Eastern Fells

Hundreds of tops exist and many writers have attempted to draw up definitive lists of fells and divided the range into areas to aid their description.

The most influential of all such writers was Alfred Wainwright whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells series has sold in excess of 2 million copies,[1] being in print continuously since the first volume was published in 1955.

[4] The Eastern Fells occupy the region between the A591 Keswick to Ambleside road and the lake of Ullswater to the west.

The Helvellyn range forms the main spine of the group, running on a north–south axis and remaining above 2,000 feet (610 m) throughout its length.

The Helvellyn range proper begins in the north at Clough Head, which reverses the character of the rest of these fells by bearing its crags to the west and its long smooth slopes to the east.

The range now drops to a low point at Sticks Pass, a bridleway linking the settlements around Thirlmere and Ullswater.

South of the Sticks, the western slopes are round and smooth while the eastern flanks become craggier with every passing mile.

East from its summit plateau run the twin arêtes of Striding and Swirral Edges, the former easily the most famous ridge walk in Lakeland.