At 950 metres, Helvellyn is England's third-highest peak and probably its most popular serious walk. The summit plateau is broad and unspectacular on its own, but the two ridges flanking the eastern corrie — Striding Edge and Swirral Edge — make the standard circuit from Glenridding one of the finest mountain days in the country.
Striding Edge is a genuine scramble: a narrow arête with steep drops on both sides and some moves that require hands as well as feet. Most walkers manage it without difficulty in dry conditions, but it demands care in wet or icy weather. Swirral Edge, on the descent, is shorter and easier but still exposed. The round trip from Glenridding is about 14 km with 900 metres of ascent; allow five to six hours.
The view from the top — over Ullswater to the east and much of the Lake District in every other direction — is as open as any in the region.