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large icy boulders on striding edge with adult in orange outdoor gear and yellow helmet in distance

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February 2026
January 2026
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Fell Top Assessor image reports of Helvellyn

Our Fell Top Assessors take daily images of Helvellyn in the winter season. These images are stunning but also crucial for staying safe in the Lake District as they capture the varied weather of the fells. Learn more about weather in the Lake District and view the Fell Top Assessor daily reports on our Lake District weather page.

February 2026

adult in outdoor gear and medium sized black dog walking on snow with poor visibility
Taken on: 16 Feb 2026 11:45 Location: Descending off Helvellyn NW towards Swirls Car Park
two adults in outdoor gear, helmets, goggles and holding ice picks on top of Swirral Edge in the snow with poor visibility
Date: 15 Feb 2026 02:00pm Taken at: top of Swirral Edge
groups of adults in outdoor gear on a snowy Helvellyn Summit with good visibility and a distant low cloud inversion
Date: 14 Feb 2026 02:40pm Taken at: Helvellyn Summit
two adults in outdoor gear and helmets walking up steep deep pockets of fresh snow above Red Tarn
Date: 13 Feb 2026 01:04pm Taken at: Helvellyn - Red Tarn Face area Deep pockets of fresh snow above Red Tarn, with much more over on W facing aspects
four adults in outdoor gear and helmets using crampons and ice picks to climb over body height stones covered in frost
Date: 12 Feb 2026 03:12pm Taken at: Swirral Edge A return to full winter conditions on Swirral Edge today, crampons and ice axe essential for safe travel.
patchy snow and ice on the upper part of Swirral Edge with poor visibility
Date: 11 Feb 2026 12:49pm Taken at: Swirral Edge Remaining snow and ice on the upper part of Swirral Edge is unavoidable and due to
ice axe on area of water-ice and compact snow
Date: 10 Feb 2026 10:03am Taken at: Helvellyn summit Areas of water-ice and compact snow on the plateau requiring care and spikes
helvellyn and red tarn partly covered in snow
Date: 09 Feb 2026 03:00pm Taken at: Red Tarn The remaining snow cover on Helvellyn predominately on north through east aspects
three adults in outdoor gear and helmets walking on thin snow on helvellyn slope
Date: 08 Feb 2026 01:00pm Taken at: East Face of Helvellyn Areas of neve (refrozen snow ice) still surviving above 800m despite the thaw
six adults in outdoor gear climbing east side of snow covered helvellyn slope with view of red tarn below
Date: 07 Feb 2026 12:30pm Taken at: East Face of Helvellyn Exploring the east face of Helvellyn as the thaw arrives
Verglas & ice covered path on helvellyn
Date: 06 Feb 2026 12:00pm Taken at: Red Tarn path from Greenside Verglas & ice covered paths above 600m where the snow has been compressed beneath walkers feet
adult in outdoor gear and ice crampons climbing up snowy slope away from camera
Taken on: 05 Feb 2026 01:00 Location: East Face of Helvellyn Enjoying the security of crampons on the neve (Snow ice)
red tarn and shore covered in snow
Date: 04 Feb 2026 10:45am Taken at: Red Tarn Full snow cover but poor visibility
dry stone wall shelter at the top of helvellyn with adult stood posing for camera in outdoor gear
Date: 03 Feb 2026 12:00pm Taken at: Helvellyn summit shelter The summit is just 30m away but not visible.
adult female in outdoor gear stood on snow covered top of helvellyn
Date: 02 Feb 2026 12:00pm Taken at: Dalton's Drift Aprox 900m and an indicator of the cornice build up overlooking Brown Cove (East) between Lower Man and Swirral Edge top
four adult walkers in outdoor gear and helmets walking next to red tarn and helyellyn headwall with light to medium snow coverage
Date: 01 Feb 2026 12:30pm Taken at: Red Tarn & Helvellyn headwall
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January 2026

trig point on top of helvellyn in snow with poor visibility
Neve (snow ice) and drifts of wind blown new snow on Brown Cove Crags & Swirls Steep (Helvellyn)
Well kitted out winter walkers ascending wind scoured neve (refrozen snow)
top of snowy helvellyn on a clear day
deep snow starting on the path to Swirral Edge
adult in outdoor gear with ice axes climbing body height frost and ice covered boulders
two adults in outdoor gear with ice picks climbing down body height ice boulders
three adults in outdoor gear using ice picks to climb steep snow covered helvellyn slope with red tarn and fells in backdrop
snow covered helvellyn summit
large ice patch next to grass
swirral edge partly covered in snow above red tarn
top of helvellyn on a clear sunny day covered in snow with low clouds
three adults in outdoor gear stood smiling at camera on rocky snowy fell ridge
five adults in outdoor gear taking a selfie on helvellyn summit
three adults in outdoor gear walking up snow covered helvellyn slope with view of red tarn behind
two adults by red tarn and helvellyn partly covered in snow
poorly visible trig point on helvellyn in snow conditions
helvellyn summit covered in blanket snow
icy red tarn and mostly snow covered helvellyn half visible due to low cloud
rocky sharp edge with no settled snow but rain falling and slowly turning to falling snow
icy red tarn and mostly snow covered helvellyn
A well equipped winter mountaineer on the exit slopes to Swirrel Edge
adult in yellow outdoor gear and ice axe descending onto an alpine looking Swirrel Edge above the clouds
adult in outdoor gear and blue snow goggles taking a selfie on snowy ground with bag and poles on floor
clear day on a snow covered helvellyn and view of red tarn below
partly frozen red tarn and snow covered sloped of helvellyn with low cloud above
A buried summit shelter in the drifting snow & spindrift
two well equipped adults on a snow sprinkled Striding Edge with views of helvellyn and red tarn on a clear day
rocky outcrop sprinkled with snow and views of fells in backdrop on a clear sunny day
partly snowy helvellyn summit with distant fells on a sunny evening
partly snow covered Blencathra Summit with views across Knowe Crags and Skiddaw on a sunny day
looking stright down swirral edge that is dusted with snow, red tarn to right below
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