Guided Outdoors

Helvellyn via Striding & Swirral Edge
2026-05-16 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-30 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-06-13 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-06-27 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-04 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-18 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-01 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-15 09:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) and 1 more date | Glenridding, Glenridding Car Park, Greenside Rd,, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0PA, United Kingdom
Helvellyn via Striding & Swirral Edge Guided Walk

About

Our Helvellyn via Striding & Swirral Edge guided walk is a spectacular and challenging scramble up the third highest peak in England.

Starting from the village of Glenridding, the walk takes us up steeply towards the Red Tarn, a beautiful lake surrounded by the rugged mountain peaks. The path winds its way up the side of Striding Edge, a narrow ridge that traverses the mountain. This is a thrilling and exposed hike that rewards you with breathtaking views of the surrounding fells.

Once at the summit of Helvellyn, it enjoys outstanding views across the whole of the Lake District before a challenging descent takes you along Swirral Edge, a ridge that runs along the northern side of the mountain.

Summiting Helvellyn is a memorable and challenging walk, in one of the most stunning areas of the UK, this really is a must-do for any outdoor enthusiast.

Hike Stats

Event Type: Scramble

Distance: 8 miles

Difficulty: 4/5 – Good level of fitness required, head for heights and some previous scrambling experience

Duration: Approximately 4 hours including lunch and breaks

Peaks: Helvellyn

Where to Meet

We will be meeting at the National Trust – Glenridding car park at 08:30am, aiming to commence the walk at 09:00am

It is important to note that mobile phone signal can be very limited in the Lake District national park with the other challenge of some roads not actually being listed on Google Maps.

For this reason, we would recommend saving “Cumbria” as a offline map to your mobile device, allowing turn by turn navigation even with no mobile internet. If you are unsure how to do this, please read our blog post here.

We also recommend downloading the what3words app to your mobile phone. This allows navigation to unlisted roads/places using simply a three word phrase.

what3words phrase: ///richest.resettle.crumble

Check out our full calendar

We have a wide selection of different walks and hikes running throughout the whole season. Click the below link to view our full calendar of guided walks we currently have planned.

View All Guided Walks

Faqs

Please take some time to read our FAQs. If the question you need answering is not listed, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us for more information.

Can I bring my dog?
Well trained dogs are allowed on our low level walks only.

What is your refund/cancellation policy?
Our full refund and cancellation policy can be found here.

Is there a minimum age limit?
On our scramble and advanced hikes the minimum age is 16 accompanied by an adult. For our low-level walks all ages are welcome with under 16s being accompanied by an adult.

What kit do I need ?
A full required kit list can be found below.

Kit List

Make sure you have all items with you before attending one of our guided walks. These will be checked before starting and entry refused in some cases.

Waterproof Jacket & Trousers
Even if it is forecast blue skies all day the Lake District is known for its rapidly changing weather conditions. Attendees should be prepared for these sudden weather changes bringing appropriate waterproof jackets and over trousers.

Warm clothing
When it comes to hiking, layering is key to staying comfortable and safe on the trail. The layering system is a way to dress in layers that can be added or removed as the temperature and activity level change. It allows you to adapt to the changing conditions and stay comfortable throughout your hike. For a full breakdown, take a look at our blog post here.

Hiking boots/Trail Shoes
Hiking boots or trail shoes are essential, strictly no wellies.

Rucksack
We recommend a minimum of 20L rucksack will be needed to carry all items necessary for one of our guided walks.

Water
For our medium hikes and scrambles we would recommend carrying a minimum of 1L of water. On the Low Level walks 500ml should suffice.

Head torch
This is a critical piece of equipment even for walks that will be starting during daylight hours.

Packed Lunch
Food for half way break, giving some much needed energy for the descent.
