Helvellyn
950 m
United Kingdom
- Elevation
- 950 m
- Prominence
- 712 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The shortest and technically easiest way up Helvellyn: from the Swirls car park on the A591 above Thirlmere, a relentless engineered stone path climbs beside Helvellyn Gill and past Browncove Crags to the summit ridge near Lower Man, then gently south to the 950 m summit shelter. About 7–9 km return and 750–800 m of ascent; 3½–4 hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +743 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 951 m
- Time Up
- 2h 59m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 01m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the United Utilities Swirls car park (pay and display, toilets that may close in winter) on the A591 Keswick–Windermere road above Thirlmere, about 800 m south of the King's Head at Thirlspot. Take the path at the back of the car park signposted Helvellyn, cross the wooden bridge over Helvellyn Gill and climb the stony path beside the gill through two gates. Turn right over a second bridge signed 'Helvellyn 2 miles' and cross a larger wooden bridge. Above, an engineered stone staircase climbs steadily, with views back over Thirlmere and north to Skiddaw. Higher up the path skirts above Browncove Crags through a boulder-strewn area on loose stones and cairns, then eases onto a shale path curving south-east along the broad ridge. A short detour leads to Helvellyn Lower Man (925 m); the main path continues to the summit plateau, the cross-shaped shelter and the trig point at 950 m. Descend the same way, or make a circuit south over Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike to Grisedale Tarn, down Raise Beck to Dunmail Raise and back north on the permissive path through the forest (about 14 km, 5–6 hours). In mist, keep away from the crags on the eastern side of the plateau: if you find yourself on grey rock you are too close to the edge. In winter the path holds water that freezes.
Start
Swirls Car Park218 m
- Stagecoach bus 555 (Keswick–Grasmere–Windermere–Kendal) runs along the A591 past Thirlmere; ask for the Swirls/Thirlspot stop.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swirls Car Park → Helvellyn | 3.9 | 743 | 12 | 2h 59m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Swirls Car Park218 m
United Utilities pay and display on the A591 (NY 316 168)
- Shoulder: Lower Man924 m
- Summit: Helvellyn950 m
Key Passages
- Engineered stone staircase above Helvellyn Gill
- Boulder area above Browncove Crags
- Summit plateau (crag edge to the east)
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
England's third-highest mountain (950 m) and the Lake District's most famous ridge walk: a broad summit plateau above Ullswater, guarded on the east by the knife-edged arêtes of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge around Red Tarn. An easy-angled but steep path also climbs from Thirlmere.
Helvellyn is the high point of the north–south Helvellyn range between Thirlmere and Ullswater. Its two sides are very different: to the west, rounded slopes drop to Thirlmere, crossed by engineered paths from the A591; to the east, glaciers carved three deep coves backed by cliffs, separated by the sharp arêtes of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, with Red Tarn in the middle. The summit is a plateau about a kilometre long above 900 m, with a cross-shaped shelter, a trig point and memorials.
The Striding Edge and Swirral Edge horseshoe from Glenridding is one of the most popular mountain days in Britain: a Grade 1 scramble on a narrow, exposed crest, short in hard climbing but serious in wind, mist or ice. Walkers who want to avoid scrambling climb from Swirls on the Thirlmere side, a short, steep and well-made path, or along the main ridge from the north or south.
The summit, both edges and Glenridding Common have been managed since 2020 by the John Muir Trust in partnership with the Lake District National Park Authority. In winter the eastern edges become a Grade I winter climb and the summit rim is often corniced; Lake District fell-top assessors report daily conditions from the summit through the winter.
Climbing Notes
From Swirls, fit walkers need 3½–4 hours for the round trip with about 750–800 m of steep ascent; no scrambling is involved. The Striding Edge horseshoe from Glenridding takes 5–6 hours: you should be comfortable using your hands on exposed rock, with a short awkward down-climb at the end of Striding Edge; a path just below the crest on the Red Tarn side avoids the most exposed moves. Avoid the edges in strong wind, rain or mist, and be sure of the top of Swirral Edge before descending.
In winter (typically December to March) the edges and the summit rim need an ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them; cornices form above the eastern coves and most serious accidents happen in these conditions. Check the Lake District fell-top conditions report and the mountain weather forecast. Busy weekends bring queues on Striding Edge; start early or go midweek.
History
Helvellyn was one of the first English fells to attract tourists, from the later 18th century, and was climbed by the poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who lived nearby. In 1805 the artist Charles Gough died on Striding Edge; his dog was found guarding his body three months later, a story commemorated by poems from Wordsworth and Walter Scott and by a memorial on the summit plateau. In 1926 a small aeroplane landed on and took off from the summit, also marked by a memorial stone. Lead mining at Greenside below the eastern coves dammed Red Tarn and Brown Cove in the 19th century; the dams have since failed or been removed.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter conditions; edges are a Grade I winter climb; cornices
- Feb
- Winter conditions; ice axe and crampons
- Mar
- Snow and ice often persist on the eastern edges
- Apr
- Lingering snow possible in the coves
- May
- Often dry; long days
- Jun
- Long days; busy at weekends
- Jul
- Very busy; queues on Striding Edge
- Aug
- Very busy; wet spells common
- Sep
- Often settled; quieter midweek
- Oct
- Autumn storms; shorter days
- Nov
- Early winter conditions possible
- Dec
- Winter conditions; short days
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No hut needed. YHA Helvellyn in the upper Glenridding valley and accommodation in Glenridding, Patterdale and Keswick.
- Fees
- Pay-and-display parking at Glenridding and at Swirls (United Utilities); charges vary
- Rules
- Open Access land above the intake walls and plantations; the summit, both edges and Glenridding Common are managed by the John Muir Trust
- Keep dogs under close control near livestock and on the exposed edges
- Getting There
Glenridding (east side); Keswick (west side)
Manchester (MAN) or Newcastle (NCL), about 2½ hours by road
- Thirlmere side: A591 Keswick–Windermere road; Swirls car park (NY 316 168); bus 555 runs along the A591
- Ullswater side: A592 to Glenridding (CA11 0PA); bus from Penrith to Glenridding; Ullswater lake steamers call at Glenridding
- Rail: Penrith (West Coast Main Line) or Windermere, then bus
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Cornices