Hiking Helvellyn

While in the UK we wanted to make it a habit to do more walking and hiking. Especially in the North of England where we are living, there is beautiful scenery and many trails. We are also fortunate enough to be living with my sister and her partner who are massive outdoor lovers. Plus they have the best named dog in England, Guinness! Who is also the most walked dog we know.

Our sisters had been planning a trip to Helvellyn in Lake District and we were lucky enough to tag along too. We set off on the Saturday, camped over night and then set off for the main hike on Sunday morning.

Mt. Helvellyn

Location:

Helvellyn is the third-highest point both in England and in the Lake District. The scenery includes three deep glacial coves and two sharp-topped ridges on the eastern side (Striding Edge and Swirral Edge). Also in January 2018 Helvellyn was named ‘Britain’s Best Walk’. So it is very popular and something the sisters had been wanting to do for a while.

The most difficult and dangerous part of the climb is Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. This is because it involves some scrambling to get across with steep drops on either side. So it was the part of the climb we were most anxious about and also concerned about with taking Guinness.

Luckily for us, one of the girls friends had done the route before and was an experienced climber. So he would be leading us and doing his best to keep us safe during the climb.

Campsite

Location:

We arrived at the campsite a day before the climb. We stayed at Gillside Farm Campsite in Glenridding by Ullswater. The girls had the majority of the gears for the campsite. We were able to borrow some tents and sleeping bags from other friends too. The campsite was in a good location, a few minutes walk from the village of Glenridding and also easy access for the climb of Helvellyn. There we also toilets, payed showers and a food truck on the site!

It didn’t take us too long to set up the tents so we decided to walking into Glenridding and have walk around the area.

Glenridding Area

Location:

Glenridding is a tiny village with a population of only 500ppl. Despite the small population as it is a popular tourist destination for hikers who want to climb Helvellyn, they have pubs, restaurants and a few shops to buy supplies.

We headed towards Ullswater lake which the village is next too. Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District.

We walked along the edge of the lake across to the other side. It was a great way to explore the area and taking in the magnificent views. After spending a few hours out and ‘warming up’ for the hike the next day, we headed back towards the campsite buying supplies (booze) on the wayback.  As well as also stopping by a good pub Travellers Rest for a pint too.

Location:

At the campsite we enjoyed some dinner which the girls had prepared and tried our best not to drink too much so we wouldn’t be hungover for tomorrow.

The Hike

We set off at around 08:30AM on Sunday. The weather was a bit overcast and foggy, but it was expected to clear up later in the day. We packed a lot of layers so that we could adjust to the weather as we went along.

The start of the climb is pretty steep, and honestly was a tough start for Jinny and I. We were easily the most inexperienced hikers in our group. Even Guinness had more miles under her paws than us!

Eventually the climb became less steep as we headed towards Red Tarn.  It is high up on the eastern flank of Helvellyn, beneath Striding Edge and Catstye Cam. From there we headed to our first scamble, Swirral Edge.

The weather was still overcast and foggy. So as we started climbing the ridge meant that we were not able to see the bottom on either side. As I am personally hate heights, it was actually a bit of a benefit not being able to see the bottom of the steep drop! It was still the most terrifying part of the  hike though. As you are climbing over narrow rocks with steep drops, you have to be extremely careful. It was definitely at this point when I was questioning why we had agreed to do this! I also wished I hadn’t drank so much the day before, as the slight hangover was making it more tough.

We all made it safely over, though Guinness had the toughest climb of us all!

After crossing Swirral Edge it was only a little bit more of a hike to the summit of  Helvellyn! The highest point, 950 m (3,120 ft) above sea level. After enjoying a victory sandwich we continued down the other side of Helvellyn via Striding Edge.

The weather had cleared up, so when we were heading down Striding Edge we were able to see the drop now very clearly on either side. We got to see some stunning scenery, that 100% made the climb worthwhile. We were all still buzzing from the adrenaline of the previous scramble too.

As Swirral Edge had been especially tough due to having Guinness, we decided to go round some of Striding Edge rather than attempt to scramble over. It also meant that we could enjoy the views without the fear of falling to death!

After Striding Edge it was a gentle hike backdown the mountain. We were able to get back to camp and complete the hike in about 5hr 30min, total of around 16KM.

After getting back, washing and packing up we headed to a pub called The Butlers Arms to celebrate, which was between the campsite and our home.

They had delicious food and drink, even a doggy menu for Guinness as well!

Location:

Hiking Helvellyn was an experience of a lifetime and the scramble was an adrenaline rush for sure. It is probably the most dangerous climb we have ever done but the views were also spectacular!

If anyone has the chance to do the hike while in the UK we definitely recommend and hope you have a safe climb.

Let us know if you have any recommendation of hikes we should do while traveling in the comments below.