Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar road – Brown Pike – Buck Pike – Dow Crag – Goat’s Hawse – Coniston Old Man – Brim Fell– Levers Hawse – Great How – Grey Friar – Great Carrs – Swirl How – Prison Band – Swirl Hawse –Wetherlam – Red Dell – Boulder Valley – Walna Scar Road
Distance: 11.8 miles Total Ascent: 1320 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Cold and windy. 4oC.
That wasn’t supposed to happen! The weather was predicted to be the same as yesterday, blue skies and general loveliness above the clouds – however, rule #1 is there is no accounting for the weather. There was a strong wind and grey skies above the low lying fog with the upper clouds only clearing at the very end of the walk. This was a good long walk on the shortest day of the year and the fells were surprisingly busy today.
![21.12.06-003 21.12.06-003](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2006-12-21-coniston-round/cache/21.12.06-003.jpg-nggid044705-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
Walking along the Walna Scar road, we were quickly above the low lying cloud, here looking to Torver High Common.
![21.12.06-015 21.12.06-015](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2006-12-21-coniston-round/cache/21.12.06-015.jpg-nggid044706-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
At Cove Bridge, it was fairly obvious that this wasn't going to be a still blue sky temperature inversion day. Brown Pike is in the cloud beyond the bridge.
![21.12.06-028 21.12.06-028](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2006-12-21-coniston-round/cache/21.12.06-028.jpg-nggid044708-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
Once onto the Brown Pike - Buck Pike ridge the icy wind was really blowing up a gale. A fleeting gap in the clouds reveals Harter Fell.
![21.12.06-065 21.12.06-065](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2006-12-21-coniston-round/cache/21.12.06-065.jpg-nggid044719-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
The easterly view to the Furness Fells over Low Water shortly before being engulfed in cloud again. It was a cold, strong wind that blew walking along to Brim Fell and beyond.
![21.12.06-072 21.12.06-072](https://www.stridingedge.net/wp-content/gallery/2006-12-21-coniston-round/cache/21.12.06-072.jpg-nggid044720-ngg0dyn-0x0x85-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg)
Levers Water from Little How Crags after walking through the worst of the storm - but it was back into the mist for the climb to Grey Friar then Great Carrs and Swirl How.