Magnificent and only slightly lower than the peaks surrounding Wastwater is Helvellyn, 950m (3,116ft) rising above the lake of Ullswater. Some might consider the Helvellyn range to be the backbone of the Lake District, extending as it does, north to south, for nearly ten miles never dropping below six hundred metres. Its famous cirque of ridges, Striding and Swirral Edge, offer some of the finest scrambling expeditions in the region. The views of Ullswater have inspired many Lake District artists and poets.