A pitched path from Swirls car park takes you up to the edge of the Cove. Leave this at the point where the path joins a broken field-wall beneath a small outcrop. From here contour off across rough grass heading for the middle of an impressive cliff of broken, grey rock.
Central Buttress rises to the highest of the small summits marking the top of the Crags and is to the left of the impressive run of slabs. The start of the scramble is located to the left of a small scree run and is marked by a rough cairn. A crack/gangway on the left gives access to a move right onto a grassy ledge crossing a large slab.
This brings you back to safety in a grassy gully. Exiting from the top left of this you can then scramble easily and enjoyably up a long rib of rock rising to your right. This ends in another grassy gully from which you exit left on a ledge over more easy scrambling.
The rock isn’t the best, rough, Borrowdale volcanic but is solid enough with good holds and provides some satisfying moves. At this point things look a bit confusing with grassy ledges running in every direction. A long traverse up and to the right, however, leads to a wall of perched blocks at the bottom of an impressive tower, and this is the way to go. Working round the bottom of these you will see above you a particularly large block, riven by a vicious vertical crack. This is climbers’ territory. Crafty scramblers, however, will find that it’s possible to break off left below this over one of the perched blocks.
Here you will discover a remarkable little tunnel (Riley’s Window) which allows you to arrive neatly and easily at the top of the above-mentioned crack. Cool. The best rock is now below you and from here you pick your way at will up sundry shattered walls and grassy gullys. You can make things as hard or as easy as you like – but look out for loose holds.
The views are superb and when you do eventually reach the top you’ll find you’re on the ridge with Helvellyn summit only twenty minutes easy walking, away to your left.
I’ve done this one a few times over the years and always seem to find it a bit disappointing. A good route finding exercise but the scrambling is scrappy and disjointed and soft for the grade.