Walk 78 - Coniston Fells - 7th April 2023
 

Wainwright's Walking Guide to the Lake District Fells - Book 4 The Southern Fells
 

#180 Dow Crag 2552 ft
#181 Swirl How 2631 ft
#182 Great Carrs 2559 ft
#183 Grey Friar 2526 ft
#184 Brim Fell 2612 ft
Coniston Old Man (revisit) 2635 ft

Distance
10.7 miles
Time
9 hrs
Lowest Point

737 ft
Highest Point
2635 ft
Total Ascent
3528 ft
 
Walk Rating - tough
 

Mini Route Map
(larger map at the bottom)

Go to start on OS map

Go to start on Google

   
   
 
 
  9.28 We arrived at Walna Scar car park at 8.50 to find it very busy - well it was Good Friday. I had woken up earlier with worries swirling in my head about not getting a space and having to walk up. At 950 ft the car park gives a good head start and saves a mile or so at either end of the walk if you had to start from Coniston village. The long delay in the car park was because we were constructing home made sandwiches, or rather Nick was. Must say they made a nice change from pre-packaged.  
 
 
  10.15 On Walna Scar road heading towards Brown Pike.  
 
 
  10.27 Looking back along Walna Scar Road as the ground starts to rise.  
 
 
  10.36 Walna Scar Road.  
 
 
  10.58 Reaching the top of Walna Scar Pass.  
   
  11.01 Panorama 785 At the top of the pass the Scafell range comes into view.  
   
  11.19 Panorama 786 The summit of Brown Pike. Its been quite easy going so far to get to 2200ft.  
 
 
  11.28 From Buck Pike looking back at Brown Pike with Blind Tarn below it.  
 
 
  11.33 A good view along the tail of the ridge with Black Combe in the distance and Caw in front of it.  
 
 
  11.40 Heading up the ridge towards Dow Crag. . . . . .  
 
 
  11.41 . . . . . its still quite easy walking.  
 
 
  11.46 Goat's Water below us as we approach Dow Crag.  
   
  12.00 Panorama 787 Care is needed taking the panorama from the rocky top of Dow Crag (Wainwright #180 2552ft). Its a short scramble down to the safer area just below the top.  
   
  12.04 Panorama 788 Most people gathered on this safer and flatter area for their summit snack.  
 
 
  12.09 Looking across to The Old Man of Coniston I can see about 40 people on that summit.  
 
 
  12.26 Dropping down to Goat's Hawse with the edge leading up to Swirl How in the distance.  
 
 
  12.32 Looking south from Goat's Hawse towards the southern end of Coniston Water.  
 
 
  12.33 Goat's Water below Dow Crag.  
 
 
  12.36 Scafell and Scafell Pike over the edge of Gey Friar.  
 
 
  12.45 Harter Fell  
 
 
  12.45 Looking back at Dow Crag from the path below Brim Fell.  
 
 
  12.59 Seathwaite Tarn with Harter Fell in the background.  
 
 
  13.00 The Wasdale Fells - Seatallan, Middle Fell, Haycock, Yewbarrow, Slight Side and Scafell.  
 
 
  13.01 The summit of Scafell Pike is just visible over Grey Friar.  
 
 
  13.05 Seathwaite Tarn.  
 
 
  13.13 Seathwaite Tarn  
 
 
  13.18 We reach Levers Hawse and Levers Water comes into view, with Coniston town and lake in the background..  
 
 
 

13.19 Brim Fell, Dow Crag and Seathwaite Tarn from Levers Hawse.

 
 
 
  13.22 Starting up the slope towards Swirl How.  
 
 
  13.30 The Isle of Man behind Harter Fell.  
 
 
  13.35 Great How Crags with Brim Fell and Coniston Old Man in the background.  
   
  14.06 Panorama 789 Swirl How summit (Wainwright #181 2631ft). There was some discussion. I wanted to push on to Great Carrs but was outvoted and we took lunch here.  
   
  14.21 Panorama 790 Great Carrs summit (Wainwright #182 2559ft).  
 
 
  14.22 I think this was the moment when it dawned on Mike that he was going to Grey Friar.  
 
 
  14.38 The sharp point of Dow Crag with the softer Brim Fell to the left and Buck Pike to the right.  
 
 
  14.40 Looking back as we climb Grey Friar, Great Carrs and Swirl How seem insignificant.  
 
 
  14.41 The distinctive top and lower platform of Dow Crag.  
   
  14.54 Panorama 791 Beautiful view of the Scafell range from Grey Friar (Wainwright #183 2526ft)  
   
  14.59 Panorama 792 The view in the opposite direction shows the other five Wainwrights we are visiting today. One thing we really noticed today, and mentioned on our way round, is how close these 6 peaks are in height. In fact there is only 109 feet difference between the lowest, Grey Friar, and the highest, Coniston Old Man.  
 
 
  15.00 Quite a background supplied by England's highest two mountains.  
 
 
  15.18 Back down Grey Friar the same way for a bit then we will take the angled path to the right back to Levers Hawse. I favoured walking back up to Great Carrs and returning via Swirl How but was outvoted (again).  
 
 
  15.37 Dow Crag and Seathwaite Tarn from the angled path across the side of Swirl How.  
 
 
  16.04 Back at Levers Hawse again.  
   
 
 
  16.09 Looking Back at Levers Hawse and Swirl How as we climb Brim Fell.  
   
  16.11 Panorama 793 Looking north from just above Levers Hawse.  
 
 
  16.13 Brim Fell was determined that nobody was going to get lost - I've never seen so many cairns so close together.  
   
  16.24 Panorama 794 The large summit area of Brim Fell (Wainwright #184, 2612ft)  
   
  16.48 Panorama 795 The summit of The Old Man of Coniston - a return for me (Wainwright #4, 2635ft)  
 
 
  16.46 Looking Over Coniston Water from The Old Man of Coniston.  
 
 
  16.57 The Old Man summit cairn with the Scafells in the background.  
 
 
  17.06 Starting down from The Old Man.  
 
 
  17.10 The path has a steep section soon after leaving the summit.  
 
 
  17.18 The path above Low Water with Levers Water firther away.  
 
 
  17.54 Exploring the tunnels in the old mines.  
 
 
  17.56 The path leads through the edge of the old mine area.  
 
 
  18.00 The mine closed in the late fifties.  
 
 
  18.10 The car park is in sight at last. We eventually got back at 18.30.  
 
 
  18.40 Back at a much emptier Walna Scar after a 9 hour walk which was exactly what the computer predicted.  

 

 
   
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