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Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Lake District => Topic started by: Norfolk-Matt on 20:14:09, 19/09/17

Title: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 20:14:09, 19/09/17
Evening all. From my research it seems like going up Helvellyn via striding edge is the most popular route.


We take our dog out on hill walks but wouldn't take him along the edge for obvious reasons, so we're looking for an alternative, dog friendly route to the top?


Any idvice would be great, thanks.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: snoopdawg on 21:22:15, 19/09/17
From Thirlmere straight up to Lower Man and onto Helvellyn.

From Glenridding take the road up to the YH, either go up the Zig zag path or Sticks pass and follow the paths up onto Lower man and Helvellyn.

From Glenridding take the path over to Lantys tarn, walk up the valley up to Grisedale tarn and ascend onto the Helvellyn ridge.

All walking routes.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 21:44:16, 19/09/17
From Thirlmere straight up to Lower Man and onto Helvellyn.

From Glenridding take the road up to the YH, either go up the Zig zag path or Sticks pass and follow the paths up onto Lower man and Helvellyn.

From Glenridding take the path over to Lantys tarn, walk up the valley up to Grisedale tarn and ascend onto the Helvellyn ridge.

All walking routes.


Thanks for the reply. I'll look into those routes and decide which seems best.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: ninthace on 22:38:19, 19/09/17
This route meets your requirement


https://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid=EECC5DB8CF0AFCF8F6486AC577CF487D.fe3?fileId=xeahlnfiycngzhcf
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 06:59:12, 20/09/17
This route meets your requirement


https://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid=EECC5DB8CF0AFCF8F6486AC577CF487D.fe3?fileId=xeahlnfiycngzhcf (https://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessionid=EECC5DB8CF0AFCF8F6486AC577CF487D.fe3?fileId=xeahlnfiycngzhcf)


Excellent, thanks. GPS file downloaded :)
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Theo Frum on 14:25:39, 20/09/17
Do the whole ridge, Dollywaggon Pike to Clough Head. Park at Stanah, then the bus will drop you off at the summit of Dunmail Raise, and the old coach road north of Clough Head will take you back down into St John's in the Vale
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: lostme1 on 18:47:30, 21/09/17
 The easiest route is from Wythburn Church.
 
In 1983 I took my parents to the top from the church. My mum had asthma and my father had arthritis in his knees plus angina. He had a triple by pass the following year. It took the same amount of time to go up as come down as my mum struggled with the uphill due to asthma and my dad had problems with the descent due to painful knees. But we got there.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 19:08:54, 21/09/17
Thank you both for the reply. We don't mind a hard walk/challenge, even the dog is fine on big hill/mountain walks, but Striding Edge and Swirral Edge doesn't look suitable for us.


We're not back in the lakes until May next year but always looking and planning new walks :)
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 19:14:00, 21/09/17
The easiest route is from Wythburn Church.
 
In 1983 I took my parents to the top from the church. My mum had asthma and my father had arthritis in his knees plus angina. He had a triple by pass the following year. It took the same amount of time to go up as come down as my mum struggled with the uphill due to asthma and my dad had problems with the descent due to painful knees. But we got there.


Just looked at Wythburn Church route. I'm guessing you went straight up and down the same path if your mum and dad were struggling a bit. I noticed it could be made in to a circular route but not sure which way would be the nicest?
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Mel on 19:40:13, 21/09/17

... I noticed it could be made in to a circular route but not sure which way would be the nicest?


You might find some of the replies in THIS (http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=28645.0) topic useful  :)
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 20:04:03, 21/09/17

You might find some of the replies in THIS (http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=28645.0) topic useful  :)


Excellent, thanks. We're like you and would prefer to go the harder way up and an easy walk down. Did you go in the end?
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 20:13:34, 21/09/17

You might find some of the replies in THIS (http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=28645.0) topic useful  :)


Now not sure whether to do the Swirls round to Wyburn, a circular walk from Stanah Lane mentioned in your post, or the 18.5km route that someone linked above. I might have to map the other two out and see how long they are, then try and decide how we're feeling at the time :)
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Mel on 20:39:24, 21/09/17
I reckon you and your dog could enjoy a good few days scampering all over the Helvellyn massif from all sorts of different angles with all the routes suggested, particularly if you don't have a problem with distances.  


Sadly, I've not yet had chance to get up there myself but I've got that topic I created earmarked for future reference (hence why I could link to it so quickly  ;D  )

Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Oldtramp on 23:59:40, 21/09/17
Agree with what many others have said that there are a lot of easy approaches to Helvellyn from the west, involving no scrambling.  And by combining different up and down routes, you can get an excellent linear ridge walk, returning to your start point by bus.


But it's also possible to go up from the the east side without scrambling, starting from Glenridding, which is a lot nicer to start from than Wythburn or Thirlspot.  For example go up via Sticks Pass, or (a shorter route) via the Keppel Cove zig-zags, then south along the main ridge, over Helvellyn and down to Grisedale Tarn, with a broad easy path back to Glenridding.  Feeling energetic you could take in Sheffield Pike and Gleridding Dodd on the way up.  Or, having reached Grisedale Tarn, could walk up to the gap between St Sunday Crag and Fairfield, then over St Sunday and down to Glenridding.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 06:27:20, 22/09/17
Agree with what many others have said that there are a lot of easy approaches to Helvellyn from the west, involving no scrambling.  And by combining different up and down routes, you can get an excellent linear ridge walk, returning to your start point by bus.


But it's also possible to go up from the the east side without scrambling, starting from Glenridding, which is a lot nicer to start from than Wythburn or Thirlspot.  For example go up via Sticks Pass, or (a shorter route) via the Keppel Cove zig-zags, then south along the main ridge, over Helvellyn and down to Grisedale Tarn, with a broad easy path back to Glenridding.  Feeling energetic you could take in Sheffield Pike and Gleridding Dodd on the way up.  Or, having reached Grisedale Tarn, could walk up to the gap between St Sunday Crag and Fairfield, then over St Sunday and down to Glenridding.



Thank you for your reply.


I've been looking on the map for sticks pass but can't seem to find it.


Is that the route that Ninface shared above? Thanks.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Percy on 07:37:14, 22/09/17
Sticks Pass is a couple of miles due north of Helvellyn - between Raise and Stybarrow Dodd.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Oldtramp on 08:36:46, 22/09/17
Exactly.


From Glenridding you go up to the old lead mine (1.5 miles up a back road), where the route splits.  Then either (1) go right and up to Sticks Pass reaching the ridge, as Percy says, between Raise and Stybarrow Dodd about 2 miles N of Helvellyn or (2) go left following the Glenridding Beck up.  After a short mile, at c 1700' you'll find a rising path off to the right. This leads up the Keppel Cover zig zags --- to reach the ridge between Raise and White Side, saving the trouble of going over Raise and putting you  within a mile of Helvellyn's summit. It's a long while since I went up that way, but it's perfectly easy, including for your four-legged friend, being an old pony route from the Victorian era.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Skip on 08:43:54, 26/09/17
I've been looking on the map for sticks pass but can't seem to find it.

The pass runs more or less east-west between Raise and Stybarrow Dodd.

The summit is at NY 340 181 and is named on both 1:50K and 1:25K OS maps.

EDIT: Apologies, I didn't spot the replies from Oldtramp and Percy before I hit send  :-[
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Norfolk-Matt on 06:59:48, 27/09/17
Thanks Skip & thanks again to everyone else who has helped  :)
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: JimD on 13:32:48, 28/09/17
Does anyone have any experience of the two ridge routes that (allegedly!) go up the Grisedale-facing sides of Dollwaggon Pike and Nethermost Pike?  They would obviously add to the combinations, though perhaps not be suitable in this context.  Wainwright mentions them.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Percy on 13:47:30, 28/09/17
Does anyone have any experience of the two ridge routes that (allegedly!) go up the Grisedale-facing sides of Dollwaggon Pike and Nethermost Pike?  They would obviously add to the combinations, though perhaps not be suitable in this context.  Wainwright mentions them.
On the forum meet last April we went down the Tongue from Dollywaggon Pike. Quite steep and mainly grassy so a bit slippery in places but ok. Hands required on the odd bit. Can't see any real problems either ascending or descending.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: gunwharfman on 13:54:13, 28/09/17
I agree with Percy.
Title: Re: Helvellyn without Striding Edge
Post by: Steve18566 on 14:30:16, 28/09/17
Does anyone have any experience of the two ridge routes that (allegedly!) go up the Grisedale-facing sides of Dollwaggon Pike and Nethermost Pike?  They would obviously add to the combinations, though perhaps not be suitable in this context.  Wainwright mentions them.
See Trail magazine October issue for an Dollywaggon Pike ridge description