Wed last Peri and I met up with Guido and Keith at Borobridge and headed off for Red Tarn face on Helvellyn. Easy journey apart from road upto Greenside Mines being too icy near the top (we parked off the road and got a warning note from the ranger !)
At 300m its a good start to the day, we slogged up into the mist and geared up underneath the face. Everyone was looking for V Corner (III ***). The mists lifted for a while we got a brief glimpse and Peri and I headed up. Guido and Keith were wandering around to out left. From the snow slope I climbed a short bit of ice and started looking for belay to bring up Peri (her first ice route after a snow gully in Wales). After 55m I managed to find a thread (as Peri had all the rock gear on her harness) and dropped the rope vaguely on her direction. As a delaying tactic I sliced my finger open on a flake of rock and dotted blood all round — nice !
Higher up was a short, near-vertical pitch and an interesting corner, great fun and well protected, Peri came up without and hassle with a huge grin, and lead through up the snow slope to the summit plateau. Guido and Keith wanderd past having just soloed Nethermost Gully (just the other side of Striding Edge) after V Corner. We compared notes at the shelter with about 4 teams claiming to be on or near V Corner. Who knows !
Peri dished out chocolate to all-comers and we soled back down No 2 gully – good long snow gully and back up No 1 gully which was excellent with good ice in the narrow steep part and tiring top part where it joins Number 2 in a snow bowl. Well done to Peri for her composure and commitment.
The walk down along Swirrel edge was as good as ever, but the pub was closed so we made our the way home
No pictures as battery ran out at the tarn !