Helvellyn via Striding Edge - Dollywagon Pike - Birks - Patterdale

Joe Jackson

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Helvellyn via Striding Edge - Nethermost Pike - Dollywagon Pike - St Sunday Crag - Birks - Patterdale

Striding Edge is no doubt one of the most famous places in the whole of Lakeland and Helvellyn one of the most famous summits. This exciting mountain adventure starts off in the picturesque village of Patterdale, where there are several pubs and hotels and also a village shop just near the main car park. The route follows a short section along the valley floor of Grisedale before following a fairly gentle path along the side wall of the valley up to the Hole-in-the-Wall. This is where most of the ascent is completed, other than a final push to St Sunday Crag later on. The path crosses the fantastic and exciting Striding Edge as it rises and falls over numerous jagged peaks with a few rocky places along the way. The hardest section is known as The Chimney and involves a 15ft descent of steep rock, but still nothing too difficult. Once at the end of the Edge it's a final steep, loose path to the summit plateau, with fantastic views in all directions.

From the summit of Helvellyn at 950m the route heads south over two slightly lower tops called Nethermost Pike and Dollywaggon Pike, again both offering superb views to the east. After a fairly long descent to the quiet, tranquil Grisedale Tarn, the route ascends another 300m or so up to St Sunday Crag, which is a fell offering superb views north from the edge of the crag on its north face. There are still two more Wainwrights left to do today, Birks and Arnison Crag, which in fairness are on the way down from St Sunday Crag and require little effort to summit, but are great viewpoints.

England - North England - Cumbria - Lake District - North East