All The Gear But No Idea: A Coniston Round

A Coniston Round 03-12-2016

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Route: Coniston, Miners Bridge, Levers Moss Scrow, Crowberry Haws, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Levers Hawse, Great How Crags, Swirl Band, Swirl How, Prison Band, Swirl Hawse, Black Sails, Red Dell Head Moss, Wetherlam, Lower Hows, Hole Rake, Miners Bridge, Coniston

Date: 03/12/2016
From: Coniston

Parking: Coniston
Start Point: Coniston
Region: Southern Fells

Route length: 8.9 miles (14.2 km)
Time taken: 04:31
Average speed: 2.0 mph
Ascent: 1,106m
Descent: 1,117m

Wainwrights on this walk: The Old Man of Coniston (803m), Brim Fell (796m), Swirl How (802m), Wetherlam (762m)

Additional summits: Black Sails (745m)

With snow starting to return to the mountains, I took the opportunity to get out to the Lake District after a hectic couple of months at HQ. Though early days this winter season, I missed the best of the late November snow but believe that good things come to those who wait. The best of winter is just around the corner, however, today would be a useful barometer for the number of daylight hours available.

My destination today would be the sublime Coniston fells, an area that I don't have a great deal of experience with. That said, the previous walks have all lived long in the memory as Coniston is home to some of the finest scenery in the Lake District. After another early departure, I arrived in the village shortly after sunrise to maximise the amount of daylight available.

Morning in Coniston

I opted to start from Coniston, rather than take the short drive up to the car park on the Walna Scar road. I've often felt that climbing a mountain from halfway up is missing the point, though that's not to say it never appeals to me from time to time. To start from Coniston means climbing the old mine road alongside Church Beck, past the old Miners Bridge before heading out onto the fellside.

The Miners Bridge

Coniston is famous for its mining heritage, largely in pursuit of copper, with mining in the Coniston area starting towards the end of the 16th century. The mines grew to such an extent that, in 1850, Ore production was so great that a railway line was constructed from the Furness to Coniston. Production started to decline through the late 19th Century before eventually ceasing in the 1940s.

There was a brief moment of excitement as the rising sun lit up the hills around the Coppermines Valley before it was swallowed up by the blanket of cloud that hung over the park. Morecambe was clearly having a sparkling morning - I could see the rays of sunlight beaming down upon it from the climb up The Old Man.

Sunrise

The sunlight catches Black Sails' south ridge

The Coppermines Valley

Slate was the material of choice to be mined from The Old Man and the extensive Low Water Quarry bears the remains of Coniston's industrial past. The path winds up through huge spoil tips, following the rusting cables of an old aerial tramway. Derelict buildings and tracks litter the levels - I salute them men that had to work up here.

Wetherlam and Tongue Brow

The path at Stubthwaite Crag

Beams of sunlight to the south

Black Sails and Wetherlam

Remains of the old mine tracks

Winding gear - from Leeds don't you know?

Looking over the spoil heaps to Coniston

Eventually, the path reaches Low Water, a fine glacial tarn that sits below the summit of The Old Man. If you're feeling the strain of the climb, it's the perfect place to pause before the final push. Though it appears steep, the path zigzags its way up the final 100m to reach the top.

Brim Fell

Low Water beneath Brim Fell

The Old Man, Brim Fell and Low Water

The route up The Old Man

The blanket of cloud had decided to lower itself just as I arrived on the summit - a fairly typical action in the Lake District. That said, it briefly revealed the view down to Low Water, which is excellent. For the first time, I had the summit of The Old Man to myself - it is often teeming with people. A narrow but short ridge joins The Old Man to the neighbouring Brim Fell.

Low Water

Sunlight over Morecambe Bay

Coniston

The excellent view from The Old Man

A trig pillar marks the summit

Along with a platform and cairn

Proof the summit was empty

The ridge to Brim Fell

An unnecessary proliferation of cairns lines the path - why there are so many I have no idea; it's hard to get lost on a ridge. A fat cairn marks the top before the path drops once again, this time into Levers Hawse before starting a steady climb up Swirl Band towards Swirl How. At Levers Hawse, you can opt to descend to Levers Water for an investigation of the Boulder Valley - one for another time I think.

Dow Crag

The Old Man

Cairns mark the way

Brim Fell's summit

The cloud was sat below the summits but above the cols, so I could see along Seathwaite Tarn into the Duddon Valley. Harter Fell and Grey Friar were also visible, the sun even had the audacity to shine on the far western fells - tantalisingly out of reach.

Harter Fell

Levers Water and the Coppermines Valley

Green Crag

Levers Hawse, Great How Crags and Swirl How

Seathwaite Tarn, Green Crag and Harter Fell

Grey Friar

Clouds roll over Brim fell

The slow climb up Swirl Band affords a fine view back to Brim Fell and The Old Man, at least when the clouds momentarily parted. Once past Great How Crags I was back in the thick of it heading for Swirl How. There is some debate over the height of Swirl How, Ordnance Survey maps mark it as 802m while BMC mapping has 804m. Generally, this would be inconsequential, however, a height of 804m would make it the highest of the Coniston Fells, rather than The Old Man.

Levers Water

More cloud sweeps in

The summit of Swirl How

I had considered making the short crossing to Great Carrs but the low cloud quashed any idea of that. Alternatively, I pressed on, steeply down the stony slope of Prison Band which falls some 200m into Swirl Hause.

Looking down Prison Band

Prison Band

Black Sails over Swirl Hawse

By the time I had reached the bottom, the cloud had slowly started to lift, revealing the eastern slopes of the three fells I had just crossed - they are some of the best in the Lake District with numerous crags hanging above Levers Water. I opted to head off path at this point, climbing directly up grassy slopes to the summit of Black Sail, a peak I had missed out on on my last outing. It offered the perfect opportunity for a quick lunch stop.

Levers Water

Looking up Prison Band

Great How Crags

Swirl How

Black Sails summit

Swirl How and Great Carrs

Great How Crags

Wetherlam stands just a short stroll away; Black Sails being a subsidiary summit of the main fell. Fine views are your reward for reaching the top, stretching across the main bulk of the southern fells and Little Langdale.

Wetherlam

Wetherlam's summit

Side Pike and Blea Tarn

Looking towards Windermere

The route back to the valley is easy, following the gentle ridge of Lad Stones to Hole Rake which, in turn, drops you back into the Coppermines Valley. I returned to the car by the same track by the miner's bridge, snapping some final autumnal colours as I did. The only disappointment on this walk was the weather, which was being particularly obstinate today. Still, it was great to get back out and about.