The Old Man of Coniston

[Sarah86]

After our trip to the Lakes in June, we were itching to get back. The initial plan was to visit the Old Man of Coniston on arrival, day 2 Haystacks and day 3 Catbells... due to the heat this didn't quite go to plan. Instead when we arrived we tried to visit the roman fort near the hardknott pass (couldn't find it, I think we were too low down as didn't fancy driving up that road!) and visited Wastwater and Latrigg.

Day 2 we decided to try and get to the Old Man. I am not too sure about the difficulty of the hills in the Lakes or lengths taken as I haven't been able to find the same detailed walk reports as we have on here for the Scottish hills which are usually spot on. We set off early to try and get a head start before the heat picked up, as it happened the sun never came out until the evening which actually helped!

We set off along the main path to the right which was pretty straight forward


That path starts to gradually rise and it looked like we might be getting some blue skies


A couple that we kept bumping into on the route up called us over to this spot as it was nice and cool, they weren't kidding. It was amazing the cool draft, I actually had goosebumps at one stage. Sister and Penny keeping cool


By now any hope of blue skies and sunshine had gone but I wasn't to complain as it would have been too much for the dog as we were already looking at the last stretch, I tend to get a little paranoid about her now she is 10. We aimed for the top agreeing that shold she look tired we would turn back, well I couldn't keep up with her leaping up on the bigger boudlers charging on to the top Before the final stretch we enjoyed a good rest at the lovely tarn, it was here that Penny shocked me by going in to just below her chest.. wish I had caught that on camera!







Penny the mountain goat


Quite atmospheric views from the top






Looking back to the tarn






Penny with one of the only views we got!














Even though we didn't get any proper views from the top, it was one of those walks that had a 'something' about it.

[RicKamila]

Nice report and great photos. Have to head down to Englandshire one day and have a look around the hills there. Can't remember if I have asked before, but what breed is Penny?

[Sarah86]

Thanks RicKamila, there is so many great places to visit in the UK, I am constantly finding somewhere new that I have the urge to visit The Lake District is a great place as there is so many hills confined to the area. Penny is a whippet but she is a slightly larger one and not the small racing type. She does well as I don't see many of her breed out on the hills but have to watch her with the heat as she doesn't like it and especially with her age now too.

[RicKamila]

I thought she was a Whippet, but the size was throwing me. My neighbour in Australia had one, but the smaller one. Lovely dogs. Can't wait til I get myself a couple of dogs and can take them up into the hills.

[ChrisW]

Another lovely report Sarah with some cracking photos of a beautiful location. Good to hear Penny has got in past her ankles this time

[tenohfive]

the hardknott pass (couldn't find it, I think we were too low down as didn't fancy driving up that road!) and visited Wastwater

It's not a road for nervous drivers but I absolutely love the Wrynose and Hardknott passes. I usually string them together whilst en route to Wast Water whenever we go - the way the views open up is lovely and on the downhill stretches it feels like you're in a toboggan. Great fun if you have good clutch control, a bit of torque and you take your time.

[dooterbang]

Nice report and some fab photos.

Always enjoy a journey South to the Lakes

[coachmacca]

Great report, great shots and a great hill Sarah - Coniston (hills and town) were my first visit to hte lakes last year and we aimed to do this walk after our first Munro (Nevis).

Funnily but embarressgly it was where I learned that navigation is an art even with science backing me...

While planning the route I somehow managed to plot it nicely on the GPS but somehow "turned" the route about 10 degrees East on the map so ended up totally missing the planned path and got lost lol!

We did end up finding a nice wee round route but sadly the Old Man wasn't included!

I'll need to get back and do it again - great to see what it actually looks like !

[Sarah86]

I thought she was a Whippet, but the size was throwing me. My neighbour in Australia had one, but the smaller one. Lovely dogs. Can't wait til I get myself a couple of dogs and can take them up into the hills.

Hope it is not too long before you get a couple, on the odd time when we have ventured out without Penny ist is just not the same anymore, lots of fun having a dog. I just wish I had started hill walking wth her years ago as there is so many I would love visit with her but I feel she is a little old for many.

It's not a road for nervous drivers but I absolutely love the Wrynose and Hardknott passes. I usually string them together whilst en route to Wast Water whenever we go - the way the views open up is lovely and on the downhill stretches it feels like you're in a toboggan. Great fun if you have good clutch control, a bit of torque and you take your time.

I definitely wouldn't be driving it I didn't drive at all during our trip, I am a soley A-B person at the moment, from Clackmannanshire the furthest I drive is the Lomond hills lol I was fairly confident when learning but don't like doing too much now. My sister is a confident driver but I don't like asking her to go on these crazy roads when I wouldn't drive them myself.

Another lovely report Sarah with some cracking photos of a beautiful location. Good to hear Penny has got in past her ankles this time

She will be swimming before I know it

Great report, great shots and a great hill Sarah - Coniston (hills and town) were my first visit to hte lakes last year and we aimed to do this walk after our first Munro (Nevis).

Funnily but embarressgly it was where I learned that navigation is an art even with science backing me...

While planning the route I somehow managed to plot it nicely on the GPS but somehow "turned" the route about 10 degrees East on the map so ended up totally missing the planned path and got lost lol!

We did end up finding a nice wee round route but sadly the Old Man wasn't included!

I'll need to get back and do it again - great to see what it actually looks like !

I really hope you manage to get back again as it is a great hill, we really enjoyed it, perhaps the mist added to our enjoyment, we almost went the wrong way but quickly turned back. I took us back a completely wrong way in one of the ochils, I was convinced my map reading skills were up to scratch and I still don't understand what went wrong

[talkingdolphin]

Great report Sarah and great pics too, what a beautiful dog Penny is. Don'y have any plans soon to visit England for hillwalking but you definitely show it in a good light. Maybees one day : )