Dollywaggon Pike Summit

Hikes to Dollywaggon Pike take you to the final high outpost of the magnificent Helvellyn ridge before it drops down to Grisedale Tarn. The panorama is sensational. Fairfield and St Sunday Crag’s mountainous masses are seen close at hand, scowling across the void. Meanwhile, a vast swathe of Lakeland unfurls to the west. All the major summits of the south and west groups are visible on a sea of ridges and peaks.

Like its parent peak, walking routes to Dollywaggon Pike climb a sweeping green flank from the west and ascend craggy, broken cliffs and ridges from Grisedale. Western approaches are pleasant - if steep - walks, whilst upper Grisedale represents a scramblers playground.

Due to its eastern location and continuously high ground, the Helvellyn range tends to catch more snow than the other high massifs in the national park and is the preserve of equipped mountaineers when full winter conditions arrive. Grisedale Tarn is a superb option for a wild camp. Alternatively, there are campsites in the Patterdale and Thirlmere regions.