield Pike (675, Wainwright, Hewitt)

14:41, 8.8km 4h06 1089m, Catstye Cam (890, Wainwright, Hewitt)

15:48, 11.5km 5h13 1115m, Birkhouse Moor (718, Wainwright)

17:24, 15.1km 6h49 1125m, End (106)

We parked in Glenridding, and set off with the promised sunshine not quite evident.

Climbed up the path towards Glenridding Dodd, and was fairly quickly rewarded with some great views.

Top of Sheffield Pike.  Several bands of light rain had come across on the ascent, mixed with sunshine, so everyone had to stop multiple times to put on or take off layers.

The encouraging sign was that Catstycam was still visible, so the cloud level was just keeping Helvellyn hidden but our goal for the day promised to had good views.

Lunch stop, after coming down the valley, crossing over Glenridding Beck, and walking up to where Red Tarn Beck joins.  The plan was to take off waterproofs before starting the next climb up, but as we got through our lunch it started to rain again, so we resigned ourselves to getting a bit hot.

The rain eased off on the way up, and despite Caroline going off ahead and missing the turn off the path. we got to the top of Catstycam.  Great views from the top, and it was fairly busy with other people.

From the top of Catstycam, looking to Striding Edge.  Given I had broken bones and a slightly dodgy knee there wasn't any chance of going around the two edges and Helvellyn, that will have to wait for another day.

Down at Red Tarn, we let Piper off lead for a paddle and a swim.  After the third rock that Caroline threw in, she wised up and stopping swimming out after them.

Back up the path towards Birkhouse Moor.

Poppy at Birkhouse Moor.  I think this was the only Wainwright we'd done with a gps trace, so nice to revisit it.

View over Ullswater on the climb down.  Piper was off lead for quite a lot of the descent, the visibility was great and she was too tired to get too far away.

And finally as we came back into Glenriddding we got a great view up to Sheffield Pike on the left.  Piper was super keen to get near the sheep in the field that the path went through, lots of exciting noises, but no chance of getting off lead here!