Helm Crag walk starts from Grasmere, parking in the pay and display car park next door to the garden centre. You can start to head out of Grasmere towards Easdale Road, following the road past the turn to Easdale Tarn (another stunning walk). Going through the gate to the farm to the other side, where you take a right up towards the start of the ascent for Helm Crag.
With it gradually starting to climb up, you be able to see the well-trodden footpath, it flattens out when you get about halfway up for a few hundred meters then it climbs straight away with a steep ascent right to the top. When you hit the top you can see the reason it’s called Helm Crag, with two separate crags pointing out of the top, when you approach the first this is the one where it gets its name ‘Lion and the Lamb’ as from the A591 road down below with a little bit imagination you can see a lamb and lion, well according to Alfred Wainwright you can, as this is the man who gave it it’s nickname. The second is, in fact, the summit of Helm Crag, if you are planning on climbing to the top it is a very tricky scramble and I would only recommend it if you are experienced in doing so, be careful not to look too far over to the right when you are at the top you will see a very steep drop into a very craggy area. The views from Helm Crag are breathtaking in every direction from the Helvellyn and Fairfield range and looking over Grasmere Village.
From the summit, you can turn this walk into circular route whilst getting two more wainwrights in. Gibson Knott is the next fell along and very easy to get to, descending right from Helm Crag and heading towards the next fell along across the ridge and easy enough one to walk across but can be very boggy, you will soon reach Gibson Knott. Again spectacular 360-degree views right across the fells. Continuing on to the third Wainwright ‘Calf Crag’ it starts to get even boggier and little rockier, the final one you will have a longer walk and more of a climb, you will finally reach the cairn and see a little tarn at the top. That’s it, you have done it, three Wainwrights complete and in the bag. Now to Start you decent you will see a path that heads down Far Easdale Valley which is a lovely walk back down and can be pretty impressive with the waterfalls if we have had some rain. The valley heads down towards Grasmere leading you back to the road where you started the Helm Crag walk.
