Area: Central Lakes
Route: Walk 4 (Helvellyn) 2nd February 2007
Distance: 15.4 km (10.2 miles)
Max Height: 950 metres
Time: 7-8 Hours
Grade: STRENUOUS

Starting Grid Reference: 402133

MAP

This walk starts at a car park located next to the A592 main road at Glennridding. The car park can hold over 60 cars at a time and is owned by the National Trust so there is a charge to pay for parking. The car park does have toilets and an information centre and is very popular for those wanting to access the Helvellyn ridge, so an early start is advisable during the busy tourist months of the year.

Birkhouse Moor 718m

Leaving the car, exit the car park onto the main road through the village and cross over Glenridding Beck using the main bridge in the town. Follow the road past a line of shops on your left with Glenridding Beck on your right. This will eventually bring you to a gate leading onto a dirt road. Continue along this road where it will bring you to a junction of bridleways with the one to the left being the one to follow.
The bridleway brings you round the side of Westside Cottages and it is here that you leave the bridleway into the trees on you left by means of a small gap in the fence marked with yellow arrows. Once through the gap pass through the small gate ahead of you and follow the footpath up through the trees. Parts of this path have had stone laid into it to help prevent erosion.
As the path winds its way up the hill through the trees you will pass a small wooden seat on your left before you leave the wooded area by means of a small wooden gate. Once through this gate follow the footpath alongside the fence where it brings you to a gate (don't pass through the gate) built into the stone wall before curving round to head uphill with the stone wall on your right.
After a short distance the footpath will bring you to a large and small gate built into the stonewall with Lanty's Tarn seen on the other side. Here you need to pass through the gate and follow the path with Lanty's tarn on your left and the wooded area on you right. About half way alongside the tarn, the footpath you need to follow to reach Birkhouse Moor heads up alongside the wooded area on your right until you reach a large wooden gate and style.
Using the style cross over onto the other side of the wall and follow the footpath uphill towards the top of Birkhouse Moor ahead of you. Along the way you will pass a large wooden gate built into the wall and the ruins of what was a small stone structure.
As the gradient of the climb increases, the path becomes more prominent with small cairns alongside to aid navigation in bad weather. Just below the top of the ridge the footpath swings round to head northwards following the contour lines of the hillside before heading up onto the ridge top. On reaching the ridge top you will see a small track worn into the grass heading off to the north. It is this path that you need to follow to reach the top of Birkhouse Moor.

Catstye Cam 890m

The summit of Birkhouse Moor is marked by a small cairn surrounded by short grass. There are great views of Ullswater and Helvellyn from here as well as those across to the eastern fells.
Leaving the top, follow the small track back along the ridge to the main footpath. On reach the path follow it along the ridge passing a number of small tarns on your right before the path comes to run parallel to a stone wall on your left.
Travelling along this path next to the stonewall you will come to a large style built over it and a junction of footpaths, which is known as 'Hole-in-the-wall. The footpath ahead of you will take you over Striding Edge to Helvellyn while the footpath off to the right being the one to follow will take you to Catstye Cam via Red Tarn.
Following the path to Red Tarn, you will have to cross over Red Tarn Beck by means of a few stepping stones which will then bring you to a choice of paths to follow below Catstye Cam. At this junction there is a small pile of stones on your right but the route you need to follow heads uphill to your left in a westerly direction. This path is marked with numerous cairns to guide the way up onto the ridge between Swirral Edge & Catsye Cam.
Once you reach the top of the ridge you need to follow the path off to the east which will take you to the top of Catstye Cam, which can be seen ahead of you.

The summit of Catstye Cam is marked off with a small cairn on a small hill top. This small top gives the advantage of being able to offer greater views down into the valleys below. The views over Red Tarn towards Helvellyn and Striding Edge are spectacular from here on a good day.

Helvellyn 950m

Leaving the top of Catstye Cam, follow the path back down the way you came up towards Swirral Edge ahead of you. On the way you will pass the point where you joined the ridge footpath before reaching the base of Swirral Edge. The climb up to the top can be very tricky in places so it is advisable that you only try this in good weather.
Once at the top you will be greeted by a small cairn and from here you need to head southwards along the stone covered top to the summit of Helvellyn which can be seen ahead of you. The summit is marked off with a trig point and further on is a shelter that stands a little higher. You can get some wonderful views of the western fells from here as well as those in the southwest such as the Old Man Of Coniston.

Whiteside 863m

From the summit of Helvellyn you need to follow the path back the way you came alongside the ridge edge, passing the cairn that you came across on you route up Swirral Edge. Once passed this point the path heads down hill slightly to an area known as Little Man. This area is quite baron and offers little in the way of views due to its location below Helvellyn.
Continue along the footpath leaving Little Man behind follow the footpath down towards Whiteside Bank ahead of you. Along the way you will pass a series of cairns all the way to the top. The top of Whiteside Bank is marked by a small stone shelter with some great views all round especially to the north with Skiddaw & Blencathra clearly visible.
Leaving Whiteside Bank, follow the footpath off to the north down towards the footpath junction ahead of you. On reaching the junction you need to follow the path off to the right to head eastwards below Raise. This path eventually winds down the hillside in a zig zag formation crossing over a small stream before meeting another track. From here the track heads down the valley alongside Glenridding Beck.
This area has a long mining history and on your way down the valley you may see old pieces of mining equipment next to the track.
Along the way you will pass over Rowten Beck by means of a small wooden bridge before reaching the outskirts of greenside mine. Here you will be asked to keep to marked footpaths due to the poor stability of the area around. Further on you will come to a junction of paths with one path heading down towards the mine buildings, which is the one to follow. The other will take you uphill to Sticks Pass.
Once you pass between the old mine buildings, which are now used as outward bound centres, follow the road down the valley, still with a larger Glenridding Beck on your right. Further on you will pass an old green iron seat just above the road before you come to a small wooded area with a track leading off along the hillside. Carry on along the road, which will take you past Rake cottages.
The road will bring you to a cattle grid and gates passed the cottages before taking you passed another row of cottages and the outskirts of Glenridding village. Walk through the village passing the Travellers Rest Inn on your left. At the end of the road you will come to the exit of the car park where you have parked your vehicle and the end of this walk.