Tour de Helvellyn
A genuine ultra-distance day that shows you the Helvellyn range from every angle without ever queuing for Striding Edge - based on the established Tour de Helvellyn race route.
Effort: Ultra distance or major ascent
Underfoot: Open fell or rough terrain
E5·T3 — how we grade routesA genuine ultra-distance day that shows you the Helvellyn range from every angle without ever queuing for Striding Edge - based on the established Tour de Helvellyn race route.
A huge 58.6km circuit of the Helvellyn massif starting near Askham, following valleys and lower ridges the whole way round with 1193m of climbing rather than a direct summit route.
The route
This route mirrors the established Tour de Helvellyn ultra event, which starts and finishes near Askham on the quiet eastern edge of the Lake District and circles the entire Helvellyn massif rather than climbing straight over the top. From the start, the route works its way through the valleys and lower fells around Martindale, Boredale and Dockray before swinging past Ullswater and Matterdale on the return leg.
Circling, not summiting
With a maximum elevation of 748m against Helvellyn's actual 950m summit, this is deliberately a tour rather than a direct ascent - you get Helvellyn as a constant presence on the skyline, viewed from Loadpot Hill, Wether Hill and the other rolling tops of the eastern fells, rather than crammed onto Striding Edge with everyone else. It's a genuinely different way to experience one of the Lake District's most famous mountains.
Why it works
At 58.6km with 1193m of ascent, this is squarely ultra-distance territory, and the appeal is completeness rather than technicality - long valley running, quiet fellside traverses, and a real sense of covering serious ground over a full day. The actual Tour de Helvellyn race covers around 38 miles with roughly 2000m of ascent, so this GPX likely represents one of the shorter route variants used in the event.
Getting there
This is a long way from anywhere with reliable public transport, so plan your own transport to Askham or the Dockray/Aira Force area, and be self-sufficient with food, water and navigation for the whole distance. Treat this as an event-distance effort rather than a casual long run - pacing, fuelling and layering decisions all matter more here than on any of the shorter routes on this site, and it's worth practising your nutrition plan on smaller Lake District days before committing to the full circuit.
A genuinely long day on remote fellside with multiple valley crossings - weather can change fast at this scale and there's no quick way out partway round. Winter brings ice on the higher sections; carry appropriate kit outside summer months.
Safety on this route
- No signal? Text 999 — pre-register first: text register to 999
- Tell someone your route and expected return time before you head out
Common questions
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