Striding Edge. Felltop assessor Jason Taylor will lead a walk up Helvellyn via the edges

A man who makes the trip to the top of England’s third highest mountain each workday is offering walkers the chance of joining him on a challenge walk.

Lake District guide Jason Taylor is inviting fellwalkers on a journey on Striding Edge and Swirral Edge on Helvellyn, as part of a campaign to get people out of their cars.

As well as running his Lake District Guiding company, Mr Taylor is one of the Lake District’s two felltop assessors who make a daily trip to the top of the mountain during winter months to check weather conditions for hillwalkers. He will also lead a mountain bike ride above Ullswater in support of Nurture Lakeland’s Go the Distance challenge, which will run during the Ullswater Outdoor Festival later this month.

The organisation encourages responsible tourism, and the challenge aims to coax tourists into using alternative means of getting round the Lake District.

A spokesperson said: “The average person will drive more than 300 miles during their holiday to the Lakes, so the aim is to try to get 300 sponsored miles during the challenge, using any form of transport other than the car.

“To take part all you have to do is visit the Nurture Lakeland website, to log how many miles you are travelling and how, and make a donation or gather sponsorship if you prefer, then Go the Distance.”

The money raised will support the campaigns run by Nurture Lakeland, which currently include Love Your Lakes and Fresh Air Free, which aim to improve water quality of the lakes and reduce the impact of cars in the county. NL also works to increase income generated for conservation projects in Cumbria, through its Visitor Payback scheme, implemented by an increasing number of environmentally minded tourism businesses.

Mr Taylor’s mountain bike ride will start from Pooley Bridge on Saturday 24 September and will follow a route over Askham Fell. The Helvellyn walk will set off from Glenridding the following day and walkers joining the trip are warned they need a head for heights as the trip crosses both Helvellyn edges. His company, which is a member of Nurture Lakeland, has organised the two challenges.

Organisers are asking for a minimum £20 donation or sponsorship for each of the events.

Jason Taylor: 'Help to put something back'

Mr Taylor, whose full-time Lake District Guiding job is combined with his winter part-time assessor role, said: “I’m a huge supporter of the impressive work of Nurture Lakeland and really pleased to take part in this campaign. Come along and count your miles and help to put something back into this spectacular landscape so many people come to enjoy.”

Participants can also help set tasks for Nurture Lakeland staff. The organisation said if collectively 300 sponsored miles can be achieved, the staff will spend a day undertaking some voluntary conservation work.

Grants development officer Charlotte Widgery said: “When you make your donation, you will get to vote for what hard labour you want us to do. The options are maintaining felltop footpaths, joining a Fell Care day, helping to monitor red squirrel populations or doing a litter pick in a community park.”

Details of the Go the Distance challenge are on the Nurture Lakeland website. Ullswater Outdoor Festival events are detailed on the Ullswater site.