Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar road – The Cove – Goat’s Water – South Rake – Dow Crag – Buck Pike – Blind Tarn – Cove Bridge – Walna Scar road
Distance: 5 miles Total Ascent: 577 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 15 minutes
Weather: Some sunny spells. 16ºC.
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.
It looks a bit overcast to the north-east from the Walna Scar looking over The Bell to Wetherlam.
To the west beyond The Old Man, blue sky.
Following the Walna Scar Road with Brown Pike and Buck Pike ahead.
Heading towards Goat's Water with Buck Pike ahead and the top of Dow Crag in and out of the mist.
It looks a lot clearer over that way.
Coniston Old Man from Little Arrow Moor.
It's hard to work out what the weather will do. One minute it is clear, the next the mist comes across to obliterate everything. Goat's Water, as usual, is a wind tunnel.
Sunshine on Blind Tarn nestling below Brown Pike. This will be the route of descent later.
Casper gives the mighty crags of Dow Crag some scale from The Cove.
Goat's Hawse over Goat's Water.
Casper mirrors the shape of the crags above.
Goat's Water.
Looking south across the rocky outflow from Goat's Water.
Goat's Water from the start of the climb to the crags.
The steep climb up the scree.
Blue sky above Dow Crag now.
The moon over sunny Dow Crag.
A couple of rock climbers ready to climb Great Gully.
The South Rake from the bottom.
Casper leads the way up the scramble.
The steep and rough climb.
The entrance to Easy Gully.
The mountain lion roars!
Looking down the South Rake to Goat's Water and the path to Goat's Hawse.
Walna Scar, Black Combe and the Duddon Valley from the top of South Rake.
I'm not coming up there! The misty view looking southwards from Dow Crag summit.
A misty view to Goat's Water and Coniston Water from the summit.
A clearing of the clouds looking across Goat's Hawse to Brim Fell.
Suddenly the clouds are all gone again and now there is a fine view across the Buck Pike, Brown Pike, Walna Scar ridge to the Duddon Estuary.
Misty Old Man.
Harter Fell across the Duddon Valley.
Dow Crag from Buck Pike.
Brown Pike and Blind Tarn from Buck Pike.
Blind Tarn - no outlet, hence the name.
Casper in Blind Tarn, Buck Pike beyond.
The Old Man of Coniston across The Cove.
Cove Bridge.