Start Point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970) Walna Scar car park – Coniston Old Man – Goat’s Hawse – Dow Crag – Buck Pike – Brown Pike – Walna Scar car park Distance: 10.4 km Total Ascent: 700 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 50 minutes Start Time: 06:40 It was a case of getting a walk in on a decent […]
It was a lovely morning this morning, perfect for a walk onto the fells…
Height 778 metres | 2552 feet Grid Reference SD 26254 97794 Category The Southern Fells | Birkett Walked on: Popular with rock climbers.
First walk of the year…first walk for ages! Great to be back out even though the weather wasn’t really playing today so there are not many photos to speak of. Me and Dougal had a scramble up to Dow Crag via the South Rake, a great way up and this one will be a future walk in Trail magazine.
Once again the weather was bright until I actually got to the fells; once there the clouds proceeded to overtake them. I had no definite idea of where today’s walk would take me when I set off but I decided upon the enjoyable scramble of the South rake on Dow Crag.
It was bright around the periphery of the Lakes today but most of the fells I could see were shrouded in mist. I still fancied a bit of winter walking so headed for Dow Crag in search of some snow and have a hunt around for something else today as well.
Firstly, a bit of a story about a fell dog – this extract is from Wainwright’s ‘The Southern Fells’, Coniston Old Man 6…
I didn’t really know where I was going to end up when I set off in the car as it was pretty damp and miserable. By the time I got to Torver, it was dry-ish so I headed from there up towards Dow Crag and decided to scramble up the South Rake. Miraculously the weather brightened for a spell as I climbed the Rake and the views from the top were quite good. The rain returned by the end though so I think I caught the best of the weather this morning.
The Coniston fells cut the weather in half today; to the north-east all was overcast and to the south-west was much sunnier and brighter – guess which way I opted for! I climbed up to Dow Crag by the South Rake, a scree filled gully which is a scramble, not a walk (so be warned!). I made a pathless and steep descent to Blind tarn beneath Brown Pike to have a closer look at this often walked above, but not around, tarn.
The sun was shining again today, with temperatures up to a pleasant 17C at valley level, although at times it was quite chilly in the cold breeze on the tops. I had a walk up to the Coniston fells from Torver, using the gradual ascent up to Walna Scar via the ‘ignored by Wainwright’ south western fells. The view becomes increasingly better using this route with unrivalled views of the southern Coniston fells and great views along the Duddon Valley to Harter Fell and the Sca Fells beyond.
Keswick – Springs Road – Springs Wood – Rakefoot – Walla Crag – Lady’s Rake – Cat Gill – Derwent Water – Millennium Stone, Derwent Water – Cockshot Wood – Castlehead – Keswick [8.5km, 370m ascent]
