Striding Edge

A photo diary of Lake District fell walks

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Coniston Old Man

Walked on 04/02/2006

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. 5°C.

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.

Coniston Old Man

04.02.06-004

Where are we off to then?

04.02.06-008

With backpack, teddy and all.

04.02.06-018

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

04.02.06-021

A great view of Buck Pike and Dow Crag.

04.02.06-027

...and closer up.

04.02.06-029

Dow Crag.

04.02.06-034

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.

04.02.06-039

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

04.02.06-043

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

04.02.06-051

Harter Fell with Eskdale beyond in inversion.

04.02.06-054

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

04.02.06-064

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

04.02.06-067

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

04.02.06-069

Eskdale Inversion.

04.02.06-071

The clouds moving rapidly on and off the Scafells.

04.02.06-074

Slight Side across Eskdale.

04.02.06-077

Mickledore between Scafell and Scafell Pike.

04.02.06-079

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

04.02.06-081

The Scafell Pikes.

04.02.06-084

Now they're almost clear.

04.02.06-088

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

04.02.06-091

Scafell completely clear now.

04.02.06-098

Sunny again on the summit.

04.02.06-111

A frozen Low Water...

04.02.06-116

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

04.02.06-121

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!

04.02.06-126

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

04.02.06-132

Passing one of the many becks.

 

The Old Man of Coniston

Walked on 01/03/2005

Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)

Walna Scar car park – Low Water – The Old Man of Coniston – Goat’s Hawse – Goat’s Water – Walna Scar car park

Distance: 5.6 miles     Total Ascent: 562 metres     Time Taken: 2 hours 15 minutes

Weather: Cold, some sunny spells.

The sun was shining on the Coniston fells this morning so I couldn’t resist another snowy walk up to The Old Man. We were the first up that way this morning and blazed a trail through the newly fallen snow; a great feeling.

Coniston

The Old Man of Coniston route map.

elevation

Elevation profile of the route.

Coniston 3D

3D image of the walk route.

Panorama1_resize_annotated_small

The Coniston fells from Torver.

Coniston - 01.03.05 007

The Bell with Wetherlam behind from the Walna Scar road.

Panorama2

Low Water.

9

Relics of an industrial past on The Old Man.

Coniston - 01.03.05 027

Icicle formations on the crags above Low Water. The climbers near the bottom show the scale.

Panorama3

A panoramic view of Coniston Water from the summit of The Old Man of Coniston.

Coniston - 01.03.05 052

The Old Man (Men?) of Coniston.

Coniston - 01.03.05 055

Snow cornices on the ridge to Brim Fell.

Coniston - 01.03.05 072

Harter Fell from the descent to Goat's Hawse.

Panorama4

Dow Crag.

Coniston - 01.03.05 002

Goat's Water.

Coniston - 01.03.05 009

The Gullies and Chimneys of Dow Crag.

A Coniston Round

Walked on 10/06/2004

Start point: Coniston (SD 304 976)

Coniston – Walna Scar road – Brown Pike (48) – Buck Pike on Seathwaite Fell (49) – Dow Crag (50) – Goat’s Hawse – Coniston Old Man (51) – Brim Fell (52) – Levers Hawse – Great How (53) – Grey Friar (54) – Little Carrs (55) – Hell Gill Pike (56) – Great Carrs (57) – Swirl How (58) – Prison Band – Swirl Hawse – Black Sails (59) – Wetherlam (60) – Coniston

Weather: Overcast with sunny spells. Very windy.

A long Coniston round today taking in all the highest tops and some of the less well known ones. It was a drizzly start but this soon cleared and there were lots of sunny intervals with some cloud coming in. There was a strong breeze all day growing to gale force by the end of the walk.

You may have noticed a distinct lack of Tarns on this walk. This is because there were so many to be seen, I have given them their own page and they can be viewed here.

Coniston 1

Coniston 2

10th June - Coniston Round 006

The initial ascent was via the Walna Scar road which is a good hours trek from Coniston before the highest point is reached. The picture is of Cove Bridge across Torver Beck

10th June - Coniston Round 009

and a shelter on the roadside 'just big enough for one person or a honeymoon couple' - AW.

10th June - Coniston Round 012

A sharp ascent from the Walna Scar road to the summit of Brown Pike. The furthest fell is Black Combe with Caw visible behind Walna Scar.

10th June - Coniston Round 018

An easy traverse to Buck Pike. Dow Crag is the next fell along the path, in the distance Great Carrs, Swirl How and Great How Crags coming round to Brim Fell on the right.

10th June - Coniston Round 020

Another short walk to Dow Crag summit. Looking down easy gully to the pinnacle.

10th June - Coniston Round 023

Looking through Swirl Hawse to Dunmail Raise in the distance.

10th June - Coniston Round 026

From Dow Crag, it's a descent to Goat's Hawse and then a steep ascent back up to the Old Man of Coniston.

10th June - Coniston Round 029

10th June - Coniston Round 030

Dow Crag from the Old Man.

10th June - Coniston Round 031

An easy, grassy ramble to Brim Fell

10th June - Coniston Round 036

and then another descent/ascent of Levers Hawse to the summit of Great How

10th June - Coniston Round 038

Off the beaten track now to a fairly long trek contouring round to Grey Friar, Looking out towards Eskdale and the Scafell range and then another contour round to Hell Gill Pike and Little Carrs.

10th June - Coniston Round 044

Little Carrs summit looking towards Little Langdale Tarn.

10th June - Coniston Round 043

The summit of Hell Gill Pike. Harter Fell is on the left and Hard Knott on the right. The Hardknott - Wrynose road can be seen on the bottom right of the picture.

10th June - Coniston Round 046

An easy ascent again to Great Carrs summit...

10th June - Coniston Round 047

and the memorial to the World War 2 Canadian Air Force bomber that crashed there.

10th June - Coniston Round 048

Into the mist and gale force wind now up to the summit of Swirl How

10th June - Coniston Round 050

Then a steep descent of Prison Band before ascending Black Sails. The picture is from Black Sails summit showing Coniston Water and Levers Water.

10th June - Coniston Round 052

The sun shines over Langdale from Black Sails. Right of centre, Pavey Ark can be seen overlooking Stickle Tarn with the distinctive shape of Pike O' Stickle to the left.

10th June - Coniston Round 056

Another easy traverse to Wetherlam. Pike o' Blisco and The Langdale fells are seen here from Wetherlam summit.

10th June - Coniston Round 060

Mine workings on The old Man seen from the sharp descent of Wetherlam

10th June - Coniston Round 063

Miners Bridge on the way back to Coniston.

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