Helm Crag routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 1 measured route up Helm Crag, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Helm Crag routes, easiest to hardest

There is one measured route so far, graded Moderate. Grades run Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble.

Helm Crag route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Helm Crag route

Grasmere via Easedale Road

You leave Grasmere along Easedale Road and climb a steep stepped path up the south-east nose to the summit ridge. It starts from Grasmere village. 3.2 km one way with 327 m of ascent. About 1h 10m to the summit and 1h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Helm Crag route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Helm Crag route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Helm Crag, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.

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Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Helm Crag today and the Helm Crag 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Helm Crag routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Helm Crag, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Helm Crag

What is the easiest route up Helm Crag?

The one measured route listed here is Grasmere via Easedale Road (Moderate).

How much time does each Helm Crag route take?

Grasmere via Easedale Road: about 1h 10m up and 1h 50m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Helm Crag route?

Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.