Glenridding Dodd to Helvellyn, (From A592 layby, near Stybarrow Crag)

Wednesday 24th June was forecast to be a fine sunny day – the hottest day of the year so far. And, as things turned out, it certainly was!
Unfortunately not a great day for photography. Much UV haze around throughout the day, quite a lot of high level light cloud around during the morning, and very harsh lighting conditions during the afternoon.
Starting from a layby just north of Stybarrow Crag, (beside Ullswater on the A592), I took the little used track which follows Mossdale Beck through Glencoyne Wood, to my first summit of the day – Glenridding Dodd.
From there I backtracked slightly to the drystone wall, and then took the south-east ridge route up Heron Pike and onto Sheffield Pike.
From Sheffield Pike I descended slightly to Nick Head, regaining the height lost on the way up to Green Side, before continuing onwards to Stybarrow Dodd.
From Stybarrow Dood I took the ridge across to Raise, followed by White Side and Helvellyn Lower Man, before reaching the main peak of the day – Helvellyn.
From Helvellyn summit I descended the headwall and crossed Striding Edge, High Spying How and Low Spying How, heading towards the “Hole-In-The-Wall” and my final summit of the day on Birkhouse Moor.
From there I took the Mires Beck (Little Cove) route back down to valley level, then crossing Rattlebeck Bridge and walking down Greenside Road into Glenridding before a final short walk along the A592 back to the car.

The tops were, for the most part, quite devoid of walkers, but Helvellyn and its various approaches were extremely busy.
Judging by the attire, footwear, and lack of any sort of rucksack being carried, I assumed that Helvellyn may well have been the first fell-walk for many of the folk seen up there.
I'm not being too judgemental, (we all had to start somewhere), and the day was obviously going to be dry, clear, and hot, so perhaps the need to carry all of the normal safety "essentials" wasn't quite as paramount as it usually is.
I do wonder how those not carrying any drinks went on though - I took 3 litres with me for my walk, and needed every drop of it!
I was saddened and to be honest, quite incensed at the amount of litter being left in that area. - Even along the very crest of Striding Edge, I came across empty single use plastic bottles, "Pringles" tubes, and ready made sandwich cartons.
Yet again, I was obliged to carry the rubbish of other thoughtless folk back down with me, along with my own.
It really doesn't take any effort at all to bring down one's rubbish,, and so I cannot comprehend why people choose to be so utterly idiotic as to wantonly desecrate these beautiful places.

GPX Track of the route walked: -

Walk Elevation Profile: -

Looking towards a partially mist covered Ullswater. – From Glencoyne Wood, shortly after starting the walk: -

Looking across Birkhouse Moor to a cloud topped St.Sunday Crag and Fairfield. (Taken from Glenridding Dodd summit): -

Heron Pike from Glenridding Dodd: -

A stone seen on the flanks of Heron Pike, inscribed “H” on one side, and “M” on the other, and marking the boundary between the Howard (of Greystoke) estate, and the Marshall (of Patterdale) estate. – Ullswater in the distance: -

Looking back to Glenridding Dodd from the flanks of Heron Pike: -

Looking across Birkhouse Moor from Heron Pike: -
St. Sunday Crag & Fairfield at left, Striding Edge, Helvellyn (with Catstye Cam in front), and Helvellyn Lower Man to its right: -

The first of two iron marker posts. This one on Heron Pike. – Once again marking the boundary between the Howard (of Greystoke) estate, and the Marshall (of Patterdale) estate. – Ullswater in the distance: -

A close up of the iron boundary marker post
(The inscription on the other side also has the date 1912, but with the letter "M" instead of "H"): -

The Helvellyn – Catstye Cam vista, as seen from the summit plateau on Sheffield Pike: -

Another Howard/Marshall estates boundary stone, this one located near the summit of Sheffield Pike: -

Looking towards Helvellyn and Catstye Cam from Sheffield Pike summit: -

Looking towards Sticks Pass (in the dip on the horizon), with Raise over to the left and Green Side over to the right.
From this viewpoint, (approaching Nick Head), Stybarrow Dodd is beyond the horizon behind Green Side: -

The second of the two Howard/Marshall iron marker posts. This one seen on Sheffield Pike on the approach to Nick Head.
The route from here up to Green Side’s summit follows the ribbon of darker green grass in centre of image: -

A zoomed in shot of Catstye Cam - As seen from the flanks of Green Side: -

Looking over towards the central fells from the expansive, flat top of Stybarrow Dodd: -

Looking back to Stybarrow Dodd from Raise summit: -

Ullswater as seen from Raise summit plateau: -

Looking towards White Side, with Helvellyn beyond: -

Looking back to Raise and Stybarrow Dodd from summit of White Side: -

Helvellyn, (Catstye Cam at left), from flanks of White Side: -

Brown Cove Crags as seen from the ridge between White Side and Helvellyn Lower Man: -

Looking west to Brown Cove Crags and Thirlmere. – From further along the ridge between White Side and Helvellyn Lower Man: -

Looking north-east to Keppel Cove, with Catstye Cam prominent. – Sheffield Pike in middle distance and Ullswater beyond.
As seen from the col between Helvellyn Lower Man and Helvellyn: -

Ordnance Survey Triangulation Pillar at Helvellyn summit. – Catstye Cam prominent at left, with Birkhouse Moor in centre shot: -

The “Cross Shelter” on Helvellyn summit plateau. The actual summit cairn can be seen on the skyline behind: -

The Leeming/Hinkler memorial tablet which can be found on Helvellyn, approximately fifty yards south of the cross shelter: -

The Gough memorial, located at the eastern edge of Helvellyn’s summit plateau, above Striding Edge: -

Red Tarn and Striding Edge: -

The Dixon Memorial, (now sadly somewhat deteriorated), located where the arete of Striding Edge meets High Spying How: -

Looking back along Striding Edge to Helvellyn, from the area of the Dixon memorial: -

Looking back to Low & High Spying How, with Striding Edge and Helvellyn beyond: -

St. Sunday Crag, as seen from the ridge above Bleaberry Crag area on the way across to the “Hole-In-The-Wall”: -

Looking across from the ridge above Bleaberry Crag to Sheffield Pike / Nick Head / Green Side areas walked earlier in the day: -

The “Hole-In-The-Wall”, with Birkhouse Moor beyond. – (Sheffield Pike and Green Side on horizon over to left hand side): -

Glenridding and Ullswater, as seen from the flanks of Birkhouse Moor on the descent back to valley level: -

Another shot towards Ullswater, with Glenridding Dodd & Heron Pike prominent in mid ground. – (Taken from Mires Beck path): -

Final shot of the day. – Glenridding Dodd, as seen just before reaching Glenridding by the Mires Beck route: -

All in all, another superb walk amongst some of the finest scenery in England!

Regards,
Mike.

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