A Winter Hike in the Coniston Fells

Date : 30th January 2015
Start/End : Coniston Village
Wainwrights : Dow Crag, Old Man of Coniston
Distance : 8.8 miles  (14.2km)
Height Gained : 2861 feet  (872 meters)
Time Taken : 6 and 1/2 hours
 

Map of the route. Click to zoom.

Due to a busy work schedule robbing me of all my free time over the past few months I have been frustratingly lacking fell time .... until now. Thankfully things are quietening down and I had a free Friday and a reasonably favourable forecast with the promise of some fresh snow on the ground. And so I headed off to the Coniston area where I had an appointment with Dow Crag, the only one of the Coniston Fells that I hadn't yet climbed. 

The forecast was for clear skies but a bitterly cold northerly gusting up to 40mph. So it turned out to be, but being on the sheltered side of the fells along the Walna Scar Road for the first few hours gave a bit of early respite. Only the racing clouds overhead gave any clue to the fierce winds yet to come. Sure enough, on gaining the ridge at Brown Pike the full force of the wind became evident, and it was indeed bitingly cold. It was an exhilarating hike though, along the ridge up to Dow Crag, following which I was positively blown up onto the summit of Coniston Old Man. I've never has such an, 'assisted' ascent.

 
A 5 minute video of the day

Sun rise from the walna scar road

Looking towards Wetherlam ....

... and the Old Man of Coniston under cloud

The onwards path: It's a shame to make foot prints in there - so I didn't !

The Brown Pike to Dow Crag ridge

The Old Man of Coniston

On the ascent of Brown Pike

Buck Pike and Coniston Old Man

Brown Pike summit

Looking along the ridge to Buck Pike

A 'glimpse' of Blind Tarn

Blind Tarn from Buck Pike

Dow Crag

A scary looking gulley

Dow Crag summit view over to the Old Man of Coniston

I got the Kestrel weather gizmo out on the summit of Dow Crag and measured -2 C, wind average 38mph and windchill -12.5 C. Brrrrrr !

Dow Crag summit panorama

Dow Crag summit panorama

My brew spot sheltered from the wind with views of Goats Water

Looking onwards to the 'Old Man' ...

... and back to Dow Crag

Views of the Scafells

Approaching the 'Old Man' summit with views down to Coniston Water

The Old Man of Coniston summit

Views north towards Swirl How

Wetherlam over Small Water

Levers Water creeping into view

The way down

It was great fun wading downhill through lovely deep powder snow. It made for a quick and easy descent.

Small Water

It was fun wading down through this stuff!

Going down the old quarry path

A last look back towards Wetherlam in the setting sunlight.

Kit Thoughts

Cold and windy with some deep powder snow was the order of the day today. I wore the Rab Vapour Rise jacket over a thin base layer and that was enough to keep out the cold - just! I had a down jacket & shell but didn't need them. A windstopper hat and gloves were a godsend. Kit of the day go's to the Mountain Laurel Designs light snow gaiters though. This was the first time ive used them and at 75g per pair I forgot I had them on! Made of single layer Event but with no side zip they are really light and unobtrusive. You have to take your boots off to get them on & off but that is the only down side. They were needed all day today due the deep powder snow, so that wasn't a problem. My old gaiters were 300g a pair and a pain to wear, being hot and sweaty. Not so with these. I was very impressed.

A Cold day on Cold Pike

Date: 19th Jan 2013
Start / Finish : Old Dungeon Ghyll, Great Langdale Valley.
Wainwrights : Cold Pike (2300 feet)
Height Gained : 2005 feet
Distance : 5.4 miles

The Route

Eager to take advantage of the current snow state I decided that my first proper winter hike of the year should be in familiar territory. I have walked up the Oxendale path towards Crinkle Crags many times but have never made the short diversion to Cold Pike. So this was the target for today. After that, it would depend on the conditions. I planned to either carry on along Crinkle Crags or head back the same way. As it turned out the snow was quite deep and made uphill progress difficult. The climb up to Cold Pike therefore took longer than anticipated and so with no summit views to encourage me onwards, I headed back down along the same path. So it was just the one Wainwright today.

The route ahead

Pike O'Blisco

The Langdale Pikes

The Great Langdale Valley

Pike of Stickle and Loft Crag

Views back as height is gained

A frozen Red Tarn

Thigh Deep Snow !

Looking over to Great Knott

Cold Pike summit - no views today

Todays 'tools of the trade'

Looking back along the Great Langdale valley on the way back down.

The Fairfield Horseshoe in Winter

Date : 3rd February 2012  
Start/Finish : Ambleside
Wainwrights : Low Pike, High Pike, Dove Crag, Hart Crag,  
  Fairfield, Great Rigg, Heron Pike, Nab Scar   
Distance : 11 Miles 
Height Gained : 3523 feet

The route : anticlockwise from Ambleside

 Horseshoe routes are always an attractive proposition. You walk along a ridge to a summit at the head of a valley and then return via the ridge on the opposite side. They are usually easy to navigate and are a good way of stringing a few fell tops together while spending most of the walk high up and enjoying the views. The Fairfield horseshoe perfectly defines all the characteristics of a great horseshoe route. Fairfield itself is the highest summit of the walk and stands majestically at the head of the Rydal valley around which which the walk circumvents. It is a classic Lakeland walk taking in 8 Wainwright fells and is enjoyed by many thousands of folk from Ambleside every year. It's also a popular route in winter due to its fairly gentle gradient and its wide ridges with good paths throughout. Today was clear & calm but with plenty of snow visible on the higher fells. Perfect weather to tackle this classic walk in winter.

I decided to take the anticlockwise option for the walk today. It doesn't really matter which way round you go but the views of Grasmere and Rydal Water on the way back are a great tonic for tired legs.   

   

Approaching High Sweden Bridge

How does it not fall down ?

Views over Rydal Water towards the snowy Coniston Fells

Looking back to Windermere in the early morning mist

Looking over the other side of the valley to Heron Pike and Great Rigg

First fell of the day : Low Pike

 For the first half of the walk you are accompanied by a wall which stubbornly follows the high ground along the whole ridge.

Low Pike summit panorama west

Low Pike summit panorama east

The snow line was reached at High Pike and became deeper with height. Thankfully the gradient is easy and the snow was fairly compact.

The onwards route from High Pike

Views eastwards over the Scandale valley

Dove Crag summit panorama west

Dove Crag summit panorama east

Looking back from Dove Crag

Hart Crag panorama south over the whole horseshoe

Hart Crag summit views east along the Dovedale valley

Link Cove looking over to St Sunday Crag & Helvellyn beyond

Striding Edge & Helvellyn from Hart Crag

Views back to Windermere

 Fairfield is the apex of the walk but its wide summit plateau tends to dilute the otherwise impressive views. A wander over to the eastern edge is recommended for great views along the Deepdale valley. 

Fairfield summit

Fairfield summit view east

St Sunday Crag and the Deepdale valley from Fairfield summit

The route back looking down to Great Rigg & Heron Pike

Views over to Seat Sandal, Grisedale Tarn & Helvellyn

Great Rigg summit panorama west

Great Rigg summit panorama east over to the route already trodden

Rydal Beck snaking its way towards Windermere

Crepuscular Rays over Grasmere

In was at this point that the decision to walk the route anti-clockwise was vindicated as the views down to Grasmere in the low sunlight were really quite something. Unfortunately my little pocket camera struggled to capture the dramatic light but perhaps the picture above gives some idea of the stunning scenery which kept me company all the way back down.

Looking back up the Horseshoe from Heron Pike

Heron Pike summit panorama across the whole horseshoe

Past Heron Pike the snow thinned and at Nab Scar had virtually all gone, which was just as well as from here the descent path is quite steep in comparison to rest of the walk.

Nab Scar view of Grasmere

Nab Scar view of Rydal Water and Windermere

Rydal Beck at Rydal Hall