Helvellyn's broad summit plateau has a cairn on a small rocky knoll beside a stone shelter, with the trig point a touch lower. To the east, the sharp ridges of Striding Edge and Swirral Edge wrap round Red Tarn. In 1805 the artist Charles Gough fell from Striding Edge, and his dog was found still beside his body three months later. In 1926 Bert Hinkler landed a small plane on the plateau, and a stone tablet near the shelter marks it.
New to the Wainwrights?Read our guide: What Are The Wainwrights?Cairn near stone shelter
Ordovician volcanic rock from an ancient caldera, carved by glaciers into coves and knife-edge ridges.
FurthHewittNuttallBirkettSyngeFellrangerMarilynSimmCounty Top
Summit Weather
Our Route
Also on this route: Raise, White Side, Birkhouse Moor
Safety: Routes are a guide only. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, check the weather before you go, and turn back if in doubt. You use this route at your own risk.
