Start point: Walna Scar road (SD 289 970)
Walna Scar car park – Boo Tarn – The Old Man of Coniston – Boo Tarn – Walna Scar car park
Distance: 2.9 miles Total Ascent: 572 metres Time Taken: 1 hour 30 minutes Start Time: 15:30
Weather: Cool and clear. 1C
It was a beautiful day in the Lake District today but when a blanket of freezing fog descended over our house in the afternoon, I knew that conditions would be good higher up and that there would be a good sunset too. It was thanks to Louise that I went on this one as she persuaded me to make the effort and I am thankful that she did – the sunset across the inversion was simply stunning.
This was totally a ‘no frills’ walk so there is no route map – I ascended and descended using the route 1 method!
It was a lovely and clear day today but I was only here to see the end of it and catch the sunset from the top of Coniston Old Man.
What a great view of the already setting sun on the climb to The Old Man with the Duddon Estuary and the Irish Sea beyond Black Combe covered in a blanket of cloud.
All is golden.
Getting higher up, the full extent of the inversion was visible.
Beautiful silhouettes and sunset.
Approaching the summit we said hello to Angus.
I'm sure he would have approved of the walk and the weather today.
The view towards the Scafells from the summit of The Old Man.
Looking across Coniston Water to Morecambe Bay.
The eastern fells from the summit.
Old Man.
Young men. Dougal ably demonstrates just how breezy it is on the top.
Sellafield poking through the cloud beyond Harter Fell.
I spotted two lumps rising from the inversion in the distance which can only be in Wales, one on the left horizon (I think this is Arenig Fawr which is an incredible 104 miles away) and one on the right (Carnedd Lllewelyn, 91 miles away).
The sun setting over Dougal.
Fabulous colours in the sky this evening.
Burnished Casper.
It was getting pretty cold and was surprisingly breezy on the top as the sun set.
A close up on Carnedd Llewelyn and now Snowdon is visible too, 98 miles away.
Fat old sun.
Dougal has a last look before it is time to go.
The last one before it gets too dark. It only took twenty minutes to get down from here using my 'no frills' method.