Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar car park – Goat’s Hawse – Goat’s Water – Brim Fell – The Old Man of Coniston – Walna Scar car park
Distance: 4.5 miles    Total Ascent: 620 metres    Time Taken: 2 hours
Weather: Sunny and clear, cooling. <8oC.
It was so clear and sunny today you would hardly think it was the same time of year as the rest of the previous week when it has been raining almost incessantly. I found time for a late afternoon walk and with those blue skies I was confident of seeing a decent sunset so tried to time my walk accordingly. I must admit I thought I had left it too late when I was walking beneath Dow Crag, it was so dark and cold there. Dougal joined us today for his first ‘bigger’ walk at 7 months old and of course we were recognised (along with Casper, the two of them together are unmistakable!) and then he was fussed over at every opportunity by passing walkers. He took the whole thing in his stride of course and he is turning out to be a great pretender to the fell masters throne.
Coniston Old Man route map.
The Coniston fells from Torver.
The Old Man from the car park.
The view north across The Bell.
Heading along the Walna Scar Road.
Dougal blazes a trail he looks as though he knows where he is going!
Looking across the reedy Boo Tarn, it was clear as an (Ill) Bell!
Long shadows already looking back along the track.
The Cove and Dow Crag ahead.
The western flank of Coniston Old Man.
A big shadow from Buck Pike as the sun starts to set.
The sun bursts over Brown Pike.
Sunny Dougal.
Once into the shadows it was like entering a very different world, chilly and grey.
Dow Crag across Goat's Water.
Goat's Water reflection.
Walking along the edge of Goat's Water.
Grey Friar and the Scafells from Goat's Hawse.
The setting sun over Dow Crag.
The view from the Brim Fell ridge, Black Combe in the distance. It was getting colder with every footstep now.
The Old Man summit ahead but first I was off in the opposite direction to Brim Fell.
The sky is on fire over the Duddon Estuary.
The summit of Brim Fell. To those who read in the Love the Lakes blog about the latest jacket, all I can say is wow! Instant warmth.
Grey Friar and the Scafells from Brim Fell. Looks like there is a sprinkling of snow up there too.
Scafell - and yes, a dusting of snow indeed.
The Duddon Estuary, Walney Island and Barrow-in-Furness.
A closer view.
As I was walking the frost was forming on the high ground and the puddles were freezing over. This is a frosty view down to Low Water from the walk back towards The Old Man.
Brim Fell and the Scafells from The Old Man summit.
Coniston Old Man sunset.
Column and cairn.
The view to the south west.
Coniston Water.
Dougal and Casper on The Old Man - Dougal's first (hopefully of many) time up here.
Looking to Wetherlam across Low Water and Levers Water.
I hung around for a little while alone watching the sunset, it was just beautiful.
Column and sky.
The Kent Estuary and Morecambe Bay, Heysham Power Station is in view across the bay.
Dougal looks on as darkness falls - let's go! We descended using a 'no frills' route to get down as quick as we could before dark.