The danger with this type of DVD is it can all to easily become a POV fest, detailing the routes from start to end as a set of directions, or alternatively revisit the same old, same old, that's been done to death a thousand times. Whether by fortune or design Helvellyn with Mark Richards has managed to avoid these major traps. Sure, there's the well worn classic of Striding Edge but there's also the less familiar routes up "Hard Edge" on Nethermost Pike and Brownrigg Well high on the west flank of Helvellyn and there's not a sign of a Point Of View, GoPro style, camera throughout the 55 minutes.
Hard Edge conquered ©Terry Abraham
For years the name Mark Richards has often been prefixed by "friend of Wainwright, along with "Fellranger author" but in Helvellyn he's finally, perhaps, found the opportunity to step out of Wainwright's shadow and get the recognition he deserves as a multi media chronicler of the Lakeland fells in his own right. Commencing each route with one of Richard's line drawings slowly fading into the reality of the view showcases his incredible talent with pen and ink and in many ways sets the pace for the whole production. Where Wainwright was often sombre in both tone and appearance Mark Richards more often resembles a teenager with a bubbling enthusiasm for his subject that's only just kept in check.
Western fells from Nethermost Pike ©Terry Abraham
For the Brownrigg Well walk Richards is joined by Lakeland Walker Editor John Manning and the DVD is worth the price for this piece alone. Again the route description is never going to be a substitute for a map and planning but together the pair perfectly showcase the reality of walking the Lake District Fells with friends. Despite less than perfect weather the whole route is lit-up by a sense of fun and a humour that leaves a smile on your face hours later. This is something of a departure for Producer/Director Terry Abraham whose previous work has always had a serious undertone but is an unqualified success.
In the Striding Edge walk Abraham once again returns to a common thread that runs through most of his productions as Richards meets conservationists from Fix the Fells. The route itself is familiar and the weather less than perfect for photography but as with the previous two routes Richards maintains a gentle pace, stopping to impart the snippets of a lifetime's knowledge of these fells that help make the 55 minutes fly by.
Striding Edge ©Terry Abraham
For those coming to the DVD as a result of watching The Cairngorms in Winter or Life of a Mountain: Scafell Pike don't expecting the long sequences of mind blowing timelapse and vast panoramic vistas; Helvellyn with Mark Richards isn't that type of film. This is the pop song to Scafell Pike's classic album, the quick, popular clip that hits the spot the consumer wants. It's not a showcase for a mountain and it doesn't come with a strong message but equally it doesn't simply pander to the market as yet another Wainwright Walk. The simple message, if there's a message at all, is just get out there and enjoy yourself; in Helvellyn with Mark Richards you get the feeling you get from a walk with friends - and that's has to be the film's biggest plus.