WARNING: Only cross Striding Edge if you are experienced and confident enough in your own abilities to do so; many people have come to grief crossing Striding Edge.
- Always use a map.
- Do not cross in bad weather.
- Do not cross without being adequately attired and have the correct equipment for the weather conditions and know how to use it
- Do not cross if you do not know what you are doing.
- Do not take this page or website as a green light that enables you to cross; just because I have been across it does not mean that you can.
- Maps and photos on striding edge.net are only for indicative purposes only and proper equipment should be used if you are a planning a hike this way.
Striding Edge is the famous and renowned ridge that flanks the south eastern passage to Helvellyn. The most common route to Striding Edge is from Patterdale or a longer walk from Glenridding. The target from either route is to reach the ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ to reach the best way of traversing the ridge from east to west.
From the Hole-in-the-Wall at 700m, there is a stony climb until you reach the rock tower overlooking the full length of the finest ridge in the Lake District at an elevation of 850m. Crags and scree fall away from either side and portray a breathtaking and quite dramatic scene. The traverse of the edge is relatively easy in normal conditions and can be made easier by following the path that exists alongside and lower than the main arête.
Care should be exercised when there is a high wind or ice as this is a very exposed ridge – a fall from here would be fatal. The trickiest part is at the Helvellyn end when a scramble is required to descend the 7 metres or so of a rock tower known as The Chimney. An alternative and easier descent of this section is shown below. In total, from the Hole-in-the-Wall to the summit of Helvellyn is a distance of 2km with a total ascent of 260m.
