The Old Man of Coniston (2634ft /803m)

Coniston Old Man or The "Old man" as it is sometimes alternatively and affectionately known as, overlooks Coniston village from the west with the area being once rich in copper and slate mining. This was the last day in the Lake District and the purpose of this walk was to climb Dow Crag from a different direction covering my unconquered peaks of Brown Pike and Buck Pike.

Two points for the walkers and climbers reading this ... I considered this as an alternative Coniston round and yes, I cheated on this occasion and drove up  to the Walna Scar car park ... I didn't like putting my car through that agony. In my defence I did start from the village on a previous occasion to do the official "round", but as that was back in 1996 (that was the last time I was here - shameful), I maybe wrong but I thought that there was a noticeable difference in the traffic and parking regulations for the same time of year.

The "trek" along Walna Scar road seems easy enough on the map but the constant tramping on the large stones feels like walking a few miles on a pebbly beach. As this is on the periphery of the main mountain ranges of Cumbria, the scenery can sometimes seem a little drab. A bridge crossing the stream seemed like a breath of fresh air to .... the camera at least !

As I was a bit desperate to get the photographic material started, I thought I would try something a little different with the bridge.

The above photo is the reverse viewpoint of the previous landscape showing the footpath repairers trying to improve or rather rescue a difficult section with Coniston Lake coming into view.

The only way to get across country like this  ... ooh, I'm tempted to have a go !! However the sight of this is a little controversial seeing that 4x4 vehicles and motorbikes were banned from using this route several years ago to prevent further destruction to the ...  errr ... road !

Walna scar road connects a remote part of the Lake District of Seathwaite in Dunnerdale to Coniston. Travellers and shepherds that get caught out with the weather on the most exposed part of this south facing route can enjoy a welcome shelter large enough for two people at a squeeze ... cosy indeed !

It was time to get a bit more serious with the ascent as I was starting to fight off todays approaching western mist on the Brown Pike to Dow Crag ridge route.

After the morning exercise, it was time for a rest and to take in the view south towards my ascent route, south Cumbria, Morecambe Bay and the distant Fylde peninsula of Blackpool and Fleetwood.

... and to sample from my rucksack the almost intact well filled cheese savoury sandwiches from the Picnic Box shop in Ambleside.

Despite the ascent route following the edge of a sheer drop and rock climbers haven, the path is relatively straightforward. The rock summit of Dow Crag (778m) requires a little more care as it isn't an appropriate place to have lunch. I had to enjoy the contents of my rucksack from a small grassy plain ... nearer the edge of the cliff !

Goats Hawse

After lunch it was time to press on and descend to what seemed like the half way point of the walk and observe my high level clockwise route around Goats Water to Dow Crag on the right.

Sheep's House !!

Climbing up on the other side of the valley, it looked like this sheep has been misbehaving and was being severely punished for it !!

Eventually the ground levels out into almost cricket pitch terrain and the most northerly point of the walk is the amazing cairn on top of Brim Fell. Crinkle Crags (an earlier post and walk of this week) and Bowfell are seen in the background to the left.

Although the last section of the walk to the summit of The Old Man of Coniston doesn't look difficult, I had to think of a password to get past the sheep !!

Thankfully he let me past and I was able to enjoy views towards Coniston village and Lake....

...whilst not forgetting the imposing and yet magnificent Dow Crag in the other direction

Coniston Old man summit

The Trig point and summit of Old Man of Coniston that so many budding mountaineers have conquered !
Just to point out that the view to the left is the title photo ... depicting the Old Man of Coniston ... apologies to him as he was sat in the ... right place !!

There remained a small matter of getting down the mountain, I did give the idea of hitching a lift down to the car park a brief thought ......

So I had to join the rest of the happy climbers on the rough slate descent route .....

"No Mother, I'm not walking any further " !

Kirby Stephen, Kendal & onto Borrowdale

I'm heading off to the Lake District for some walking for the following few posts but I can offer a bit of photographic variety. This was the journey that my friend and I took to get there. It wasn't the most direct route to take but it was mainly for his benefit. Bear with me, it's a long day.

(I have had to miss a few posts out as I am going to be seriously behind after this and the latest adventure that I have just had, but I promise that I will share them at a quiet moment. I am in between another two trips and have just today left at home, will try and catch up with some of your blogs today... 230 on RSS feed is rather a lot though... need to pack as well.)

Kirkby Stephen is a market town on the edge of Cumbria with the main building of St Stephen's parish church dominating the landscape.

There were several early churches on this site before the current one was built in 1240 with modifications and restoration in 1847 and the 1870's.

These were taken on The Royal Wedding day with the above image being at the time of the wedding. How different and peaceful is "The Cathedral of the Dales" compared to Westminster Abbey at this time. (I did catch up with the TV coverage later in the day.)

The Newsagent was open for business and all was peaceful as we sat and had lunch in the market square next to the flower beds (seat in first image).

We couldn't sit here forever enjoying the peace and tranquility as we had a task to perform today to help my friend out. As we left Kirkby Stephen travelling westwards, I discussed my future interest with the preserved railway there and as the rest of the day was all about him, he insisted that we stop the car and take a look at this great sight. The two class 37 locomotives of my interest are a long way off completion but the railway station building looks in reasonable order.

After a short period we arrived in Kendal. It is not a great place to find somewhere to park the car and the above image describes perfectly the theme that we had to follow a one way system over many bridges to get back to check a previous car park out. He is helping to organise a holiday in South Cumbria this week and we had to find a suitable car park in this town to accept 5 cars on a busy weekday.

 The object of this exercise was to lead a walk for a large group and while he was off asking the locals about other facilities, I found a small fraction of time to see what was available for capture.

Kendal is another South Cumbrian market town on the River Kent that most people associate with the sugary substance of Kendal mint cake which was marketed as an energy food for the mountains.... something you won't find in my back pack !! Historically Kendal was a fortified town from the Border Reivers with the main industry of that time being the manufacture of woollen goods.

Bank Holiday main street

On a side note, this is the town where Blackburn born Alfred Wainwright moved to during the 1940's to continue his career as a treasurer with the council albeit with a pay cut to be near the Lake District Hills. Ten years later he commenced his 7 pencil drawn "Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells". It took him 13 years to complete this project, drawing or writing one page every evening. He described 214 Lakeland fells in these books mainly for his personal pleasure but at the time a local Newspaper (The Westmorland Gazette) wanted to publish these pages and due to their sensitivity of the area, he agreed. The "Wainwrights" have been walked and completed by many people, including myself, and a list is maintained by the Long Distance Walkers Association on their website. Alfred Wainwright went on to write and draw many more large style coffee table / armchair books and long distance walks such as the Pennine Way Companion and Coast to Coast after he retired in 1967. He died in 1991 and his ashes were scattered on his favourite hill, Haystacks, overlooking Buttermere Lake.

Town Hall, Wainwright's workplace?!

It is at this point that my friend's walk starts from going in the direction behind the camera....

Up the hill ...

... and out of town

As the time was starting to disappear, there wasn't time to do all of the walk and as he had done some of it before, it was mainly an exercise in finding the footpath that left town. It was a pleasant path amongst the peripheral rolling hills of Cumbria although nothing really to get excited about photographically as we crossed a golf course further on and stopped above the main road exiting the Lake District to the south.

We found an alternative lower level route back with a similar aspect of views and stopped for a snack outside this barn.

A few locals came for a look

Path back into town ... 90 minutes in total

Tea shop closed

 We then travelled on to our destination for the weekend in Borrowdale ......

Arrival at last ... Glaramara

Glaramara outdoor centre was built in the earlier part of the 20th century when walking and climbing in the mountains were a new thing to most people wanting to explore that activity. Since then, it has played host to group bookings for a selection of outdoor activities and courses but due to under investment over the years it has become less of a Hotel but more than a Hostel. The new owners have taken on a big challenge and there are encouraging signs of tasteful development in this period building. Now who wouldn't want to stay here with a view like this from the front door ....

The mountain Glaramara .... (next post)

 Now what about that cup of tea that I have been waiting all day for......   !!

Having to wait a little longer at the Miss Marple trolley  !!