#CumbriaIsOpen

If you've been following the news you may have noticed a spot of bad weather has hit the Lake District once or twice this winter. Cumbrian's are a resilient bunch and there's been a concerted effort to show the rest of the UK that the Lakes is open for business as usual. February half term and the blue skies, snow  and cold temperatures of a far more enjoyable weather pattern have arrived. Monday was spectacular so we went for a quick blast up, down and around  Helvellyn to see how conditions were shaping up. First stop was Brown Crag Cove where the turf in Central Gully was well frozen and a couple of icy steepenings  maintained interest through some impressive scenary. More Gr II than I at the moment but a comfortable solo none the less. Most of the other regular routes looked like they'd seen some traffic as well.
With the cold north easterly dieing away we continued our day over Helvellyn and down Swirral Edge. There's a good boot track in place through the snow but it was well compacted and turning icy with the cooler temperatures. The East face looked in good condition with a couple of teams on Viking Buttress. Continuing our theme of a classic day it was back up and along Striding Edge, sunset on the summit with a large collection of photographers and an easy descent through the dusk :)