England's third-highest mountain, and one of its most rewarding — with a route to suit almost everyone. The famous Striding Edge scramble is only one way up; there are also honest, non-scramble walkers' routes to the summit. This page helps you choose the right one, safely.
Height · 3,117 ft
Highest in England
Classic round · 5–7 hrs
Scramble or walkers' route
England's favourite mountain
At 950 m (3,117 ft), Helvellyn is England's third-highest mountain — behind only Scafell Pike and Sca Fell — and rises above Ullswater at the head of the Glenridding valley. In 2018 it was voted Britain's favourite walk, and with good reason: a huge whaleback summit, a dramatic eastern face scooped into corries, and the two most famous ridge scrambles in the Lake District, Striding Edge and Swirral Edge.
But here's the thing most pages bury: you do not have to scramble to climb Helvellyn. The knife-edge ridges are only one way to the top. There are steady walkers' routes to the same summit — and choosing the right one for your experience and the day's conditions is the single most important decision you'll make. That's what this page is for. The detailed treatment of the ridge itself lives on our dedicated Striding Edge page.
Difficulty descriptions here are indicative only. Real difficulty depends on the weather, the season and your own experience — always check conditions and turn back if in doubt.
Choose honestly
Helvellyn offers two fundamentally different experiences. Be honest about which one suits you, your group and the conditions today — the mountain doesn't care how far you've driven.
Experienced & confident only
Up Striding Edge and down Swirral Edge — a Grade 1 scramble along genuine knife-edge ridges with severe exposure and steep drops on both sides. Thrilling, and rightly famous, but a route where a slip can be fatal. For walkers with scrambling experience, a head for heights and good conditions. Not for beginners, children, or windy/icy days.
Read the full Striding Edge guideBeginners & those avoiding the edges
You can reach exactly the same summit with no scrambling at all — steady paths from the Thirlmere side over Browncove Crags, or approaches from Glenridding that avoid the knife-edges entirely. Still a big mountain day that needs boots, navigation and a forecast, but without exposure. This is the honest answer to "can beginners do Helvellyn?"
See the safe routes below
The famous one
The route that made Helvellyn famous starts in Glenridding, climbs past Red Tarn to the Hole-in-the-Wall, then goes up Striding Edge to the summit and descends the shorter, steeper Swirral Edge over Catstye Cam. It's about 7.5 miles / 12.4 km, 5–7 hours, with ~820–915 m of ascent — a Grade 1 scramble in summer and a full mountaineering route under snow.
Because the ridge deserves proper, honest treatment — the exposure, the Bad Step, the bypass options and the winter dangers — we've given it its own page. If you're considering the scramble, read it first.
The Striding Edge guide
The routes competitors bury
You can stand on Helvellyn's summit without ever setting foot on a knife-edge. These are the routes for beginners, families with older children, anyone without a head for heights, or simply anyone who fancies the top without the exposure.
The standard walkers' route to the summit plateau, climbing from the Thirlmere (western) side over Browncove Crags. A steady, well-graded path with no scrambling and no knife-edges — the easiest honest way to the top.
From Glenridding you can reach the plateau via Keppel Cove and Whiteside Bank, avoiding both ridges. Longer and quieter than the tourist round, and a good way to keep the famous view without the exposure.
Prefer a taste of a ridge without Striding Edge? Going up via Red Tarn and Swirral Edge alone is shorter and less exposed than Striding — still a scramble, so not for the nervous, but a step down in commitment. Locating the correct line off the plateau is critical; take care.
A "pony path" style gentle gradient exists on the walkers' approaches — none of them involve hands-on scrambling. Whichever you choose, this is still a 950 m mountain: carry map, compass, food, water and layers, and turn back if the cloud drops or the wind gets up.
Under snow and ice Helvellyn becomes a serious mountaineering objective on every route, not just the ridges. Ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them are essential; there's real avalanche and cornice risk on the eastern face, and the conditions are frequently underestimated. If you're not an experienced winter walker, save Helvellyn for summer or go with a qualified guide. Always check the Lake District Weatherline — its daily fell-top report gives the actual summit conditions before you set off.
Getting there & parking
The main start for the classic round and the Glenridding-side walkers' routes, at the SW end of Ullswater. The village pay-and-display car parks fill early on fine weekends; Patterdale is an alternative start just down the road.
For the Thirlmere / Browncove walkers' route, start from the Thirlmere-side car parks (Swirls / Wythburn) instead.
The 508 bus (Penrith–Windermere via Ullswater) stops in Glenridding, so you can climb England's third-highest mountain entirely car-free. It also means you can finish at a different point from where you started.
Glenridding travel & parking The Ullswater valley
The top is a broad, grassy plateau with a trig point and a stone cross-shelter to hunker behind when the wind bites. The view is one of the finest in England: north to Skiddaw and Blencathra, west to the Scafells and the western fells, and east down the plunging face to Red Tarn and Ullswater far below. On the clearest days people claim the hills of Scotland, the Pennines and even Blackpool Tower — but the real drama is right at your feet, where the mountain falls away in crags to the corrie.
Voted Britain's favourite walk
— ITV national poll, 2018
Helvellyn tops the list for a reason: a genuine high mountain with a summit anyone reasonably fit can reach by the right route, and an edge that gives the confident a taste of real mountaineering. Just pick your way up to match the day and your experience — and it will repay you completely.
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Common questions