Old Man of Coniston (via Dow Crag)

Old Man of Coniston (via Dow Crag)

Lake District – South West

Route: Walna Scar Road car park – Brown Pike (682) – Buck Pike (744) – Dow Crag (778) – Old Man of Coniston (803)

Distance: 6.8 miles Ascent: 677 m Time: 4 hours

OS Map: OL 6 The English Lakes, South-western area

Parking / Start Point: Walna Scar Road (0.8 miles WSW of Coniston village centre up a steep single-track road and through a gate. NB This is no place to bring one’s Ferrari as the ground is very uneven!)

This is a lovely circular, taking in two famous Wainwrights and a couple of outlying peaks. There is plenty of interest, with fabulous views and the old slate quarry.

From the car park, follow the well-defined bridleway, Walna Scar Road, in a generally westerly direction – turning off to the right to climb the final few metres to the summit of Brown Pike.

Head north along a broad ridge, first to Buck Pike and then to the rocky summit of Dow Crag. Continue north and start the decent into Goat’s Hawes col, before climbing steeply to the south-east to the summit of The Old Man of Coniston.

The descent is steep and follows a zig-zag path, first towards Low Water tarn and then past the old quarry workings. Finally, take a right turn back to the south towards the car park.