I will be joining Helmut on Blencathra (possibly with Jayne Hill) and it is possible that Helmut will descend via Sharp Edge if the conditions are dry.  Polly has climbed Sharp Edge before but never descended it so, as conditions were superb today, I decided we would climb the mountain by Halls Fell ridge and descend by Sharp Edge to see if Polly was going to be fine.

This is pretty much the circuit of minor peaks south of Swindale as described in Wainwright's Outlying Fells but with one important change.  Wainwright describes a car parking space near the footbridge at Truss Gap farm.  The public now have to park three quarters of a mile down the valley before the cattle grid (big sign to say no cars beyond this point) - so the walk is a mile and a half longer - my GPS gave a figure of 7.33 miles car to car.