The first glow of dawn on St Sunday Crag. Getting out of bed at 5am looked as if it would be worthwhile.

Parking at Glenridding I set off walking at exactly 7am when the top of Birkhouse Moor was being touched by the sun.

Ascending the path by Mires Beck.

Looking back down to Ullswater as I reach the ridge.

Cofa Pike and Fairfield.

Almost Alpine. The view from near Birkhouse Moor summit across to Helvellyn, Striding Edge (L) and Catstycam (R).

Just after 8am on Birkhouse Moor. This is the lower cairn, the actual summit being the highest part of the wall in the distance.

Looking across to Dollywagon Pike and Nethermost Pike and Grisedale from the summit.

Birkhouse Moor from "the Hole in the Wall".

As I made my way up the Striding Edge ridge I could see low cloud pouring over the hills ahead. The point of Cofa Pike can still be seen in the centre. Cloud would scupper my plans but I decided to press on.

I followed the trail of sculpted footprints in the snow from previous days outings by others. Helvellyn ahead was still cloud free but in shadow.

From higher up the serrated edge of Striding Edge was visible but not the summit. Fingers were crossed.

Behind me it was still bright and sunny.

Spindrift was a slight inconvenience for those travelling nearer the ground.

Winter cloud over St. Sunday Crag.

At the start of Striding Edge. Obviously it was not my intention to cross the Edge. I was purely here to obtain good reference for a painting I have planned. The traversing of Striding Edge in these conditions is a major undertaking and not for those who are ill-prepared or in-experienced.

I was here to get references for a Lake District "Classic" painting. For more information click here.

I continued to be frustrated by the weather in getting the reference I needed so I took shelter for about 30 minutes and had breakfast! Fleeting glimpses of Helvellyn occurred like this, you can just make out a fellow walker on the top centre of the photograph.

And then it cleared! The last of the cloud disperses and the sun accentuates the ridge and the crags. I had planned the fact that not much later in the day than this the whole of Helvellyn's north eastern face would be in shadow so hence the early start. From here I returned the way I came but cut down north before the hole in the wall to take the path to Red tarn. I only met one other person and he was heading to do Striding Edge. I joked with him that I would get a good photo of him from down by the tarn. To see the sketch of this scene click here.

Catstycam from the path to Red Tarn which is to the left in this photo now under a bank of cloud coming in.

The outlet of Red Tarn. No chance of even seeing Helvellyn let alone some guy on SE!

I descended the red Tarn Beck path, behind cloud was still engulfing the Striding Edge ridge which i was on earlier.

Zoe waits patiently while I take the photos.

White Side and Keppel Cove.

Catstycam up to my left.

Catstycam north face with two climbers in the middle of the scree slope bottom right.

Glenridding Beck.