0:00:03 > 0:00:08Nestled in the far northwest of England, this is the Lake District.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13A land defined by its natural beauty.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26And known to millions who love the Lakes was the late Alfred Wainwright.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Author, guide writer and talented artist,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33but above all, he was the greatest fell-walker.
0:00:35 > 0:00:42Wainwright's guides have inspired generations of walkers to roam these glorious fells.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44And now, a century after his birth,
0:00:44 > 0:00:49it's my turn to go in search of the real Wainwright experience.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Welcome to Ullswater, the second largest
0:01:14 > 0:01:18and one of the most popular stretches of water in the Lake District.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Today, this is my start point for what is arguably one of the most famous mountain walks in England.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26But I'm also here because those fells over there
0:01:26 > 0:01:29were where it all began for Alfred Wainwright.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Ullswater forms a great natural boundary to the area of Lakeland
0:01:40 > 0:01:44that Wainwright chose to call the Western Fells.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52This was where AW, as he was often known, started his 13-year mission
0:01:52 > 0:01:56to explore and chart the detail of every peak in the region.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59It was a unique task,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02that would turn a reclusive accountant from Blackburn
0:02:02 > 0:02:03into a fell-walking legend.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Wainwright's beautiful pocket-sized pictorial guides
0:02:08 > 0:02:13have been a part of Lakeland life for over 50 years.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16For me, today, it's all about tackling two things -
0:02:16 > 0:02:18the mighty summit of Helvellyn,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and what Wainwright described as the finest ridge in Lakeland, Striding Edge.
0:02:25 > 0:02:31At 3,118 feet, Helvellyn is the third highest peak in England.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36It enjoys a central location, numerous possible ascents,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and the classic Striding Edge.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55"There is no doubt that Helvellyn is climbed more often than any other mountain in Lakeland,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59"and more than any other, it is the objective and ambition
0:02:59 > 0:03:02"of the tourist who does not normally climb."
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Alfred Wainwright came here as a 23-year-old in 1930.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13A complete newcomer to the Lakes, he arrived in Ullswater,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16determined to tackle Helvellyn the following morning.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18By all accounts,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22conditions for him were far less appealing than for me today.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Ullswater really is a stunningly beautiful valley.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32The lake snakes southwards, and ends here in this dense mass of fells.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And you can just make out the flat summit of Helvellyn from here,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and it looks a long, long way to the top!
0:03:40 > 0:03:45From the southern tip of Ullswater, Helvellyn is well protected,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49leaving me some fine gentle rambling before the hard work begins.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Conditions seem calm enough - the valley in front looks welcoming,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59but the Lakeland fells can still be a hazardous environment,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03nowhere more so than Helvellyn.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05So before I set foot on Striding Edge,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09I'm paying a visit to a man who knows plenty about local dangers.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14Dave Freeborn heads the Patterdale Mountain Rescue,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18one of 12 teams in the Lakes, but the one with the dubious honour
0:04:18 > 0:04:22of serving the thousands who tackle Helvellyn each year.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Obviously, what we've just seen is a practice situation.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28How often does the chopper get out in rescue situations?
0:04:28 > 0:04:32In Patterdale, about 15% of the time. There were 17 rescues last year.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- So, you're all busy men, then!- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37What qualifications do you need to be part of the team?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39You have to live in the area,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42so you're able to respond fairly quickly,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45you need to have a basic first aid certificate, but most importantly,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47you need to be able to work as a team,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49as it's the team that gets it sorted out.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54- Are you on call 24 hours a day? - Yeah, every team member is on 24/7.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57You often get a call out on Christmas Day, or...
0:04:57 > 0:05:01It's usually at the most inconvenient time, like when you're in the bath.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Now, just to reiterate, you're all volunteers.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Absolutely. Every rescue team in the UK is made up of trained volunteers.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11You are a dedicated lot.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I'd like to think that if I had a broken ankle, someone would come up for me.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Let's concentrate on Helvellyn.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19What specific problems have you dealt with?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21OK, if you fall off Striding Edge,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25there's a fair chance you're going to suffer serious trauma, if not death.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29That does happen quite frequently.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32In winter time, because it's north-facing,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34you get a lot of snow build-up,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and you get a cornice of snow which lips over the edge,
0:05:37 > 0:05:38and we've had a number of times
0:05:38 > 0:05:43when people have not realised how far back from the edge the cornice breaks.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46They've stood on it, and gone through the cornice, and down,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48in one case, to the person's death.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52It's a serious place, but it's only serious if you're not...
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Not aware.- Exactly, yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Do you get people who become petrified, very frightened,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and you're dealing with exposure and fear?
0:06:00 > 0:06:01We do, we call that cragfast,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04where somebody doesn't want to go up or down.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07That often means that you've got to rope up and climb in,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10or abseil down to them. You need to chat them through,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13calm them down, and get a harness on them damn quick.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16So Wainwright was right, particularly on Helvellyn -
0:06:16 > 0:06:18watch where you're going.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Absolutely, but it's good fun,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24it's a very good mountaineering walk, not a scramble, a walk.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25There are a few rocky bits,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29but, essentially, it's something everybody wants to do. It's good.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Before I leave the valley,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34let's take an aerial view of the route I'll be taking.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48My route starts from the church in Patterdale village,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51adjacent to the Mountain Rescue Headquarters.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54From here, I'll head away from Ullswater,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58taking a gentle walk along the floor of the Grisedale valley.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01As the leafy trees run out,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05my walk enters more familiar Lakeland terrain.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10For a mile and a half, a long path takes me in a straight line
0:07:10 > 0:07:14to the well-known landmark known as the Hole In The Wall.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16This is where the drama begins.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19On the right up ahead is the vast combe of Helvellyn,
0:07:19 > 0:07:24filled with red tarn, and encased by the mountain and its two ridges.
0:07:26 > 0:07:33The start of Striding Edge is clearly marked by the rock pinnacle of High Spy How.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38From here, the famous Edge rises and falls over numerous jagged peaks.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42As it meets the bulk of Helvellyn,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46I'll be left with one long steep scramble to the felltop plateau.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52The summit is then just a short walk away,
0:07:52 > 0:07:58and the drama of the climb turns into one of the flattest and most gentle of Lakeland viewpoints.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09St Patrick's is the parish church
0:08:09 > 0:08:12of what used to be known as Patrick's Dale,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17my rather tranquil start point for one of the area's toughest climbs.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23As you look up the valley of Grisedale, the village of Patterdale
0:08:23 > 0:08:26feels really protected on either side by the fells.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Sadly, those two peaks are not the summit,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31those are just the approach slopes to Helvellyn,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34which is always a bit disconcerting.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35This is going to be a biggie for me.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Helvellyn is part of the most extensive range of high ground in England.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48For five miles, a great succession of peaks line up,
0:08:48 > 0:08:54from Dollywagon Pike in the south, to Great Dodd in the north.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The ridge rarely drops below 2,500 feet,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01with the summit of Helvellyn the grand pinnacle in the middle.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Aha, now, that is the first glimpse of the footpath
0:09:09 > 0:09:12which will take me all the way up to the Hole In The Wall.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20But before any serious climbing,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24there's a good mile of single-track road to follow along the valley floor.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37This is Grisedale, and it's just classic Lakeland.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Most of the land here has been part of a private estate for generations,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44which has preserved a fine valley view for walkers like me.
0:09:46 > 0:09:53The footpath soon becomes a straight diagonal plod up the side of the fell known as Birkhouse Moor.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03But as you climb, the views both in front and behind get better.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Back over the top of Patterdale,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09you look towards the eastern-most summits in the Lakes,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11the likes of High Raise and High Street,
0:10:11 > 0:10:16fells that Wainwright would go on to study in his second pictorial guide.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Looking ahead, though,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22the fine weather of this morning seems to be disappearing.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Clouds are moving in rather ominously,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26just where I'm heading to.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Time to take a moment to double-check my route.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33When you study a Wainwright guide,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35there are certain things that you come to expect.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Comprehensive drawings, very well laid-out notes,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42but there are a couple of things I haven't seen before,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46like these bullet-point notes about the various approaches.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50"Number one - via Grisedale Tarn, a long easy walk on a good path."
0:10:50 > 0:10:56Er, this one, "Via Nethermost Pike - not for novices.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59"Via Striding Edge, my route, the best way of all."
0:10:59 > 0:11:03There's something else I haven't seen before, as well,
0:11:03 > 0:11:07graphs which plot the distance in relation to the altitude,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12so offering you the steepness of the routes, if you like, obsessive detail.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16I haven't seen these in anything else, so it's almost like, in this,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18book one, he's trying things out.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Apart from an enduring love of the Lakeland fells,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Wainwright's motivation for his guides was very simple.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30He thought he could do a better job than anyone else.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32He admired Ordnance Survey maps,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36but thought them inadequate for finding footpaths.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39And then there was Baddeley,
0:11:39 > 0:11:44who had already published a Lake District guide covering 20 of the greatest fells.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49AW, though, presented 14 possible routes up Helvellyn alone,
0:11:49 > 0:11:55and went on to provide similar coverage of 213 other peaks.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09That's the thing about the Lake District,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13one minute glorious sunshine, the next thing, pouring rain.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Always pack your waterproofs.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Well, if you can see me,
0:12:29 > 0:12:36I think you'll realise, as do I, that this bank of cloud has set in.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Now, there's a slight break in the cloud over there,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and I can just make out the wall.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The majority of walkers who attack Helvellyn's eastern side
0:12:55 > 0:12:57cannot fail to pass the giant wall
0:12:57 > 0:13:00that stretches from the valley floor in Grisedale,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03up and along the entire ridge of Birkhouse Moor.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08And just like me, Wainwright and his cousin
0:13:08 > 0:13:13encountered it for the first time in less than perfect circumstances.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18"We followed a pony route rising along the flanks of Birkhouse Moor
0:13:18 > 0:13:20"above the lovely valley of Grisedale.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27"The weather was less promising, and before reaching the gap in the wall,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32"we were enveloped in a clammy mist, and the rain started."
0:13:39 > 0:13:41No wonder the Hole In The Wall is such a landmark -
0:13:41 > 0:13:43it really is the cut-off point,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46it's almost as if one walk's ended and another begins.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The terrain changes completely.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53And there would be my first view of the summit.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Except it's hidden under a nice layer of cloud.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03I wonder if that will still be there when I get there.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I'm looking right into the mouth of the great bowl here.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Now I know that Red Tarn is at the bottom,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11but it's hidden from view right now.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15And on the left, beneath that creeping cloud, is Striding Edge,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19but from here, I've really got no idea of what to expect,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23so I can't work out whether I'm intimidated, frightened by it,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and this weather really doesn't help.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33"Neither of us had waterproofs, nor a change of clothing.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35"Perhaps it would clear later, we thought.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42"We were already under the optimistic delusion that afflicts most fellwalkers."
0:14:56 > 0:15:02Somebody once said, "Take nothing but photos,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05"leave nothing but footprints when you're on a mountain."
0:15:05 > 0:15:11I'm gonna add to that. "Get nothing but wet, soaking wet."
0:15:15 > 0:15:19Wind, cloud and rain are something all proper fellwalkers should experience.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23And today certainly is that - an experience.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Fortunately, though, the Wainwright Walks helicopter crew
0:15:29 > 0:15:33have been able to get out above Ullswater and Helvellyn on a different day,
0:15:33 > 0:15:39so with a touch of television magic, here's what I COULD be looking at.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42If conditions were any better for me,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46I'd be soaking up the very best Helvellyn has to offer.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52Wainwright thought it a pity that the majority of walkers attack the mountain from the opposite side.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The smooth grassy slopes that rise out of Thirlmere are,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00he said, "unattractive", and "lacking in interest".
0:16:00 > 0:16:03My side is geologically far more interesting.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07A more difficult ascent, but as AW noted,
0:16:07 > 0:16:08this is the price you pay,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12if you are to discover Helvellyn's "true character".
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Now, for those of you who've watched before,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33you'll know that I'm not alone.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It's not just Wainwright I have for company, I have a crew.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39In fact, I'm just about to clean Jan my cameraman's lens.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And I also have a David.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Now, everybody who works in these here parts should have a David,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49because he knows the Lake District, I'd say,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52almost as well as Wainwright. Isn't that right, David?
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Well, I'm not quite so sure about that, really, but I do know it well.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- You're the man to take Striding Edge with.- I think so.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I know from reading Wainwright's books,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04when he first came, conditions were similar,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- so we're not complete fools, are we?- Certainly not.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11And we're going to do this safely, and we can get over no problem.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Be careful.- Be careful, take it easy.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Normally I'd take time to go down to visit the tarn,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20but I think today, we should just press on. What say you?
0:17:20 > 0:17:25- Yep, it's clear at present, so we'll go for it.- OK, let's make a move.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28As an experienced climber, fell-runner
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and all round lover of the Lakes,
0:17:30 > 0:17:36David is the ideal man to check that we don't become another statistic for the mountain rescue team.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Now, this, in terms of geography,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41is an example of glacial excellence, isn't it?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43You've got the two ridges, one on either side.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Sharp aretes, both sides.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49This great combe, a great mass of ice, would have formed here,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51and just gouged all this lot out.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55- Such a good example. - It's a geography teacher's casebook.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- But this is going to be fun today. - Yeah.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It looks quite moody in the cloud cover, doesn't it?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03It does. It adds something to it. A lot of atmosphere.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08But we need to... We could cut off up here,
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- Up to the ridge.- Why, so we...? - Get onto it early.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Having walked with David before,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20it's no surprise that he's dragging me off the path,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23to eke out every last bit of drama from the climb.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27We're now heading to High Spying How,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31the tower of rock that marks the high point at the start of Striding Edge.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36How many times have you crossed the ridge, David?
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Oh, I can't imagine the number. Many, many times.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Doesn't matter how many times you come to these places,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- it's never the same twice.- No.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49And you hear people say that over and over again,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and you think it can't be true, but it is.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57I must say, I'm happy to be doing this part of the walk with a partner.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Yeah, it's nice to have company occasionally.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00Yeah.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05"We went on, heads down against the driving rain
0:19:05 > 0:19:10"until, quite suddenly, a window opened in the mist ahead,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14"disclosing a black tower of rock streaming with water,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18"an evil and threatening monster that stopped us in our tracks.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22"Then the mist closed in again and the apparition vanished.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26"We were scared. There were unseen terrors ahead."
0:19:29 > 0:19:34'And like Wainwright's visit, as David and I reach High Spying How,
0:19:34 > 0:19:39'we step into an unavoidable blanket of cloud.'
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Normally, this is where you can see the whole of the edge stretching out in front of us.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47We can just about see our feet!
0:19:47 > 0:19:52"There was no doubt about it, we were on Striding Edge,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56"a platform of naked rock that vanished into the mist
0:19:56 > 0:20:00"as a narrow ridge with appalling precipices on both sides.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02"In agonies of apprehension,
0:20:02 > 0:20:07"we edged our way along the spine of the ridge."
0:20:08 > 0:20:09Happy?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- Happy.- Good.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Well, the one good thing about the rain and the cloud cover today
0:20:20 > 0:20:22is that we haven't seen very many people.
0:20:22 > 0:20:29No, that's good, cos it can be like the checkout at Sainsbury's at times, with queues of people.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38There's a memorial, somewhere about here, to a huntsman.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Ah, there it is.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- Do you fancy a step across? - No, I think I'll go round,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47thanks all the same. What was he doing hunting up here?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Well, all the Lakeland packs hunted on foot.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52They don't go on horses or anything.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Well, no, that would be tricky.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01So if the pack were working these areas, the huntsman would get up high to watch what was going on.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05And obviously, the people who followed the hunt would also get to high places.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- And it went wrong for Robert Dixon. - It did.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Anyway, his friends thought highly enough of him to cart that great lump
0:21:11 > 0:21:15of cast iron up here to mark the point.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Most unfortunate.
0:21:26 > 0:21:33Striding Edge fully deserves its place as the most famous spot on any mountain in Lakeland.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38On a clear day, you can appreciate 300 yards of exposed narrow ridge.
0:21:38 > 0:21:44Once on, there's no escape save for going forwards or backwards.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47And yet for walkers with a reasonable head for heights,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and for those not pre-occupied with fox hunting,
0:21:50 > 0:21:55it is a very attainable and satisfying mountaineering achievement.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06The good thing about this pea soup is if you did suffer from vertigo,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10it wouldn't matter cos you can't see anything down either side.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Now, of course, because you've done this many times before, you'll know
0:22:17 > 0:22:21when this is ending, but I've got no idea, cos there's no vision.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23It's quite soon, actually.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27But there is a little sting in the tail.
0:22:29 > 0:22:34Something just to round it off nicely.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36And it's not very far away.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43- We have to get down there. - OK. Oh, I see, that is a little sting, isn't it?
0:22:43 > 0:22:44It is.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49- So we're going to go down backwards?- Yeah.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Keep your body away from the rock,
0:22:52 > 0:22:54just like going backwards down a ladder.
0:23:00 > 0:23:05"After an age of anxiety, we reached the abrupt end of the edge
0:23:05 > 0:23:10"and descended an awkward crack in the rocks to firmer ground below and beyond...
0:23:11 > 0:23:14"..feeling and looking like old men.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21"My cousin, looking like something fished from the sea,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25"kept looking at me and saying nothing, but was obviously
0:23:25 > 0:23:31"inwardly blaming me, as author of the day's programme for his present misery."
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- What's next?- The summit.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37There's going to be a little climb up, isn't it?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- A little climb up. - Always little treats in store!
0:23:44 > 0:23:46On a better day, David's "little climb"
0:23:46 > 0:23:49would be revealed for all to see.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54The final approach to Helvellyn's summit is a 300ft face of steep rock
0:23:54 > 0:23:59and loose scree and his inappropriate choice of words would be clearly obvious.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03If Striding Edge tested your nerves, this will test your fitness and stamina.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Not bad for a little climb.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13It's quite interesting doing a climb in these conditions cos it's just completely different.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15It really is
0:24:15 > 0:24:17what you see inch by inch.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I don't really know what to feel at this moment, being so close to the summit.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Because...it's all just so murky.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Finally...
0:24:45 > 0:24:47..a bit of a plateau.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52Yep. It's quite steep, that last little bit.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Yeah. They make you work for your money up here on Helvellyn!
0:24:55 > 0:24:58They do on this side of it, they certainly do.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08Somewhere up here, just where the climb meets the plateau, is a monument.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You might see it looming out of the mist.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- Another one?- Yup.
0:25:14 > 0:25:21One of the best-known stories in the Lakes concerns a young man who climbed my route 200 years ago.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Charles Gough had set off from Patterdale with his faithful Irish terrier.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27But three months later,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30his shattered remains were found by a local shepherd.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Gough had perished on the cliffs beneath this monument,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38but there, standing guard over his master's body, was Gough's dog,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41an event Wordsworth later chose to immortalise,
0:25:41 > 0:25:46creating a favourite Lakeland tale of love and undying fidelity.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56From the memorial, there's just a simple walk across the plateau to the summit.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59If I could see more than 30 feet today, I'd be able to appreciate
0:25:59 > 0:26:05the largest, flattest peak of any of the Lake District giants.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11There's so much room that two daredevils even managed to land a plane here in 1926.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18This is where the hordes converge from all directions on a good day,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21quickening their pace as they spot the summit shelter.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Now THAT'S a good shelter.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30It is. It's a cracking shelter.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- Because you get protected from every side.- That's right.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It doesn't matter which way the wind's blowing,
0:26:36 > 0:26:37you'll find shelter there.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- Is that the summit cairn? - That is the top.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It's not a particularly impressive cairn on the summit of such a mountain.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53No, but I guess, on any other day,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55the views would more than make up for it.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Oh, absolutely spectacular and extensive in every direction.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02For instance, over here, you'd have Blencathra and that range there,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06and then, Skiddaw would be there, and the northwestern fells,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Grisedale Pike would stand out over that direction,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13and you'd be able to see as far as Morecambe Bay easily from here.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19But there's one nice thing, I've never been here before by myself,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21well, I'm with you, of course,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24but without any other person on the fell top.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26And that's all because of the cloud cover.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29You see, David, every cloud has a silver lining.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Well, shall we go to the shelter and get out of this wind?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Yes, let's use it for what it's there for.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41"Legend and poetry - a lovely name and a lofty altitude
0:27:41 > 0:27:45"combine to encompass Helvellyn in an aura of romance.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48"It is, as a rule, a very friendly giant.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50"If it did not inspire affection,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54"would its devotees return to it so often?"
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Well, I feel like I've ticked off one of the great achievements in fell-walking.
0:28:01 > 0:28:07If you stay in any B&B around here, somebody, some day, will ask you,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10"Have you done Helvellyn and Striding Edge?"
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And, of course, now, I can say yes,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16but one day, I'm going to have to come back,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20so I can see the magnificent views from this summit. Ha.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- Shall we go back down?- Sure, come on.- It's just like a rehearsal.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Next time, it'll be much, much better.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Oh, I don't know, I've enjoyed this in its own unique way.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd