Helvellyn routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 6 measured routes up Helvellyn, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Helvellyn routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Helvellyn 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 Helvellyn route

Wythburn

A pitched path climbs steep grassy slopes through the plantation and onto the broad ridge south of the summit. It starts from Wythburn church car park. 3.8 km one way with 760 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 45m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Swirls car park, Thirlmere. It starts from Swirls car park, Thirlmere. 3.9 km one way with 740 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Glenridding via White Side and Keppel Cove walking paths

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Glenridding main car park. It starts from Glenridding main car park. 8.0 km one way with 870 m of ascent. About 3h 5m to the summit and 4h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Glenridding via Grisedale valley and Grisedale Hause

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Glenridding main car park. It starts from Glenridding main car park. 11.6 km one way. Grade: Hard.

Glenridding via Striding Edge

A path climbs past Birkhouse Moor to the Hole-in-the-Wall, then follows the rocky crest of Striding Edge and up a steep rock step to the summit plateau. It starts from Glenridding village car park. 6.5 km one way with 801 m of ascent. About 2h 40m to the summit and 3h 55m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Glenridding via Swirral Edge

You walk up to Red Tarn and climb Swirral Edge, a shorter rocky ridge with easier scrambling than Striding Edge. It starts from Glenridding village car park. 4.5 km one way with 668 m of ascent. About 2h 0m to the summit and 2h 55m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.

Helvellyn route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Wythburn, Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge, Glenridding via White Side and Keppel Cove walking paths, Glenridding via Grisedale valley and Grisedale Hause. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

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 Helvellyn today and the Helvellyn 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Helvellyn 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 Helvellyn, 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 Helvellyn

What is the easiest route up Helvellyn?

The paths from Wythburn or Thirlspot on the Thirlmere side climb grassy slopes and need no scrambling.

How much time does each Helvellyn route take?

Wythburn: about 2h 0m up and 2h 45m there and back. Swirls via the Helvellyn summit ridge: about 2h 0m up and 2h 50m there and back. Glenridding via White Side and Keppel Cove walking paths: about 3h 5m up and 4h 40m there and back. Glenridding via Striding Edge: about 2h 40m up and 3h 55m there and back. Glenridding via Swirral Edge: about 2h 0m up and 2h 55m 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 Helvellyn route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.