From the shoulder of Nethermost Pike there’s a fine view of Helvellyn’s summit beyond the dark backwall of Nethermost Cove. Below, the cliffs sweep down through Swallow Scarth and Lad Crag — the rugged recess at the cove’s heart directly beneath the ridge.

Striding Edge, also known as High Spying How, forms the knife-edge arête between Red Tarn and Nethermost Cove. Carved by glacial corries on either side, the ridge narrows where the ice once met, leaving a thrilling yet perilous route requiring hand-and-foot scrambling. The view here, from Swallow Scarth above Nethermost Cove, captures the arete’s steep southern face.

Looking down from Helvellyn, the north face of Striding Edge rises sharply above Red Tarn, with Birks and Patterdale Common forming the distant backdrop. From this angle the ridge path is clearly defined — the main traverse runs along the northern flank, where the route clings to the arete above the tarn’s deep-blue waters.

The summit crest of Striding Edge reaches 863 m, offering two parallel routes — one along the rocky spine, the other a lower traverse beneath the crags. Though the lower path avoids some scrambling, it provides less protection from a fall. At the eastern end stands the Chimney, a steep upright slab demanding care and confident descent.

Approaching from Hole-in-the-Wall, the path follows Bleaberry Crag to reach Low Spying How — the first rocky obstacle on Striding Edge. This minor pinnacle offers a foretaste of what lies ahead at High Spying How, the ridge crest proper. A little scrambling is needed here, though the exposure is gentler than further along the arete.

The cross-shaped stone shelter on Helvellyn’s summit offers protection from wind in any direction. From this height, the panorama extends across almost the whole of the Lake District. Looking down from the slight rise marking the true summit, St Sunday Crag forms the central backdrop, while Nethermost Pike crowns the south ridge en route back toward Dollywaggon Pike.

Red Tarn lies at 718 m, reaching a depth of 25 m, in a glacial corrie that once held a glacier between Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. Striding Edge forms the southern wall, Swirral Edge the northern, and Helvellyn itself the steep backwall. The tarn supports the endangered Schelly — a rare whitefish native to only a few Cumbrian lakes. It can be reached from Swirral Edge or via the Patterdale approach to Helvellyn.

Swirral Edge forms the narrow ridge between Brown Cove to the north and Red Tarn to the south. Though shorter than Striding Edge, it is steeper and more technically demanding. The main ascent to Helvellyn rises from Red Tarn’s eastern shore, while a junction branches north-west to the sharp Wainwright summit of Catstye Cam, standing at 890 m.

From Helvellyn’s summit, a short stride west-north-west brings you to Water Crag. Following the rim of the corrie from here leads naturally to Swirral Edge. Water Crag forms the back wall of Brown Cove, while Swirral Edge defines its south-east wall — together enclosing one of Helvellyn’s most striking glacial hollows.

From Helvellyn’s summit cairn there is a commanding view north to Raise, its south face streaked with the loose, ruddy slopes of Red Screes. The distinctive zigzag path climbing from Glenridding Beck can clearly be traced. To the west lies White Side, an 863 m Wainwright forming the western wall of Brown Cove, while Keppel Cove nestles below Red Screes on its eastern flank.