Climbing Helvellyn via England’s Most Iconic Ridge Walk
by Veer Shah | Finding Solace in the Lake District
Helvellyn isn't just a mountain. It's a mood, a moment, a myth. At 950 metres, it’s the Lake District’s third-highest peak, yet what draws walkers here is not height, but shape: the dramatic curves of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, two ridgelines that feel as if they were carved by wind and willpower.
To walk Helvellyn is to balance between danger and beauty, sky and stone: a journey that begins with the earth beneath your feet and ends somewhere in the clouds.
The Classic Route: Glenridding to the Summit
Begin from Glenridding, a quiet village on the shores of Ullswater. The path winds gradually up to Red Tarn, where the first full view of Striding Edge appears sharp, skeletal, elemental. This is the mountain's most famous crossing: a Grade 1 scramble, not for the faint-hearted, but unforgettable.
From the summit plateau, the views are wide and sobering, stretching from Blencathra in the north to Scafell Pike in the west. On clear days, you can even glimpse the Scottish hills beyond the Solway Firth.
Why Walk Helvellyn?
For the thrill of Striding Edge - equal parts exposure and exhilaration.
For sunrise hikes - when the mist lifts in slow ribbons over the eastern fells.
For the stories: Wordsworth’s grief, Charles Gough’s memorial, the long lineage of poets and painters who found awe here.
This is a peak that doesn’t shout. It challenges, stirs, and lingers long after your boots are off.
Nethermost Pike to Dollywaggon: Walking Through the Hush
From Helvellyn, the trail dips gently across Nethermost Pike and then rises toward Dollywaggon Pike, a long plateau of silence, stone, and cloud.
Few walk this far. Especially in the early morning.
The hush feels ancestral. The fells remember.
Your boots crunch softly as Grisedale Tarn appears far below, shifting in colour and myth.
For the Thoughtful Traveller
Finding Solace in the Lake District – My book of hand-drawn trails, folklore, and reflective essays
Print Shop – Photography from Helvellyn, Red Tarn, and beyond
Substack: Slow Trails – Monthly reflections from the wild
Want more like this? Read next: Grisedale Tarn & King Dunmail’s Lost Crown
Trail Tips
Early starts are ideal — for sunrise views and solitude
Striding Edge is exposed — confident scramblers only
Brownrigg Well lies ~300m from summit — use a GPS map
Windproofs are essential — Helvellyn’s weather shifts quickly
The ridge walk at Striding Edge is extremely narrow, and for those afraid of heights, Swirral Edge is an alternative route of ascent which also requires scramble, but less so. Coming down this way completes the loop, curving back down toward the tarn and returning to Glenridding in around 5–6 hours total.
There is a third route option from Wythburn Church in Thirlmere, for those that would prefer a steady ascent with no scrambling.
Brownrigg Well: Helvellyn’s Hidden Blessing
Near the summit lies Brownrigg Well, an elusive spring just off the main path.
Hard to find, but unforgettable.
If you locate it, cup your hands and drink:
crisp, cold, clear — like something sky-born.
A sacred offering. And a memory in liquid form.
Reflections from the Summit
This is not a hike to tick off.
It’s a pilgrimage to stillness, awe, and self-return.
Fear gives way to trust. Motion becomes meaning.
You may reach the summit, but it’s what the silence says that stays with you.
