Walna Scar, Dow Crag, Brim Fell & Coniston Old Man - Sunday 10 November 2013
Route
Park Coppice - Fell Gate - Walna Scar Road- Walna Scar - Brown Pike - Buck Pike - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - Brim Fell - Coniston Old Man - South Ridge - Walna Scar Road - Fell Gate - Park Coppice
Parking
Walked from the Caravan Site at Park Coppice
Mileage
9.3 miles
Terrain
Good paths for the majority of the walk with some scrambling on Dow Crag. The path on the descent via the South Ridge of Coniston Old Man was a bit hit and miss.
Weather
Sunny with very little wind.
Time Taken
6hrs 30mins
Total Ascent
3125ft (952m)
Wainwrights
3 and 1 Outlying Fell
Map
OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)
Park Coppice - Fell Gate - Walna Scar Road- Walna Scar - Brown Pike - Buck Pike - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - Brim Fell - Coniston Old Man - South Ridge - Walna Scar Road - Fell Gate - Park Coppice
Parking
Walked from the Caravan Site at Park Coppice
Mileage
9.3 miles
Terrain
Good paths for the majority of the walk with some scrambling on Dow Crag. The path on the descent via the South Ridge of Coniston Old Man was a bit hit and miss.
Weather
Sunny with very little wind.
Time Taken
6hrs 30mins
Total Ascent
3125ft (952m)
Wainwrights
3 and 1 Outlying Fell
Map
OL6 - The English Lakes (South Western Area)
GPX File
If the above GPX file fails to download or presents itself as an XML file once downloaded then please feel free to contact me and I will send you the GPX file via e-mail.
Walk Description
We awoke to find that the weather forecasters promise of a beautiful sunny clear day was true for once. Crisp, dry and with a dusting of snow on the tops, today promised to be a good day for both walking and photography. We were staying in our Caravan at Park Coppice therefore today was an opportunity to walk from the door without the worry of trying to find free parking or failing that, being exploited by the car park owners of Lakeland!
Leaving Park Coppice the path took us along the edge of Bleathwaite Coppice and along to Fell Gate which is a popular area for starting a walk up Coniston Old Man - we could have branched off to the Walna Scar Road a couple of times but the path was good to Fell Gate therefore we kept along it. Reaching Fell Gate we turned left onto the Walna Scar Road and followed this over Cove Bridge to the path junction for Walna Scar and Brown Pike. Today was Remembrance Sunday and at 1100 we duly observed a 2 minute silence on the path - just a shame other people walking past us could not - no matter.
The weather remained sunny with very little breeze and we made the short trip up to the top of Walna Scar which gave us a great view of White Pike and White Maiden but we resisted the temptation to carry on over to them and instead turned around and made our way up onto Brown Pike. The walk over Brown Pike and Buck Pike to Dow Crag is a superb ridge walk which on a clear day affords you fantastic views of the Coniston Fells and over to the Scafells. Reaching Dow Crag, it started to get busy and we could already see the hoards of people on top of Coniston Old Man.
We then descended to Goat's Hawse before the steep ascent up to Brim Fell and then on to Coniston Old Man where it remained busy therefore we did not hang about. We descended via Crag O'Stile and Little Arrow Moor and the path became intermittent but the terrain was not overly onerous and led us down quite nicely to the Walna Scar Road. We then made our way back to Fell Gate and followed the path back to Park Coppice.
This is another lovely walk and to do it on a day when the weather was on our side made it even better.
Leaving Park Coppice the path took us along the edge of Bleathwaite Coppice and along to Fell Gate which is a popular area for starting a walk up Coniston Old Man - we could have branched off to the Walna Scar Road a couple of times but the path was good to Fell Gate therefore we kept along it. Reaching Fell Gate we turned left onto the Walna Scar Road and followed this over Cove Bridge to the path junction for Walna Scar and Brown Pike. Today was Remembrance Sunday and at 1100 we duly observed a 2 minute silence on the path - just a shame other people walking past us could not - no matter.
The weather remained sunny with very little breeze and we made the short trip up to the top of Walna Scar which gave us a great view of White Pike and White Maiden but we resisted the temptation to carry on over to them and instead turned around and made our way up onto Brown Pike. The walk over Brown Pike and Buck Pike to Dow Crag is a superb ridge walk which on a clear day affords you fantastic views of the Coniston Fells and over to the Scafells. Reaching Dow Crag, it started to get busy and we could already see the hoards of people on top of Coniston Old Man.
We then descended to Goat's Hawse before the steep ascent up to Brim Fell and then on to Coniston Old Man where it remained busy therefore we did not hang about. We descended via Crag O'Stile and Little Arrow Moor and the path became intermittent but the terrain was not overly onerous and led us down quite nicely to the Walna Scar Road. We then made our way back to Fell Gate and followed the path back to Park Coppice.
This is another lovely walk and to do it on a day when the weather was on our side made it even better.
The Old Man of Coniston
The Bell and Wetherlam from near Fell Gate
Cove Bridge
Heading up the Walna Scar Road
The South Ridge of Coniston Old Man
Fudge's prowess at hide and seek was coming on
Harter Fell from Walna Scar
Seascale can just be seen beyond the fell
Dow Crag, Buck Pike and the zig zag path to Brown Pike. The Walna Scar Road is at the foot of the path
Buck Pike and Coniston Old Man from Brown Pike
Brown Pike
Brown Pike
Fudge on the ascent to Buck Pike
The Scafells
Brown Pike from the path up to Buck Pike
Dow Crag
Goat's Water below Coniston Old Man
Easy Gully on Dow Crag - no thanks, not today!
The Summit of Dow Crag
Dow Crag from near Goat's Hawse
Summit Cairn on Brim Fell
Another great view of the Scafells
Coniston Old Man - not so busy but give it a minute!
Dow Crag from Brim Fell
King of the Trig! Fudge on Coniston Old Man
Making our way off Coniston Old Man
Coniston