Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar car park – Boo Tarn – The Old Man of Coniston – Brim Fell – Brim Fell Rake – Low Water – Walna Scar car park
Distance: 4.3 miles Total Ascent: 613 metres Time Taken: 3 hours 45 minutes
Weather: Overcast, cold wind. 15C.
Today was the third StridingEdge group walk which was up to The Old Man of Coniston via the now officially named (well, it is in our house!) McMahon Route, a brilliantly graded walk across Little Arrow Moor and then up the south ridge of the Old Man. Joining me on the walk were StridingEdge viewers who expressed an interest in coming for a walk with me and Casper and it was great to meet everyone – some new faces and some old stalwarts of our walks. It was a good walk in great company, pity the weather wasn’t kinder to us today…maybe next time.
Coniston Old Man route map.
The Old Man from the car park.
Setting off along the Walna Scar Road.
The start of the climb to The Old Man.
Torver Common with Beacon Fell prominent on the right.
Coniston Water.
Casper has a look across The Cove to Brown Pike.
He's struggling to keep all that tongue in!
Coniston across Bursting Stone Quarry, Windermere top left.
Climbing the south ridge.
A bit of sunshine over Morecambe Bay and the Kent Estuary and you can just about make out the outline of Heysham Power Station across the bay. We said hello to Angus on the way up here.
A group shot of the StridingEdge striders on a misty Old Man summit - you can see by their attire that it wasn't the warmest (or clearest) of days up here! Back row L-R: Martin, Carl, Karl, David, Rod, Rob, Andy, Andrew, Gary, Michael. Front row L-R Chris, Linda, Lesley, Rachael, Angela, Mike and Shelley.
Heading for Brim Fell.
Beneath the clouds on Brim fell Rake looking across to Levers Water.
Low Water appears through the mist.
Mountain man and dog. That's too clean to be Casper at this stage of a walk!
Levers Water.
A glimpse of Windermere.
The descent to Low Water after our lunch stop.
Low Water and the tourist path up to The Old Man.
Heading through the old mine workings.