Striding Edge

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Dow Crag via the South Rake

Walked on 22/09/2008

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.

Dow Crag.jpg

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It looks a bit overcast to the north-east from the Walna Scar looking over The Bell to Wetherlam.

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To the west beyond The Old Man, blue sky.

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Following the Walna Scar Road with Brown Pike and Buck Pike ahead.

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Heading towards Goat's Water with Buck Pike ahead and the top of Dow Crag in and out of the mist.

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It looks a lot clearer over that way.

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Coniston Old Man from Little Arrow Moor.

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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.

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Sunshine on Blind Tarn nestling below Brown Pike. This will be the route of descent later.

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Casper gives the mighty crags of Dow Crag some scale from The Cove.

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Goat's Hawse over Goat's Water.

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Casper mirrors the shape of the crags above.

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Goat's Water.

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Looking south across the rocky outflow from Goat's Water.

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Goat's Water from the start of the climb to the crags.

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The steep climb up the scree.

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Blue sky above Dow Crag now.

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The moon over sunny Dow Crag.

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A couple of rock climbers ready to climb Great Gully.

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The South Rake from the bottom.

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Casper leads the way up the scramble.

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The steep and rough climb.

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The entrance to Easy Gully.

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The mountain lion roars!

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Looking down the South Rake to Goat's Water and the path to Goat's Hawse.

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Walna Scar, Black Combe and the Duddon Valley from the top of South Rake.

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I'm not coming up there! The misty view looking southwards from Dow Crag summit.

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A misty view to Goat's Water and Coniston Water from the summit.

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A clearing of the clouds looking across Goat's Hawse to Brim Fell.

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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.

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Misty Old Man.

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Harter Fell across the Duddon Valley.

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Dow Crag from Buck Pike.

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Brown Pike and Blind Tarn from Buck Pike.

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Blind Tarn - no outlet, hence the name.

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Casper in Blind Tarn, Buck Pike beyond.

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The Old Man of Coniston across The Cove.

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Cove Bridge.

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