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 – Below Beck Fells – Walna Scar car park
Distance: 4.1 miles Total Ascent: 630 metres Time Taken: 2 hours 30 minutes Start Time: 08:15
Weather: Bright, sunny and warm above the clouds. 10C
The predicted weather forecast turned out to be correct today – the low lying fog was due to stay put whilst up above there would be sunshine. It was fabulous day up there, really warm and a different world to that at valley level. I’m glad I made the effort to get up there as good weather hardly seems likely until we got there.
Coniston Old Man Route Map.
Climbing above the fog.
Wow, what a beautiful day!
A sea of cloud...
...as far as the eye can see.
Looking across The Cove to Dow Crag.
Brown Pike.
That's the Walna Scar Road below. It was really warm now - no jacket required!
Looking up the climb to The Old Man (find Dougal?).
Fab-u-lous.
A lone figure below gives some scale to the extent of the temperature inversion.
Black Combe and the Whit Fell group stand clear of the cloud beyond brown Pike.
Low Water and beyond.
All alone on the summit, not bad for a Bank Holiday Monday.
Looking across Coniston Village (below the cloud somewhere).
Fletcher and Dougal like to demonstrate how hot it is with their tongues!
Looking to the Scafells.
The Old Man of Coniston.
The trig. column.
The view to the south west.
Harter Fell.
Looking back to The Old Man from the ridge to Brim Fell.
Brim Fell ahead.
The Scafells from Brim Fell.
The Old Man from Brim Fell.
Green Crag and Harter Fell.
Skiddaw and Blencathra beyond Great Carrs and Swirl How.
The northern face of The Old Man from the descent of Brim Fell.
Wetherlam and the Black Sails ridge.
Levers Water.
Low Water.
The Old Man.
Looking down on the old mine works.
Beautiful colours in the sunshine.
Turquoise Low Water.
Low Water reflections.
Dougal and Fletch.
I think I know where the two boys will be heading shortly.
You guessed it!
Low Water panorama.
Heading back down the miners track.
I left the main path and walked through the workings where I picked up an old miners track which avoided the crowds. It was fantastic and din't look like anyone had used it for 100 years - one day I will take fix the fells up there and show them what a properly graded path looks like.
Walking the path kept me in the sunshine for a while longer too.
The distant view was to the Welsh mountains - the Glyders and Carneddau - almost 100 miles distant as the crow flies.
Come on boys, we are going in...