Leave the car
park at Glenridding and head back to the main road.Turn
right - cross the beck and turn right again so that Glenridding Beck is
on your right.Continue along the lane passing houses on either side.Where
the track forks ignore the sign to Lanty's Tarn and veer right following
the path by the side of the beck and continue until you reach a tarmac road.Turn
left and follow the road towards a house.Just before the house turn right
onto a broad track and follow this to a gate and ladder style.Cross the
style and turn left.You will now follow a well paved path which ascends
to a wall and veers right,follow the track with the wall on your left .
After a short distance the track bends to the right away from the wall,continue
on the track as it curves and bends and veers left and continue on this
track as it meets a wall on your left.After that climb the track levels
out with the wall on your left.Follow the wall to a ladder style on your
left.Do not cross the style, this is just a marker point of the walk.Also
ignore the path to your right that leads to Red Tarn but continue past the
style and follow the well defined path straight ahead to the rocky features
which is the start of Striding Edge with Red Tarn on your
right.To cross Striding Edge there are two paths,one over
the crest and one below the ridge,the choice is yours.The ground falls sharply
away on both sides of Striding Edge and care is needed
on this part of the walk,Red tarn is on your right and Nethermost Cove on
your left.Some hands and feet scrambling is required on parts of Striding
Edge.At the end of Striding Edge there is further hands and feet scrambling
on the final climb to the summit.
Once onto Helvellyn turn right and walk along the summit
plateau past the wind shelter to the trig point and continue a cairn which
is at the top of Swirral Edge.The scramble down looks steep
and exposed but it is not as bad as it seems at first sight and after the
initial scramble involving hands - feet and probably bottoms the going gets
far easier.Follow the ridge and well defined path to ascend Catstye
Cam.
From Catstye Cam descend the path to the outflow of Red Tarn.Cross the beck
and take the path to the left that runs diagonally back to the ladder style
that I mentioned as a marker point earlier in the walk.Do not cross the
ladder style but turn left and follow the track with the wall on your right.This
is now retracing your foot steps from the upward journey and returning to
Glenridding. |
