Wall to wall blue sky today.

Climbing higher, Brown Pike ahead.

Buck Pike and Dow Crag across The Cove.

High up, above the snow line near the spot where Angus, Casper and Dougal are at rest. I sat a while and thought of them all and I thought of Fletcher - a lot. It was only a few weeks ago we were up here (18th January was the last time) and then he was as fit as a fiddle. I think that is the difference with Fletcher to the others - he never got old; he didn't slow up and he was not ill. He was fighting fit until one day he wasn't and then it was too late. I can scarcely believe he is gone and I feel so sad about it. I hope he finds the others, he was taken too soon. RIP Fletcher lad, we won't forget you.

View from the Old Man.

There was a surprising amount of snow around with a cold, icy wind on the top.

Looking to the Duddon Estuary.

The Scafells with the cloud starting to build now.

The view back to The Old Man from the path to Brim Fell.

The Scafells from Brim Fell.

Grey Friar and the Scafells beyond.

Swirl How.

A cold looking Dow Crag.

There are a few people on the Old Man now.

The view through the Fairfield gap (the col between Grey Friar and Swirl How) with the mighty Bowfell to the right.

Great How Crags.

Low Water and the Old Man from the descent of Brim Fell Rake.

Black sails and Wetherlam.

Swirl How from Raven Tor.

Brim Fell Rake.

This is the last photo of Fletcher on the Old Man - 18.01.25. RIP Fletcher.

I didn\'t quite make it to the top for the sunrise, I was probably about 2/3 of the way up - it is still an awesome sight though here as the sun breaks the horizon over Coniston Water.

The sun bathing the fell side looking to Brown Pike and Black Combe beyond.

Looks like it will be a lovely day today. From here on in it was cold...really cold and by the summit I was in full arctic expedition mode!

The view from the top of the Old Man, the fells still bathed in the golden glow of sunrise.

On my own. The Scafells from the summit.

Sun rays.

Beautiful, the wind really picking up now.

Coniston Old Man sunrise.

Heading for Brim Fell.

Close up on the Scafells.

Fletcher is heading back to see what is taking so long!

Coniston from Brim Fell.

Swirl How flanked by distant Skiddaw and Blencathra.

Fairfield and Helvellyn. I had intended to carry on with the Coniston round but given the hydration bladder problem plus the fact it was absolutely baltic, I bailed out here heading down for Low Water.

The moon over Coniston from the breakfast stop.

Low Water and patient Fletcher. Dougal is in for a drink.

Portrait of the boys.

Early morning Coniston from Torver and all is looking good.

A misty view to Coniston Water from the climb to The Old Man.

Looking across The Cove to Dow Crag.

Dougal knows the way...

Above the snow line now looking across to the Dow Crag ridge.

To the east there is a big bank of cloud heading our way... it will be a race to the top to beat it...

...just made it I think, it is still a beautiful day when I make the summit.

Low Water and the Coppermines Valley.

Fletcher looking across to the Scafells.

Just for a few minutes I had the wonderful wintry feeling of stillness and the creeping cold whilst alone at the top.

Creeping cloud.

The Old Man of Coniston.

A dusting of snow across the tops, the first of the winter.

The frozen path.

Barren summit.

No more than 5 minutes later things changed in a big way. The cloud came across the summit turning the scene to a near mono one. With the cloud came the wind - the cold, cold wind...brr!

Heading for Brim Fell.

Harter Fell still in the sunshine.

The bleak midwinter!

Brim Fell summit.

Levers Water below.

All has changed now - The Old Man and Low Water.

Calm again below the summit.

What a glorious morning to be out on the fells!

On the path to The Old Man.

Wall to Wall sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.

Buck Pike and Dow Crag.

Hot work for big Fletcher and little Dougal!

Looking across Brown Pike and Blind Tarn to Black Combe.

Saying hello to Angus and Casper.

Low Water and the Coppermines Valley...

...and across Wetherlam.

Great view of the Scafells today.

On my own.

Heading for Brim Fell.

Looking back to the Old Man.

Brim Fell summit.

Swirl How and Great Carrs, distant Skiddaw and Blencathra are visible.

A penny for them Fletcher! Thinking about a swim in Levers Water?

The Old Man and Low Water from the descent.

The best place to be on a day like this.

Climbing above the fog.

Wow, what a beautiful day!

A sea of cloud...

...as far as the eye can see.

Looking across The Cove to Dow Crag.

Brown Pike.

That's the Walna Scar Road below. It was really warm now - no jacket required!

Looking up the climb to The Old Man (find Dougal?).

Fab-u-lous.

A lone figure below gives some scale to the extent of the temperature inversion.

Black Combe and the Whit Fell group stand clear of the cloud beyond brown Pike.

Low Water and beyond.

All alone on the summit, not bad for a Bank Holiday Monday.

Looking across Coniston Village (below the cloud somewhere).

Fletcher and Dougal like to demonstrate how hot it is with their tongues!

Looking to the Scafells.

The Old Man of Coniston.

The trig. column.

The view to the south west.

Harter Fell.

Looking back to The Old Man from the ridge to Brim Fell.

Brim Fell ahead.

The Scafells from Brim Fell.

The Old Man from Brim Fell.

Green Crag and Harter Fell.

Skiddaw and Blencathra beyond Great Carrs and Swirl How.

The northern face of The Old Man from the descent of Brim Fell.

Wetherlam and the Black Sails ridge.

Levers Water.

Low Water.

The Old Man.

Looking down on the old mine works.

Beautiful colours in the sunshine.

Turquoise Low Water.

Low Water reflections.

Dougal and Fletch.

I think I know where the two boys will be heading shortly.

You guessed it!

Low Water panorama.

Heading back down the miners track.

I left the main path and walked through the workings where I picked up an old miners track which avoided the crowds. It was fantastic and din't look like anyone had used it for 100 years - one day I will take fix the fells up there and show them what a properly graded path looks like.

Walking the path kept me in the sunshine for a while longer too.

The distant view was to the Welsh mountains - the Glyders and Carneddau - almost 100 miles distant as the crow flies.

Come on boys, we are going in...

Differing light, looking across to Wetherlam

It looks quite bright over towards Coniston Water...but up to The Old Man, not so clever

Sheep spotting on the climb

Poser!

Not much to see from the summit today and it was more than a little windy. The reason we were here was to scatter Casper's ashes in the same place as Angus, just below the summit where the plaque used to be - now they are reunited forever. I had many thoughts of the walks we had all done together over the years and there were more smiles than tears.

There wasn't much to see on the walk along to Brim Fell and then the descent of the upper part of Brim Fell Rake down to Low Water. I did have to hang on to my hat though (and Dougal!). This photo was taken when I got below the clouds at Low Water Beck looking down on Coniston.

Wainwright marked this simply as 'cave' on Brim Fell 3...an old copper mine level I'll wager.

The bottom section of Brim Fell Rake from the level

The view across Boulder Valley from the same place

The Pudding Stone - Brim Fell Rake is quite conspicuous from here running diagonally right to left from the centre of the photo

Looking across to Wetherlam over the Copper Mines

Coppermines Valley below Levers Water

Pre-dawn, looking across to Brown and Buck Pike.

Sunrise.

The dawn of a beautiful day.

Looking to distant Black Combe, the fells aglow.

The sun climbs higher, as do I!

Summit approach.

What a fabulous view from the top looking down on Low Water.

A panorama from the summit looking to the Scafells. Select on the image to see a larger version.

Sunrise on Dougal.

From The Old Man.

Dow Crag and beyond.

Heading for Brim Fell

The South Rake on Dow Crag.

Looking back to The Old Man.

Brim Fell.

Harter Fell.

Swirl How.

Swirl How from Raven Tor.

Down at Low Water.

Wetherlam from the ruins.

Black Sail and Wetherlam.

Mind the gap.

The Old Man in the sunshine.

The Coniston fells from Torver.

Colourful reflections down at Lake Bank.

A perfect view of Coniston.

Into the sun, the mist rising from the polished lake.

Mono Jetty.

Coniston Water.

Foxgloves and high bracken at the foot of The Old Man.

A panorama across The Cove - Walna Scar, Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag.

Dougal was nearly tripping over his tongue this morning!

Now, where did all that sunshine go?

Coniston, Coniston Water and Windermere.

A silhouette of Brown Pike complete with three summiteers, Walna Scar and Black Combe beyond.

Looking down on Low Water and Levers Water from the top of the Old Man.

The cloud is moving in from the north obliterating all views in that direction.

Heading for Brim Fell.

Mono Harter Fell.

The descent of Brim Fell Rake (with the accompaniment of raindrops).

Low Water looking turquoise today.

Low Water reflections.

Straight in, no messing.

Wetherlam and reminders of the industrial past of The Old Man.

The Bell.

A fleeting glimpse of Dow Crag and The Old Man from Torver - it looks as though there is a bit of snow on the tops this morning.

When I got out of the car there was nothing to be seen, everything was covered in mist...but as I set off it quickly disappeared.

The Bell through the clearing mist.

On the Walna Scar Road. The summit of The Old Man can almost be seen.

Wetherlam.

Frosty skies and rising mist looking to the south from Little Arrow Moor.

A bit of sunshine and a view to Brown Pike.

A panoramic view across The Cove - Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag.

A cloud of two halves!

The southern end of Coniston Water and Morecambe Bay.

Above the snow line now looking to Brown Pike and Blind Tarn, Black Combe beyond.

Coniston Water is clear now.

Approaching the summit. There were lots of families here today as it is half term, great to see so many enjoying the fells.

The wintry summit of Coniston Old Man.

Old Man panoramic.

Low Water and beyond.

A panorama of Dow Crag.

Grey Friar and Brim Fell.

No messing around for these young lads - straight down to business with snowmen and snowballs!

Those clouds look heavily laden with snow.

Looking back to the summit on the way to Brim Fell.

Contrasting colours.

There was a really cold wind crossing towards Brim Fell.

Looking across to Windermere before disappearing into the clouds.

Hole in the sky above The Old Man.

No views for us from Brim Fell today.

The snow Beardies.

Back out of the mist at the foot of Brim Fell Rake heading to Low Water.

Finding the best route.

Dougal in a snowstorm.

Rainbow over Coniston.

The Bell in sunshine.

Back at the car and blue skies up on high.

Foxgloves and promising sunshine at Big Hill looking to The Bell.

Hmm, not so promising now on the tourist route to The Old Man.

The industrial past of Coniston.

Passing the old mine workings.

Relics of a bygone age.

Dougal leads the way past Low Water heading for Brim Fell Rake.

Low Water and The Old Man from Raven Tor.

Dougal and Casper - very wet but glad to be out today I think.

Not much to see on Brim Fell. The rain was horizontal and it was touch and go whether gloves and hat were needed. Plan B was put into operation and I decided to return via The Old Man rather than Swirl How and Prison Band.

All alone on The Old Man...not sure what that Casper look means!

Out of the clouds looking across Coniston on the descent.

More industrial relics (sorry Casper!).

Clearing skies on The Old Man...now!