Overview
This hike was 14.15km (8.79 Miles), and it took us 4:53:59. I think I could have done the whole thing in sub 3 hours. However, I did it with my 56-year-old mum, who has not done much hiking and scrambling. The route we did I will show you a photo below, but it was pretty straightforward. We started in Patterdale, then hiked up Helvellyn Via Striding Edge, and then descended via swirl back to Patterdale.
The Hike
We started by parking at the Patterdale Hotel carpark, which cost £5 so if you plan on doing this hike, make sure you take some change. Over the two days we were there, we saw many people with parking charges, so don’t park where you are not supposed to, or you will get a ticket. Anyway, let’s get down to this hike.
We headed up along the road, following the map to the path. Heading along the pavement, a sheep was walking with her lamb and running into the street. I did try to usher them back down the trail to the farm; then they ran off. They did go back to the farm eventually.
The trail started by heading up a steep hill before heading left through a gate, and then where we followed a long path that had a gradual incline. Some steps came along the way, which weren’t pleasant, but we had already done about two miles and were about 200 meters from Hole in the wall.
Once climbing over the hole in the wall, we could see Red Tarn; the clouds had also cleared so that we could see the top of Helvellyn. The clouds were starting to clear (we thought), and I was excited about getting some good photos and views. We walked up to Striding Edge, where the fun was about to begin.
Striding Edge
Striding Edge… We headed over the top to start, which my mum didn’t like at all, as she doesn’t do heights. She crawled until she could climb down to the path below. She probably should have gone on from the start. However, we didn’t see that, so we had to do our best over the top. I carried on along the top path, and my mum carried on below till we met a bit further up.
When we met up, there was a significant section of rock that we had to climb down; it must have been at least 16ft. First, I climbed down and dropped my bag off at the bottom (it wasn’t too difficult to get down, but there were a lot of places to hold on to); I proceeded to climb back up just to the right to assist my mum if she needed it. She didn’t need help and got down amazingly.
The top of Striding Edge was very exposed and very thin. I was lucky that the wind was minimal, or I would probably have had to go down the side. Scrambling over the top of Striding edge was over, and I had met back up with my mum; we were about a 1-200m climb off being at the top of Helvellyn. We just had a steep scree climb to go. The scramble wasn’t too technical; I think it is very exposed, and you can see the drop on either side of you; it scares people more than the actual scrambling.
Helvellyn, Me and my mum had just reached the summit of Helvellyn via Striding Edge 950m (3117 feet). Hiking up here was so amazing. However, the clouds hadn’t cleared at all, they had gotten a lot worse, and there was no chance of any views or good photos from up here. We sat on the benches just a few meters from the top, had our lunch, and sat there for 10-15 minutes.
The Descent
On the descent, we decided to make it more of a circular walk and head down via Swirral Edge, which is considerably more accessible and much shorter. We scrambled down here. It didn’t take long, but it was good fun. We did find a bag of human shit, which was discussed, and it stank so bad.
Coming to the end of the scramble on the swirling edge, we walked along the path towards the red tarn. We then followed the way back to Hole in the wall; we followed that path we started on. The trail going back to the road felt so long; my mum and I remember it being shorter; it felt like it was going on forever. We followed onto the flat road and got back to the car, and the hike was over. Helvellyn via Striding Edge and then down via Swirral Edge has been completed.
My Opinion
This hike was amazing, and I had a great time on Striding Edge. I will do it again soon, hopefully with better weather, to get some more photos. I would also like to make the walk longer to incorporate another Wainwright.
If you are thinking about going up Helvellyn, I would 100% recommend it. Swirral Edge is a good choice if you aren’t as confident, but still a good scramble. However, Striding edge isn’t too bad if you take your time reviewing it.
My Ratings
- Difficulty 3/5
- Enjoyment 4/5
- Views 3/5 (Due to clouds)
- Overall 4/5
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other Lake District hike.
