Helvellyn & Striding Edge

After many years of visiting the Lake District and various climbing trips I finally took the plunge and with the expert guidance of Neil and the company of three group members climbed Helvellyn via Striding Edge And Swirral Edge on a wet and very windy day in October. A great experience which was made totally uncomplicated and enjoyable by the advice, knowledge and patience of our guide. Not only was a long held ambition to tackle Striding Edge fulfilled, but I also managed to tick off three Wainwrights and add 1000 metres to my Everest Anywhere challenge. I am already looking at next year's programme of guided walks to add to my 2020 target. (Posted on 22/12/2024)

After many years of visiting the Lake District and various climbing trips I finally took the plunge and with the expert guidance of Neil and the company of three group members climbed Helvellyn via Striding Edge And Swirral Edge on a wet and very windy day in October. A great experience which was made totally uncomplicated and enjoyable by the advice, knowledge and patience of our guide. Not only was a long held ambition to tackle Striding Edge fulfilled, but I also managed to tick off three Wainwrights and add 1000 metres to my Everest Anywhere challenge. I am already looking at next year's programme of guided walks to add to my 2020 target. (Posted on 11/12/2024)

We wanted to give our three daughters, the love our family has had for the Lakes over the years and their guided walk to the top of Helvellyn along Striding Edge certainly did. It was their first major Fell and it was a very very memorable day for them. This was largely down to Neil who guided a wonderful walk. So a huge thank you to him and the Lake District Walker for looking after our daughters so well from start to finish. You couldn't wish for anyone better than Neil to give them a real classic mountain walk. (Posted on 02/11/2024)

This hike up Helvellyn along Striding Edge and Swirral Edge was the fourth hike I've done with Lake District Walker. Its always been a bit of a lottery weatherwise picking a suitable weekend to book a trip, especially when I have to travel the length of the country to get up north, but my previous trips had been enjoyable and the guides had proved themselves very competent in all weathers. The guide for this hike was John, who runs the company, and he proved to be a superb guide for the hike. The weather forecast didn't look that great, and soon after starting, it closed in. We ascended to the hole in the wall fairly easily but as we got onto Striding Edge, visibility became reduced and conditions more challenging. John did a great job keeping the group together along the edges, and helping everyone along the edges individually especially when they needed extra reassurance. While this meant the pace was not rushed, it was adequately paced enough to ensure people weren't hanging around getting cold as well. We had a brief stop at the summit shelter for a snack, then continued down Swirral Edge, then headed down to Red Tarn and into the valley below. The round trip took about 6.5 hours and everyone got back at more or less the same time, and despite the weather I certainly have good memories of the hike. Definitely hope to get back to the hills again soon. (Posted on 19/10/2024)

A huge thank you to Phil our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the geography of the area and was super encouraging when I was anxious about cross striding edge. Without him I definitely wouldn't have made it. Our group was also great! See you on the next hike Phil! (Posted on 06/08/2024)

This is a brilliant, exhilarating experience not to be underestimated by a novice...our guide Phil was amazing so much patience and his guidance was second to none..I would definitely recommend this hike a real achievement. (Posted on 05/08/2024)

Had a fantastic day tackling Striding Edge, very ably and knowledgeably led by our guide, who was great at picking the best route, soothing any nerves and pointing out interesting local landmarks. Both my son and I throughly enjoyed it and will be back to tackle more routes soon. Also met a nice and varied group of people. All in all a top experience taking slight risks in a very safe and managed way. Thank you!! (Posted on 22/07/2024)

I joined a walk of Helvellyn via striding edge with a small group in June. It was such a fantastic walk - I grew up in the area and have done a fair amount of walking in the lakes but by far this is the best I’ve ever done. Incredible views in all directions and I enjoyed the slightly technical requirement of going over striding edge, felt like a proper adventure! Our lead Paul was very knowledgeable and it was lovely to hear historical insights about parts of the landscape we walked through. Highly recommend. (Posted on 22/06/2024)

A big thank you to our guides Rob and Tom for an amazing day climbing Helvellyn/Catsty Cam on 15th June 2024. Weather going up and along Striding edge was horrendous, wind, rain, mist and fog. But both Rob and Tom were patient and full of support especially when our group of 12 had split into 4 smaller groups. Rob stayed with the slower group and Tom went ahead with the faster group. Cant recommend enough TLDW and Tom/Rob. The whole process from booking to competition on the day was efficient and very professional. Thank you. (Posted on 17/06/2024)

Thank you to our guide, Ricky for a fantastic day on Helvellyn, taking in Striding Edge, Wirral Edge and Cats Eye Cam. I felt at ease, took in the amazing views and thoroughly enjoyed my scrambling experience, under the watchful eye of Ricky. There was no pressure to scramble and other options were provided, but I am so glad I did! Many thanks Ricky. (Posted on 12/06/2024)

After our first attempt at Helvellyn and Striding Edge was abandoned 7 years ago, and the fact that I am not good with heights, we decided to have a guide for this attempt. We met our group at Glenridding and our guide Paul. He briefed us as the weather forecast was not good and asked us regarding any concerns he should be aware of.
We started our walk. An enjoyable ascent, with plenty of history and anecdotal information from Paul. When we arrived at Striding Edge the clouds cleared, the wind dropped and the sun came out. Paul planned our traverse and was brilliant. He managed to keep me confident and my fears at bay. He assisted me (and the group down the chimney) with foot and hand holds in the rock. He gave me that reassurance that my fears required and got me and the group safely through Striding Edge. We successfully reached the top of Helvellyn and was down the craggy rocks on the other side, heading round the Tarn before the weather hit us with hailstones, thunder and a bit of lightening. I would like to thank Paul for getting me through this climb and would recommend a guide for Striding Edge (TLDW). Thank you, would not have done it without you. Dawn
(Posted on 07/05/2024)

Ross was our guide up Helvellyn via Striding Edge. The weather was magnificent and brought into view Solway Firth to Morecambe Bay, Ullswater (and beyond) to Wasdale (and beyond.) An alarming number of peaks that each prompted Ross for an anecdote or witty comment or other observation (some serious) to keep the day flowing. He took special care with each of us particularly as we descended The Chimney and ensured he never overlooked or outpaced any of us. This was my first guided trip and thanks to Ros and TLDW it will not be my last. A tremendous day out. Thanks again. (Posted on 02/05/2024)

A wonderful day climbing Helvellyn via Striding Edge in winter conditions before descending via Swirral Edge. Thank you to John for leading the three of us so skilfully. I shall remember this walk for a long time to come. (Posted on 02/05/2024)

I had a brilliant day walking Striding Edge.....as a guide Ross was great, super calm and kept us entertained with history and stories of folklore. Looking forward to the next adventure! (Posted on 01/05/2024)

Back from our Helvellyn walk today, just wanted to say how absolutely amazing Bill the guide was, without him, I would not have made it.

Thanks for a great day. (Posted on 08/10/2018)

Hi what a great walk today .Shame about the weather. Bill was brilliant kept us all going and safe perfect guide (Posted on 27/08/2018)

A big thank you to Bill who was my fabulous guide on 19th August. This was a personal challenge for me as I have a fear of heights that I am trying to conquer. Bill was patient, reassuring, motivational and made sure that all of us were very safe and enjoying ourselves. I really appreciated his help and encouragement over the tricky parts of Striding Edge and the start of our steep descent on Swirral Edge.

Unfortunately due the weather our view was one of mist! At least now I feel confident that I could achieve it again, even if I could see the extent of the drops.

I also appreciate Bill sharing his knowledge of the Lake District and Helvellyn. It was interesting to learn more about the area and what we experienced on our route.

I would definitely recommend using Lake District Walker and pushing your comfort zone on this walk. (Posted on 22/08/2018)

I rarely give 5 stars to anything, but I couldn't have wished for a better experience. We walked Striding Edge and I thoroughly enjoyed the ridge and scrambling especially. Our guide George was very capable and attentive to ensure we all stayed safe. In hindsight, I should have done some more hill training before trying this walk. I struggled with the descent as my legs and nerves were shot, but George was extremely patient and encouraging, showing me a few different methods to get down safely. I will definitely book again next time I'm in the Lake District! (Posted on 23/07/2018)

A big thank you to my guide Neil for a fantastic day climbing Blencathra on 17/07/18. A very patient, informative and encouraging individual especially when assisting me over Sharp Edge!!
Thanks also to the wonderful Rachel, who, two days later guided myself and seven great companions up Helvellyn and over Striding Edge and even finding time to fit in Catsty Cam too!
I found TLDW to be as efficient now as when I used them in the past, easy to book with, reliable and great to spend a day ( or two ) with!!

Regards

Neil. (Posted on 22/07/2018)

This was my first experience of The Lake District Walker and Helvellyn (via Striding Edge). The guide Rachel was very good allowing us to take our time without rushing. I also appreciated the no minimum party size policy as a couple of cancellations meant it was just the two of us with Rachel. I will certainly book another guided walk the next time I'm in the Lake District. (Posted on 28/06/2018)

Olly/Jane 20th June , scafell pike, great day out with Alex as our guide, he knew his stuff, had a good laugh with the rest of the group(8) weather got better and better and got some great photos,a mix of different abilities in the group but Alex kept everyone happy, well worth the money, thanks again (Posted on 21/06/2018)

Fantastically organised, we had 2 great guides who were really fun to be with & very safe. They looked out for the team at all times, took us on challenging routes but always gave the option to others to do easier paths along the way. Really enjoyed it & will definitely book again! (Posted on 20/06/2018)

I went up Helvellyn via Striding Edge on the 3rd of May this year (2018), with TJ. I was a bit apprehensive, having not done much hill walking for some time. I checked the weather forecasts daily before going and became concerned when I read words like Blizzards! I checked the forecast temperatures and applied the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate, yes, I know it sounds technical, but the result was a temperature below freezing! We set off and TJ kept on encouraging me saying I was faster than the man he took up the previous week - when I asked how old this man was he said....78! Striding Edge was nothing like the beautiful pictures I had seen and I resorted to crawling on all fours. It rained. We had our lunch in the drizzle. Finally we got to the top and could see all of 20 feet! I was surprised to see two snow/ice cornices up there. We did not hang around and started our descent, me on all fours again. As we got lower the going became a little easier and we had a good view of Red Tarn. Then I had this fantastic feeling of achievement - I had done it - I was walking on air. The last time I felt like that was when I was in the Scouts and had completed some expedition! It was a Great Day Out - thank you TJ. Now shall I have a go at Scar Fell Pike in September?...….. (Posted on 19/06/2018)

I booked this for my Partner as a birthday present. We are very new to mountain walking so I decided to book a guided walk. I am so glad I did because I don't think i could have done it without our guide. We had two due top being a large group. We stayed at the back of the group as we were slower and less experienced. Our Guide George was amazing in being patient and helping us over the tricky and quite frightening parts of the scramble. I am terrified of heights but George helped me and was wonderful. Even with the extreme weather events (it hailed) were amazing. They were friendly and felt like we were walking with friends.

This is probably one of my greatest achievements. It was an amazing experience and the walk had some absolutely stunning views as well as thrill factor. (Posted on 12/06/2018)

This was our first walk with The Lake District Walker and it did not disappoint. Our guide Rachel was brilliant, making sure we were all comfortable with everything (especially across Striding Edge) and giving advice on how to clamber across/down on the more tricky bits. She wad full of factual details and showed us what we were looking at in the distances. There were five of us in total and me and my friend Sylvia had a thoroughly enjoyable day helped by the perfect weather. I can highly recommend the company and am already looking which walk to do next. (Posted on 20/05/2018)

What can I say about today's walk?.. it was brilliant!, Rachel is a very competent and engaging young guide. As always my luck was in with a lovely group of walkers. We had good weather all day and managed three Wainwright's several stops for rests and photographs. We made it up over the Edge and down Swirral edge safely. I'm very pleased with my experience today and will highly recommend. I have a few pictures to share once I've worked out how. Thank you all for todays memories (Posted on 18/05/2018)

Want to tell you what a fantastic day I’ve had today and what a wonderful guide Catherine is. Extremely helpful, informative and caring young lady. She was just fabulous. (Posted on 13/05/2018)

My first time with TheLakeDistrictWalker. Website easy to use. Reassuring to read all the very good reviews. I am new to scrambling and thought I would start with Striding Edge before hopefully moving on to greater things. Went on Sunday 6 May. There were three other walkers. All good company of a similar standard of ability more or less, to me. John was the guide and led us up the hill often away from the well trodden path, seamlessly taking us up what he knew what was the best route, keeping us entertained with factual information, the features of the views we were looking over, the hills, the towns and rivers we could see in the distance. Being apprehensive beforehand on going up such great height is common. My fears went away on being led across the ridge by someone who knew it. Its really worth the inexpensive fee. The people there without a guide were often making a mess of it, half arete, half path, on their bottoms etc. We went confidently across the entire rock ridge and onto a splendid descent of Swirral Edge and up Catsty Cam. A beautiful sunny day too. (Posted on 09/05/2018)

I cannot praise this company enough. I did Helvellyn via Striding Edge today with our guide, John. We did Striding Edge to the summit of Helvellyn then Swirral Edge and then we reached the summit of Catstycam also. The guides are brilliant, so friendly and knowledgeable. It was great to learn more about the area and the wildlife. The people in the group were all brilliant too, I am sure I will keep in touch with some of them for many years to come! I will definitely be booking more guided hikes with The Lake District Walker and I think everyone should, I highly recommend this company. It is far superior to others! THANK YOU LAKE DISTRICT WALKER! (Posted on 07/05/2018)

Hi. My mate (Lee) and I hiked to the summit of Helvellyn, via Striding Edge (and down Swirrel Edge), last Thursday (26/04/18) with a small group and TJ as our guide.
The hike was fantastic. A proper Lake District experience. Striding Edge was, as expected, both terrifying and exhilarating. We also had proper Lake District weather, four seasons in one day (and yes, that does include snow).
The group of people also gelled really well which made the experience all the better.
Thanks for a great day... (Posted on 01/05/2018)

Had an excellent day walking up Helvellyn with Paul via Striding Edge .. although 3 of our group were nervous about the ridge Paul was excellent and guiding us all the way. His knowledge and expertise was second to none. The views were amazing and worth the hard work and determination to do the ridge. Cant wait for the next one. (Posted on 01/05/2018)

Thanks very much for a very enjoyable day's walking. It was an absolutely lovely route. First a long steady pull up to the start of Striding Edge. Then the tricky bit, which I found genuinely scary in a few places, but which was also extremely good fun. The scrambling is a joy with the rocks seemingly going out of their way to offer you as many sturdy hand and footholds as you need. There are a few parts that seem properly risky, but John made it very clear that it was always possible to come down to a safer path at any point, so I always felt relaxed and within my zone of competance.
After the tricky bit there is 200m of steep ascent that I found really lovely but tiring. If I do the walk again I will make sure I take on a bit of food between arriving at Striding Edge and moving along it towards the summit -- so that I am fresh enough to enjoy it to the maximum.
The descent began with another quite scrambly edge, which was less challenging than Striding Edge and very very enjoyable. Then there was a long, gentle charming descent past the tarn and eventually alongside the remains of the old lead mining works, which were very interesting. (Posted on 08/10/2017)

30 years ago I climbed this mountain and wanted to revisit and share the experience with my daughter. It was a wonderful day. Our guide Robert was inspiring; a natural love of outdoors his knowledge and expertise gave us a terrific day. He was considerate to the levels of all of the group . He advised on technical aspects and how to improve our scrambling. He instilled confidence and gauged tge abilities of the group very quickly. The weather was fantastic and I couldn't stop smiling. This was the first time I had used this company and it will be the first of many. Thanks Robert for such a great day. Alison and Tasha. (Posted on 21/09/2017)

I had a wonderful walk today with the group and Robert. He was absolutely fantastic and I hope you will pass on my thanks to him. He was encouraging and supportive and was a great leader (Posted on 25/08/2017)

I would like to say a big thanks to John and Neil for our two days of climbing and Ghyll walking, and the Helvellyn via Striding Edge scramble. Both guys were extremely good with the kids and us, informative about the lakes and mountains, and nice blokes generally. We felt we were in safe hands throughout all the activities and had two brilliant days out that we shall all remember for years to come. It was all good value for money too and being sent photos, for free, was a very nice touch. We will be recommending you to anyone we know visiting the lakes. (Posted on 22/08/2017)

We have been coming to the Lakes for years and always manage to include an activity which has left us wanting to do more. Helvellyn & Striding Edge was always in my sights but heights is not my husbands favourite pastime. So I thought if I booked a guide it would help pacify his fears. Our guide Pete was very good and I am pleased to say although my husband was out of his comfort zone for most of the time, he said it was one of the best things he has ever done and the weather was fantastic too. Pete was very patient and very encouraging with the group. I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend the lake District Walker guided walks. Having a guide has certainly boosted my husbands confidence for similar walking heights in the future. (Posted on 21/08/2017)

The Striding Edge scramble and walk was immensely enjoyed by both us, and Neil was a first class guide! Please pass on our thanks once again to him. We will be in touch again soon to do Sharp Edge.

Many thanks

Suzie (Posted on 09/08/2017)

I'd just like you to know what an awesome day I've had with my guide Dale doing Striding edge/Helvellyn! His knowledge was fantastic & although I was very anxious scrambling over striding edge, I felt totally safe with Dale! Fantastic day.

Jane (Posted on 24/07/2017)

My son Tom and I had a memorable day climbing Helvellyn via Striding Edge on Sunday July 16th. This was partly due to the weather (fine and fresh) but it was mostly owing to Ross’s expert leadership and skilful management of a group that included a 7 year old and a 70 year old.

Ross’s inclusive style and confident reassuring manner made him the ideal guide.

Many thanks. Richard Davis.
(Posted on 20/07/2017)

John good day,

What a magnificent day....and I must say how delighted I was to have Neil guide me especially getting my footing right across Striding edge helping me to be relaxed and have a most enjoyable stride across the edge! First class, Neil's knowledge of the surrounds was such an added bonus. It was great not to have to see it through the lens of my camera knowing Neil was taking some fab photos for me and the glorious mountains in good pasture. A superb fell walking day thanks Neil and yourself John for offering a first class service from m the initial call to you from New Zealand. You certainly cater for the international traveller. Awesome

I will be certainly recommending you.

Many thanks
Maranu (Posted on 19/07/2017)

A fantastic day where, under the tutelage of the lovely Neil, we successfully & safely made it to the summit of Helvellyn after scrambling the infamous Striding Edge. Neil was brilliant with his knowledge & skill of the area and his encouragement was fantastic in getting our small group of 4 safely back to base after reaching Birkhouse Moor, Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Swirral Edge and Catstycam. A brilliant day and look forward to booking more with LDW. Thanks again, Neil! (Posted on 17/05/2017)

This was a fantastic day, well guided by Ollie who gave you all the help & encouragement if you required & let you get on with it if you didn't, it was great doing striding edge & the views were amazing, I would recommend this day out to anyone. (Posted on 05/05/2017)

Super walk and well guided. Very reassuring across Striding Edge and patient with those who were less confident. Thank you! (Posted on 28/04/2017)

Ross was a great guide, interesting on the chats up the mountain, and reassuring over the scary bits. Would definitely recommend (Posted on 04/10/2016)

Big thank you to Adam for making the walk up Helvellyn and Striding Edge on Sunday good fun. Thoroughly enjoyed the scramble over Striding Edge then onto Helvellyn for views as far as the eye could see. Brilliant day. (Posted on 04/10/2016)

A great day out, brilliant and exhilirating, with a great sense of achievment at the end of the walk. I would definitely recommend using a guide for a challenging walk such as Striding Edge and Helvellyn as it gives confidence and motivation if the going gets a little tough.
Our walk guide, Rick, was very encouraging and patient. I would definitely use the services of The Lake District Walker again next time I am in the Lake District and want to enjoy one of the more challenging peaks. (Posted on 03/10/2016)

Just wanted to thank our excellent guide Paul for his knowledge and calm reassurance when taking us up to Helvellyn via Striding Edge. I was a little uneasy about going along the narrow, jagged ridge before but felt completely safe and in control thanks to Paul. We both felt a sense of achievement and would definitely recommend it as a challenge. Cheers Helen and Laurence (Posted on 02/09/2016)

Brilliant day - finally got to do Striding edge. No views due to low cloud. This just added to the atmosphere. Definitely like to do it again - maybe with the views next time. (Posted on 30/08/2016)

We are not seasoned, experienced walkers so the Helvellyn & Striding Edge walk was an exciting challenge for us. Our guide Ross immediately put us at ease and throughout the walk he adapted the pace to our abilities and encouraged us with timely, patient advice. Walking with a guide also meant that we learned much about the geography, history and folklore of the area. We could not have had a better day and will not hesitate to book again with LD Walker next year. Thank you Ross! (Posted on 24/08/2016)

Morning John

I am sorry it has taken me over a week to send this but I just wanted to thank you and Leanda for the help you gave on the recent charity walk we did on Sat 11th June to Helvellyn.

All the guides were fantastic giving us all encouragement and guidance all the way. Paul was leading off my group and he was particularly helpful to a couple of members who were a little bit apprehensive and they have since said that they wouldn’t have managed to do it without Paul’s support and expertise. Please can you pass on my thanks - I wasn’t able to do so myself on the day as my daughter was unwell and I needed to quickly get her back to our hotel.

We are already talking about doing an annual event which would include a walk and I will certainly give you a call next year if we do so.

Many thanks once again.

Kind regards
Karen (Posted on 20/06/2016)

Hi John

What a memorable day Thursday proved on Helvellyn. Thank you very much indeed for taking us along the top of the ridge. Our photos tell the tale spectacularly!

It was good to have your expertise and we look forward to joining you in the Lakes again one day.

Meanwhile we hope all continues to go well for your business.

Best regards, Andrew, Robert and Pete (Posted on 18/06/2016)

Thank you so much for this fantastic experience. Have been wanting to hike up Helvellyn via Striding Edge for ages and the experience far surpassed my expectation. Our guide was excellent and so helpful in making this the best and safest experience. I have hike up lots of mountains but not done anything of this kind of exposure before and I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt that this was the best way to do it with an experienced, friendly and helpful guide. Think I'm hooked now!! - will be booking in for Sharp Edge and also coming back to do this walk again soon. Thank you again (Posted on 18/05/2016)

As I have always wanted to climb Helvellyn on the Striding edge route my wife organised a guided walk through Lake District Walker for my 60th birthday. I was very impressed with the guide John who was friendly,professional and gave our group the confidence to tackle this awesome peak. We
were lucky to complete most of our climb in glorious autumn sunshine and John's extensive knowledge of the various routes enabled us to reach the summit before the low cloud came in to spoil the views! We also did Catstycam on the way down, a fabulous day which all three of us in the group thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks John . (Posted on 16/09/2015)

Didn't get a chance to say thank you and goodbye to John and James today after a wonderful walk up Helvellyn and Striding Edge. Your guiding was excellent and I look forward to more of it in the spring. Good luck with the dissertation James. (Posted on 25/07/2015)

If Ross hadn't told us it was his first walk with LD Walker as a guide we never would have known. He did a superb job of catering for all levels within the group. My friend is less experienced than I am in terms of mountain walking and was quite nervous going over Striding Edge but he made sure that she did so safely. I've done a fair bit of walking with groups, and he's one of the best guides I've come across so far. We both had a great day and will certainly book onto another walk next time we are up in the Lakes. (Posted on 19/07/2015)

We've been walking in the Lakes for many years, and have conquered some of the higher peaks - Langdale Pikes, Fairfield Horseshoe, but somehow Helvellyn had always eluded us. After a 4 year break from visiting the Lakes we felt that this year would be the time that we had to do it, but weren't sure we could do it on our own. I found the Lake District Walker on the internet and was immediately impressed by the professional website, and the range of walks and events on offer. I booked the Helvellyn trip online and immediately received a confirmation email plus loads of information about the day. When the day came it was so sunny and quite warm, we couldn't believe our luck! Our guide was excellent company, we felt we were walking with an old friend. We're so glad we did the walk with him, he knew exactly the right way to tackle the more challenging parts of the walk. As a bonus, he was also happy to take photos for us with our camera so we have come back with a fantastic record of the day, where we're actually both in the photos, some of which are quite spectacular! We can't wait for our next visit to the Lakes and will be back in touch to arrange the Scafell Pike trip! (Posted on 01/07/2015)