My first Wainwrights.
This is night No 37/2018 staying in my caravan. This is my 3rd night at Coniston Coppice C&MC Site near Coniston.
Got up around 0600, and took the dogs along towards Torver on a short path which runs towards Torver. A good chance to let them off the lead for at least a wee while.
This day was fantastic from the outset. This post will be a bit 'heavy' on the pictures, but it's worth it. The weather was great from when I got up, and having got my first Wainwright Guide, I was determined to get into the hills and give them a go.
I left the site around 0715 and headed up an incredibly steep road out of Coniston to what's known as Walna Scar Road. A rough car park, and already a few cars there. It's a very popular walking spot for tourists (like me). I was heading for the Old Man of Coniston.
Followed the (non tourist) route heading north on the Quarry Route detailed in my guidebook. A steady gradient until it starts heading up through old quarries towards the higher ground.
There is a lot of quarrying here, and it's still ongoing. It's a slate type rock which is piled almost all the way to the summit.
Lots of disused gear and buildings.
Stopped at a cracking wee tarn called Low Water, which was anything but low. This was a leg bursting 2000' or so!
The track winds its way steeply up the last stretch.
Looking back down at the tarn.
Photo opportunity for my walking buddies.
This was a steep scrambly section, and at one point I looked up and could see a bloke at the cairn. The cairn sits on a sort of ledge with really precipitous drops into the corrie. I was struck by a sudden vertigo rush of fear, but I overcame it with the help of some water and a cheese piece, and I got the head down, and continued the last wee bit.
It's a tough hill by this route, and fairly stiff going for a summit of 2635'. The views were stunning.
I could see for miles. I could make out Sellafield!
Consiton and the water.
The carpark where I started.
The summit cairn. Only saw one bloke, who'd been camping on the summit.
Looking over to Brim Fell, another Wainwright. Being in bagging mode, that's where I'm heading!
Looking back to The Old Man of Coniston. The ridge on the left is where I came up.
The cairn on Brim Fell. The views are spectacular.
A few sheep wandering around on the summits. The dogs were actually very good, and they were both off lead. No sheep slaughtering incidents.
I made the walk circular, and returned via Goats Hawse, and it's tarn, Goats Water.
It was a really enjoyable walk. I'm glad I done it early, as the crowds were already building on the 'tourist route'. I probably passed 50 walkers on the way down, this being the way up on the 'tourist route'.
Made one Wainwright beginners error though, I thought these two hills were the only 'tick list' hills here, but when looking at my book on return, I think 'Dow Crag' is one, and I could have 'bagged' that one too!!
A great days hillwalking. It's not often you go right onto a big path on Scottish Munros, and there's very few in Scotland with proper constructed paths. Some of the paths must have taken ages to place, some of the boulders looked like 2' cubes of whin type stone. Very pleasant experience, and a stiff grunt to get up to the top. A good introduction to Lake District Fell Walking.
After some lunch (I got back around 1230), decided to head into Ulverston and get some cheese for my brother, good old Cheshire Cheese from Booths.
On a hill overlooking Ulverston is The Hoad Monument. It is a huge replica of a lighthouse, but has never had a light. It's a memorial. Amazing views over Ulverston. Booths is near the centre of the picture.
Looking over Morcambe Bay.
It was warm when we finally got to the summit.
A stunning structure.
Got up around 0600, and took the dogs along towards Torver on a short path which runs towards Torver. A good chance to let them off the lead for at least a wee while.
This day was fantastic from the outset. This post will be a bit 'heavy' on the pictures, but it's worth it. The weather was great from when I got up, and having got my first Wainwright Guide, I was determined to get into the hills and give them a go.
I left the site around 0715 and headed up an incredibly steep road out of Coniston to what's known as Walna Scar Road. A rough car park, and already a few cars there. It's a very popular walking spot for tourists (like me). I was heading for the Old Man of Coniston.
Followed the (non tourist) route heading north on the Quarry Route detailed in my guidebook. A steady gradient until it starts heading up through old quarries towards the higher ground.
There is a lot of quarrying here, and it's still ongoing. It's a slate type rock which is piled almost all the way to the summit.
Lots of disused gear and buildings.
Stopped at a cracking wee tarn called Low Water, which was anything but low. This was a leg bursting 2000' or so!
The track winds its way steeply up the last stretch.
Looking back down at the tarn.
Photo opportunity for my walking buddies.
This was a steep scrambly section, and at one point I looked up and could see a bloke at the cairn. The cairn sits on a sort of ledge with really precipitous drops into the corrie. I was struck by a sudden vertigo rush of fear, but I overcame it with the help of some water and a cheese piece, and I got the head down, and continued the last wee bit.
It's a tough hill by this route, and fairly stiff going for a summit of 2635'. The views were stunning.
I could see for miles. I could make out Sellafield!
Consiton and the water.
The carpark where I started.
The summit cairn. Only saw one bloke, who'd been camping on the summit.
Looking over to Brim Fell, another Wainwright. Being in bagging mode, that's where I'm heading!
Looking back to The Old Man of Coniston. The ridge on the left is where I came up.
The cairn on Brim Fell. The views are spectacular.
A few sheep wandering around on the summits. The dogs were actually very good, and they were both off lead. No sheep slaughtering incidents.
I made the walk circular, and returned via Goats Hawse, and it's tarn, Goats Water.
It was a really enjoyable walk. I'm glad I done it early, as the crowds were already building on the 'tourist route'. I probably passed 50 walkers on the way down, this being the way up on the 'tourist route'.
Made one Wainwright beginners error though, I thought these two hills were the only 'tick list' hills here, but when looking at my book on return, I think 'Dow Crag' is one, and I could have 'bagged' that one too!!
A great days hillwalking. It's not often you go right onto a big path on Scottish Munros, and there's very few in Scotland with proper constructed paths. Some of the paths must have taken ages to place, some of the boulders looked like 2' cubes of whin type stone. Very pleasant experience, and a stiff grunt to get up to the top. A good introduction to Lake District Fell Walking.
After some lunch (I got back around 1230), decided to head into Ulverston and get some cheese for my brother, good old Cheshire Cheese from Booths.
On a hill overlooking Ulverston is The Hoad Monument. It is a huge replica of a lighthouse, but has never had a light. It's a memorial. Amazing views over Ulverston. Booths is near the centre of the picture.
Looking over Morcambe Bay.
It was warm when we finally got to the summit.
A stunning structure.
Fantastic photos, hope you had a cheese piece for the mutts!! I can imagine they’d be giving you daggers otherwise! 😆 xx
ReplyDeleteI only ever get half of my cheese piece, and half of my crisps, and half of my water!!
DeleteThat was quite a day, Iain. I can sense that, like me, the notion many Scots have that the Lake District is full of tiddly-wee hills is wrong. The gradients and the terrain (vertigo inducing for you) can be quite testing. Still, it is mostly "run-able" which is a blessing for people like me. You understand now why Cumbrian hill-runners are legendary. Joss Naylor from Wasdale Head (not that far from you) is the ultimate fell-runner. Now in his 80s, he still greets the occasional runner that completes his 50mile "Joss Naylor Way" in that area. Again, the sheer care and affection that the local councils have comes through when you discuss the beautiful paths. I think community spirit is very high in that area; a lesson for the "naw, ye're a'right, pal" attitude of too many Scots. Needless to say, I salivated at the mention of my (so long as is not for Andrew) Cheshire Cheese. I expect more Wainwrights to be bagged before you move onto Galloway.
ReplyDeleteI agree, in fact the only person I chatted to was an older bloke, also Scottish. I remarked that I had this idea that the hills here were puny little things, before heading up the Old Man! Nice paths, but extremely busy by Scottish standards.
DeleteLook at the weather!!! Amazing!!!! Blue skies all round
ReplyDelete