Helvellyn West

Route Information

Stats: 10 miles and 3370 feet of ascent

OS Map:

Refreshments

Carry your butties (and make sure the notoriously larcenous sheep of Helvellyn don’t half-inch ‘em)

Character

A brawl with gravity on the Western flank of rideable Lakeland’s biggest bruiser. One of the many great thing about Helvellyn is the number (nine) of legitimate routes to the summit from valley level. That makes eighty-one combinations of up and down to go at.

Start point: Get yourself to Wythburn car park at NY324136. Bring £4.50 unless you reckon on whizzing round under two hours.


Route

1. Shoulder the bike and set off up the bridleway through the woods. Take a note of the point where you cross the contouring forest road.

2. Once out of the trees, flank up left, parallel to the stream.

3. Flank up the western slopes of Nethermost Pike to Swallow Scarth

4. Haul up to Helvellyn Summit.

5. Drop down to Lower man and plummet down the stony north ridge6. Head north over White Side and Raise

7. Turn left at Sticks Pass and cascade down to the valley at Legburthwaite

8. Head south on the road as far as High Park (316170)

9. Avoid further tarmac by taking the forest road running parallel.

10. Drop down to the start from the point you memorised at step (2).

click below for gpx file