Helvellyn, The Classic Ridges of Striding and Swirral Edge

Leave the car park by the entrance and at the road turn right to cross Glenridding Beck bridge, then immediately right again. Follow this road it soon becomes a rough track, bear right at the sign post onto the bridleway to Gillside campsite. Pass below the campsite, and on to the road. Bear left up towards the farm, but just before bear right up a rough farm track. You are now heading up alongside Mires Beck, and aiming for the notch in the skyline roughly ahead.

Reaching the fell gate, turn left, cross the footbridge, keep with the path as it swings right to climb with the beck close by. The views behind to Glenridding Dodd, Heron Pike, and Ullswater are fantastic and well worth a few minutes breather to admire.

As you come up to the wall going over Birkhouse Moor bear right, and soon bear right again to zigzag up the fellside. Don't follow the wall up. At the top of the zigzags bear left to rejoin alongside the wall, and on over the summit of Birkhouse Moor up to the Hole in the Wall.

The famous Hole in the Wall is nowadays a step stile in the wall, just round the wall corner. Ahead though is the anticipation of Striding Edge.

Follow the path onto Bleaberry Crag, and the side of Low Spying How. Thread your way amongst the boulders, onto the start of the ridge. Take to the crest of the ridge. An almost flat top makes for easy, if careful, striding along. You will need to come off the crest occasionally, initially it seems best to drop to the path on the right then getting back on the crest as soon as possible.

You will have to use your own judgement precisely where you drop from the crest and rejoin. But take your time, and where exposed use three points of contact.

Nearing the end of the ridge the crest drops ending abruptly, a chimney on the left is the way down. Pick hand and foot placements carefully. If that is too difficult, and it probably will be for dogs, or children. Just back a little is an easier gully that drops to a bypass path. Great care is obviously still needed.

Ahead is a substantial looking rock tower. Initially tackle it ahead and then pick an easy climbing shelf that goes right to left. Over the top and onto the head wall path which goes right to left. This last bit is of steep, loose gravel but there are no other difficulties. At the top turn right and you'll come to the Gough memorial.

Continue on up to the cross-shelter, trig point, and cairn at the summit of Helvellyn.

Continue on around the headwall to a large cairn which stands at the top of Swirral Edge. Turn right at the cairn and drop down the eroded start of the ridge. Great care is needed here as it's very steep and loose. Stay on the left side of the ridge but don't stray far from the nominal crest. It soon becomes bouldery with patches worn smooth by the passage of boots.

Soon you come to some sloping slabs above a gully on the left. Keep high and right, pass through a narrow rock gap, and then continue descending past the slabs. This short scramble finishes quickly.

After a short stroll a bump on the ridge is best tackled directly, and only at the far end drop right to an easy path slightly below.

Continue along the path, which branches right to Red Tarn. You can continue descending here but we thought it would be a shame not to visit Catstycam. So carry on ahead to climb to Catstycam's rough and airy summit.

From the summit of Catstycam you can descend down the eastern shoulder directly to Red Tarn Beck. But we wanted to sit by Red Tarn for a bit just to take in the ambience. So retrace your steps back to the col and turn left to descend to Red Tarn. It's a fantastically atmospheric place, and of course you get to look at the head wall of Helvellyn and admire the two ridges you have just traversed!

When you're done bear left from the tarn, descending a good gravel path alongside Red Tarn Beck, at the bottom bear right to cross the footbridge over the beck. You are now above Glenridding Beck heading towards the village.

Just before reaching the mine buildings on the other bank, cross the gated footbridge to pass amongst the buildings onto Greenside Road which you then follow back into Glenridding.