Saturday 4th February 2006

Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)

Walna Scar car park - Boo Tarn - The Old Man of Coniston - Low Water - Walna Scar car park

Distance: 4 miles     Total Ascent: 580 metres     Time Taken: 4 hours

Weather: Misty and murky, valley level. Clear above 450m. 5oC.

Route Map

Another temperature inversion was predicted for today, so Connie and I set off for the summit of Coniston Old Man in the mist to try and get some sunshine above the grey, murky conditions below. This was also a milestone for 5 year old Connie - her highest fell yet - by far, and a great achievement for her. Alas, the conditions were not as good as yesterday as the temperature in the valleys had warmed up, so although we got above the hazy, mist layer into the sunshine, there wasn't the great waves of thick cloud that I witnessed yesterday. Eskdale looked the place to be - there was plenty of inversion going on over there.

Where are we off to then?

With backpack, teddy and all.

Above the mist layer now, Brown Pike and Buck Pike ahead.

A great view of Buck Pike and Dow Crag.

...and closer up.

Dow Crag.

A hazy view of Coniston from above the quarry. Remarkably, to the top right, Ingleborough and Whernside can be seen above the cloud layer over in Yorkshire.

The hazy, mist layer still persists to the south, here looking towards Walna Scar with the mist over Torver High Common.

Strange atmospheric conditions; there is almost an inverse mirror of Coniston Water by the cloud bar above.

Harter Fell with Eskdale beyond in inversion.

The ridge to Brim Fell and beyond from The Old Man gets a bit of cloud cover.

Made it! Connie at the summit of The Old Man of Coniston.

Looking across to Eskdale, the peaks appearing above the cloud with the mist swirling on and off the Scafells on the extreme right.

Eskdale Inversion.

The clouds moving rapidly on and off the Scafells.

Slight Side across Eskdale.

Mickledore between Scafell and Scafell Pike.

Scafell Pike with Esk Buttress and Pen in the sunlight and Ill Crag further to the right.

The Scafell Pikes.

Now they're almost clear.

Looking across to Wetherlam with Low Water below with Levers Water above.

Scafell completely clear now.

Sunny again on the summit.

A frozen Low Water...

...and a frozen path as we head past it.

On the edge of Low Water we had to test the ice with stones to listen to the noise and check how thick it was!

The sun on Wetherlam as we head below the cloud layer again.

Passing one of the many becks.

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