Striding towards a new Christmas tradition: hiking Helvellyn on Christmas Day

Helvellyn on Christmas Day is something else

Helvellyn is one of the most popular mountains in the UK – and for good reason – Striding Edge. This stunning ridge walk is well known for it’s beauty but also for its difficulty. So when I saw a post by a friend on Facebook that he was organising a hike up Helvellyn on Christmas Day – I thought why not?

Until that point my Christmas tradition had consisted of the local pub. Getting in at opening and staying until last orders. Basically cramming as much drink into the 3-4 hours that I could.

This resulted in my getting home and falling asleep as the family are Christmas dinner. Unsurprisingly my family were not fans of my little tradition.

I had hiked Helvellyn once before in the summer, however, the thought of a winter hike up there and doing something positive with my day really started to excite me.

Five turned to three

Five of us and a dog turned up to do the hike, however, as we got further up two of the group had to turn back. One of the guys had turned up in tracksuit bottoms and trainers and as we got higher up the conditions deteriorated so the decision was made for him and a friend to turn back.

The three of us that remained cracked on, ascending via Striding Edge before descending via Swirral Edge. There was snow, some hail and constant laughter.

Often as we walked I felt my mind wander to random thoughts and had an overall feeling of happiness. Being up in the mountains rather than stood at the same bar in the same pub as always was the best decision I’d made in years. I got home and was determined to make this my new Christmas Day tradition.

Over the next few months I thought often about how that day had changed my outlook altogether – on what I felt I needed more of in my life. Even though I had hiked a couple of mountains before there had always been a year or so between them – and I decided then that in future it would be weeks between walks – not years.

As the months went on I didn’t manage anymore mountains, but I did manage to do a few decent walks in both Lancashire and The Lake District.

Twelve months on from the Helvellyn hike I had a new girlfriend, Louise, who had grown up in the Peak District and was a fan of walking too. With Christmas Day approaching naturally our thoughts turned to where we would spend Christmas. Remembering the previous year I quickly suggested – not how you usually would.

And so there it was – for a second year I would be hiking Helvellyn on Christmas Day. Myself, Louise and a friend of ours Neil all made the two hour trip up the motorway to the car park at Glenridding.

Several hours later as we descended via Swirral Edge and made it back to the car park it was safe to say none of us regretted the decision to spend our Christmas Day up in my opinion one of the best mountains that England has to offer.

We were back home in Manchester in time to have a quick pint in our local The White Horse and our attention quickly turned to where to go next.