‘Mountain is too hilly, with no coffee shop or toilets’: Tripadvisor reviewers moan Lake District mountain is lacking in facilities

• Helvellyn, England’s third highest peak near the Lake District given 2 star rating
• Two of the latest reviews were unimpressed by lack of toilet and coffee facilities

Helvellyn, England’s third highest peak near the Lake District, has been rated one-star by some crabby climbers who berated the popular spot as being ‘too hilly’.

Two of the latest reviews on TripAdvisor have were unimpressed by the the lack of toilet facilities, with one o reviewer claiming that they were forced to ‘go behind a rock’, which they described as being ‘extremely inconvenient’.

The reviewer added that more competent climbers, who were branded ‘smug gits’, made the hike look too easy’; a matter made worse by their ‘complaining’ partner who isn’t ‘cut out for these types of hikes’. 

Another one-star review from ‘The Lancashire Wanderer’ described the climb as the ‘worst experience of my life’, after finding the beauty spot ‘too hilly, spoiled a nice walk’ and that it lacked facilities such as a coffee shop. 

Another unsatisfied reviewer posted on Tripadvisor in January last year, and wrote: ‘Car parking is 7 pound for a climb to Helvellyn so expensive before you even start, they really have not reinvested any money into the facility here, toilets are an absolute disgrace both male and female, no sinks to wash your hands ,watch you don’t catch anything.’

Helvellyn, England’s third highest peak near the Lake District, has been rated one-star by some crabby climbers who berated the popular spot as being ‘too hilly’

A review from 2014 cautioned anyone tempted to catch the views from the peak, ‘think before you go!’

They added: ‘ I am fit and flexible, however, I found myself trembling at the top and seriously wondering what I could do!

‘I do not have a fear of heights I might add. After a near melt down and the realisation that it was back over striding edge or scramble up the last part, I made like a mountain goat and headed up just didn’t dare look or think about going back’.

Helvellyn, which is a popular National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was named ‘Britain’s Best Walk’ by walking enthusiast Julia Bradbury on a 2018 ITV show.

The 950m tall mountain is part of the Helvellyn range of mountains, which are north of Ambleside and between Ullswater and Thirlmere lakes.

All the routes require a significant amount of climbing and a good level of fitness, with routes Striding Edge and Swirral Edge also requiring some hill walking know how, according to MudAndRoutes.com. 

The mountain is believed to offers breathtaking view across the Lake District, and on a clear day, you may even see across to the hills of south-west Scotland, the Pennines and even the Blackpool Tower.

In January, a lengthy one-star review, one visitor said: ‘I recently hiked Striding Edge in the Lake District and it was the worst experience of my life.

The 950m tall mountain is part of the Helvellyn range of mountains, which are north of Ambleside and between Ullswater and Thirlmere lakes

All the routes require a significant amount of climbing and a good level of fitness, with routes Striding Edge and Swirral Edge also requiring some hill walking know how

‘Firstly, I had to go to the bathroom halfway through the hike and there were no facilities. I ended up having to go behind a rock and it was extremely inconvenient.

‘I mean, how could they not have a single toilet on this entire hike? Do they expect people to just hold it in or something? Ridiculous.

‘Secondly, all the other hikers on the trail seemed to be annoyingly competent and made the hike look way too easy, bunch of smug gits!

‘To make matters worse, my girlfriend was complaining the entire time about how hard the hike was and how she wished we had just stayed at the hotel. Ugh, some people just can’t handle a little bit of exercise.

‘Girlfriend: ‘Babe, I can’t do it. My legs are killing me. Can we please turn back? I’ll do anything you want if you just agree’.’

‘Me: ‘Don’t be such a wuss, love. We can’t turn back now. We’re almost there. Plus, it’s not that slippery. You’re just not paying attention to where you’re walking’.’

‘Girlfriend: ‘I am paying attention. It’s just so slippery. And what’s that smell?’.’

‘Me: ‘It’s probably just the smell of defeat. You’re just not cut out for these types of hikes, love’.’

Helvellyn, which is a popular National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was named ‘Britain’s Best Walk’ by walking enthusiast Julia Bradbury on a 2018 ITV show

The mountain is believed to offers breathtaking view across the Lake District, and on a clear day, you may even see across to the hills of south-west Scotland, the Pennines and even the Blackpool Tower

‘And to top it all off, the views from the top were not even that impressive. I mean, seriously? That’s all we get after all this hard work?

‘A mediocre view of some hills and a lake? I’ve seen better views from my backyard.

‘I would not recommend this hike to anyone. Save yourself the hassle and just stay at home.

‘Trust me, you won’t be missing out on anything.’

But despite these scathing reviews, most visitors rated Helvellyn five stars, with the most recent reviewer describing the views as ‘beautiful’ but warned: ‘Beware of parking. It requires coins and doesn’t accept cards or any other form of payment.’ 

Another five-star reviewer said: ‘I really, really loved climbing this mountain. The first half of the ascent is pleasant and I wouldn’t say was super strenuous.

Adding: In summary this is a fantastic route and will satisfy anyone who really wants to test themselves and get the old adrenaline going. 

‘If you’re good with heights and stable on your feet then crack on – you will absolutely love it.’

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