Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar car park – Coniston Old Man – Brim Fell – Goat’s Hawse – Dow Crag – Buck Pike – Blind Tarn – Walna Scar car park
Distance: 5.3 miles    Total Ascent: 780 metres    Time Taken: 3 hours    Start Time: 07:20
Weather: Freezing, some cloud. 0oC
It has been really cold and clear for the last couple of days so I wanted to get high on a fell to catch a glorious sunrise this morning and I wasn’t disappointed with the one I got – the view from the Old Man was fabulous this morning, one to remember for a while.
Pre-dawn on the climb to The Old Man and the sun is still below the horizon.
Getting lighter as I climb higher, the valleys below are covered in mist.
Sunrise, first sight of the sun over the horizon.
The view down from the climb.
Mono Coniston Water, partially frozen, and Windermere beyond covered in a thick blanket of cloud.
Black Combe and Brown Pike glowing in the early sunshine.
Morecambe Bay with Heysham Power Station visible looking along cloud covered Coniston Water and the Crake Valley.
The full moon over Dow Crag.
Martian mountains?
Winter Hill on the horizon floating above a sea of orange cloud.
A panoramic view from the summit.
The view over Low Water and Levers Water.
The sun has risen into cloud now looking across layers of valleys.
The Old Man summit view.
Silhouetted cairn.
No one was around this early (of course!).
The face of Dow Crag - at this point I wasn't sure where I was heading next and seemed to do quite a bit of aimless wandering, watching the conditions unfold to work out the best way to go.
The Old Man in mono.
The Scafells.
There was a fabulous winter sky this morning.
Brim Fell summit cairn and The Old Man.
Casper surveys his kingdom.
Skiddaw, Great Carrs, Swirl How and Blencathra.
Scafell and Scafell Pike.
Skiddaw.
Frozen Brim Fell.
Brr, it was cold up here today.
Brim Fell summit.
Finding a way down.
Goat's Water.
Dougal and Casper, raring to go!
Harter Fell.
The view from Dow Crag.
Looking back over Goat's Hawse.
The frozen Duddon Valley.
Dow Crag from Buck Pike.
Me and Casperoonals.
Blind Tarn.
Coniston Old Man across The Cove.
That fiery sky was ever-present today.
Sun Dog to the left.
Cove Bridge.