Coniston Old Man
Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 10:15 pm
Easter Sunday. I decided I wanted to do a Lakeland fell I'd never been to before so headed to Coniston. I parked up at the car park where the untarmaced Walna Scar road starts. I didn't want to do the "tourist route" to the summit so I opted to head off along the Walna Scar road before cutting up the well defined path to Goat's water which lies beneath the impressive Dow Crag. The intention was to bag Dow crag by the path up the scree but by now I was being hit by every kind of weather the Lakes has to offer. Rain followed by snow and hail all accompanied by heavy mist and the coldest, strongest winds I'd walked in. I gave Dow Crag a miss and headed ditecly to the Old Man. As usual there was quite a crowd on the summit all trying to find a bit of shelter. By this time my hands were so cold I could hardly hold my Sarnies!!
With the exception of the unrelenting wind, things began to look up weatherwise and as I walked the ridge over Brim Fell and onwards to Swirl HowI was treated to spectacular views down to Low water, Levers Tarn and Coniston. There were fleeting views in all other directions as and when the rolling cloud permitted. While the may have been brief views the provided great panoramas of The Scafells, Bowfell and the Langdale peaks accross to Helvellyn. Swirl How was a turning point in more ways than one. a: My walk turned from North to East. b: The weather turned, too. As I was on Swirl fell it seemed apt that suddenly the clouds swirled away and in a short space of time was heading down Prison band to the col in sunshine that I thought would never appear, oh and the wind dropped too!! So it was with a renewed vigour that I ascended my last summit of the day, Wetherlam. It was a worthy climax to the day with superb all round views. I could have sat here for hours surveying the scene but unfotunatels had to do with 10 minutes as time was getting on.
It was an easy descent to the track that leads to the mines. then it was simply follow the path across the fields to the minor road and back to the car.
With the exception of the unrelenting wind, things began to look up weatherwise and as I walked the ridge over Brim Fell and onwards to Swirl HowI was treated to spectacular views down to Low water, Levers Tarn and Coniston. There were fleeting views in all other directions as and when the rolling cloud permitted. While the may have been brief views the provided great panoramas of The Scafells, Bowfell and the Langdale peaks accross to Helvellyn. Swirl How was a turning point in more ways than one. a: My walk turned from North to East. b: The weather turned, too. As I was on Swirl fell it seemed apt that suddenly the clouds swirled away and in a short space of time was heading down Prison band to the col in sunshine that I thought would never appear, oh and the wind dropped too!! So it was with a renewed vigour that I ascended my last summit of the day, Wetherlam. It was a worthy climax to the day with superb all round views. I could have sat here for hours surveying the scene but unfotunatels had to do with 10 minutes as time was getting on.
It was an easy descent to the track that leads to the mines. then it was simply follow the path across the fields to the minor road and back to the car.