Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the Beckside car park in Glenridding. It follows Greenside Road up the valley to the old Greenside lead mine, then the bridleway past Keppel Cove, where a reservoir dam burst in 1927 and flooded Glenridding. Zigzags climb to Whiteside Bank on the main ridge, which leads south over Lower Man to the summit of Helvellyn. The way back returns along the ridge over White Side and Raise to Sticks Pass, then drops down Sticks Gill to Greenside and Glenridding.
It is 17.4 km with 1,122 m of ascent; allow about 8¼ hours. The grade is Strenuous: a long day with over a kilometre of climbing.
Helvellyn's summit plateau ends in cliffs above Red Tarn; Striding Edge and Swirral Edge are scrambles and are not part of this walk, so keep to the ridge path in mist. From December to March or April the Lake District's Fell Top Assessors climb Helvellyn daily and publish its conditions through Weatherline; in snow and ice an ice axe and crampons are needed, and the skill to use them.
The Beckside car park charges a fee. The 508 bus runs from Penrith station to Glenridding.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Helvellyn without the edges: up the old pony route zigzags from Keppel Cove, back by Raise and Sticks Pass
- Past the old Greenside lead mine above Glenridding
- Striding Edge and Swirral Edge are scrambles and are not part of this walk
Summits on the way
- Helvellyn Lower Man 925 m · passed close by
- Helvellyn 950 m
- White Side 863 m
- Raise 883 m
- Sheffield Pike 676 m · passed close by
- Heron Pike (Glenridding) 612 m · passed close by
Getting there
Start: Glenridding Beckside car park · Pay and display. 54.54392, -2.95131
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Penrith (North Lakes): Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
