Coniston circuit

[Coop]

Set off about half 8 and headed from the YH down to the villafe, and up steeply onto Walna Scar Road.
Big circuit today ( for us anyway) 8 summits in total, 7 Wainwrights in total (6 Hewitts)
A nice steady relaxed climb all the way to the cairn and it was - right turn clyde and up and over brown pike and buck pike en route to Dow Crag - todays 1st Wainwright, nice wee rocky summit.
Next it was down round and steadily up to Coniston old man.

Chris on Coniston

Only saw the family of 4 behind us until this point and as we approached the summit it became clear, it was a busy route up from the other ( touristy route) direction.

On coniston old man

Looking over to Dow Crag from Coniston

Bite to eat here , chat with some of the population, a few pics and time to head off over Brim fell and skirt round and up to Grey friar. 2 cairns here about 50m apart - good for view in either direction.

The view from Grey friar over to Scafell range

More pics, quick 10 min stop and down and up

Chris moving up the slope of Great carrs

- visiting the aircraft crash site and Royal Canadian Air force memorial before going up to Great Carrs

Short descent and ascent up to Swirl How and

On Swirl how

a nice rocky descent with a good wee path guiding you steeply down to the col and large cairn. Must be another popular ascent descent route from here/ to here from the copper mines.

From the col looking down to levers water

And on we went after the fair descent , up on a nice path and pick a point ( after the bend , it's pointless going up the faint path you see) , to head across and upto Black Sails - not a wainwright , but a Hewitt.

On black sails coniston water behind

.
Another short descent / ascent upto todays final summit- wetherlam , woohoo.

If Chris were writing this he may Include more about the lady heading north from here heading for coniston!!! we gave some advice - a bit about not relying on Google maps and offered assistance on the route. It fell on deaf ears and we headed off back down ( as she followed us keeping the same distance between her and us). If you are looking in hopefully you had a good walk on Sunday and I also hope that at least one tiny piece of our advice may have been taken on board. It may have been a cold, lonely night up there for her, I've been there , and it's not nice.
Anyway, down we went and came out at the junction where the other hostel/ mine is.

Back down past miners Bridge and Chris cut off for the YH and I headed into coniston for some supplies.
Great company, great route, great hills, beautiful corries and tarns, great views, the weather played ball.
Good day .

Cheers pal

Cheers

Ascent = estimate