Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Lake District => Topic started by: richardh1905 on 09:28:40, 20/09/20
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TR - Old Man of Coniston via Goat's Water
19th September 2020
Just a quick photo report of a family walk we did yesterday; my two sons, Tess and I. Weather was glorious, sunny with a cooling breeze, but we were a bit late away, which meant that our plan to park at the Walna Scar Road car park ended in gridlock and frustration! We parked in a handy layby just north of Torver; there were still a few spaces in this and other nearby laybys. Not being able to park at Wlana Scar turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as our Plan B turned out to be a lovely route, pretty quiet lower down, too.
A very short walk along the road took us to the foot of the bridleway that climbs up from Torver to the Walna Scar Road and beyond. We climbed up through woodland and fields into more open country, arriving at an old quarry which had a waterfall tumbling into it. We started meeting more people once we had crossed the Walna Scar Road, but the path around the rugged western shoulder of the Old Man was very pleasant, with dramatic views of Dow Crag ahead - several climbers were at play.
After lunch amongst the boulders at Goat's Water, observing the antics of the climbers, we continued on up to the head of the valley, a steep climb. A stiff breeze was blowing; this kept us cool.
Quite a lot of people on the path from the col, and even more on the summit! But what views!
After the obligatory summit photos, we returned by the same route, not liking the look of the crowded zig zags of the tourist path down to Low Water, and my youngest not fancying a promenade over the ridge to the north, or Dow Crag to the west. Despite returning the same way, I thoroughly enjoyed the descent - it is a lovely route - around 8 miles there and back.
EDIT - the landscape photos can be enlarged by clicking on them
(https://i.ibb.co/FmT5z1W/00-Map.jpg)
https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzQxNDE5Mw== (https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/MzQxNDE5Mw==)
(https://i.ibb.co/5MGYJBv/01a-Bridleway.jpg)
The bridleway above Torver
(https://i.ibb.co/8Bryrzg/02a-Old-Man.jpg)
First glimpse of the Old Man
(https://i.ibb.co/BNbC348/03a-Dow-Crag-Old-Man.jpg)
Dow Crag and the Old Man of Coniston
(https://i.ibb.co/LxLh0Zg/04a-Quarry-Waterfall.jpg)
A lovely waterfall tumbling into the quarry
(https://i.ibb.co/4jDP4W8/05a-Bracken-Dow-Crag.jpg)
Dow Crag - the bracken had turned a gorgeous colour
(https://i.ibb.co/n0Bn5hm/06a-Dow-Crag.jpg)
Dow Crag from our lunchtime stop amongst the boulders
(https://i.ibb.co/4gZW3wP/07a-Goats-Water.jpg)
Goat's Water
(https://i.ibb.co/ngq1kS8/08a-Goats-Water.jpg)
My sons climbing the steps above Goat's Water
(https://i.ibb.co/8PrztmN/09a-Tess.jpg)
Tess sunning herself on a rock
(https://i.ibb.co/MNVmtpY/10a-Old-Man-Of-Coniston-Summit.jpg)
The crowded summit - what this photo doesn't show is the dozens of people picnicking on the sunny grass slopes just over the brow of the hill
(https://i.ibb.co/D82JhzN/11a-Scafell-Range.jpg)
Northwards to Scafell - I had to wait quite a while for the Trig Point to clear of people
(https://i.ibb.co/8zjhYTq/12a-Low-Water.jpg)
Small Water far below, a glimpse of Levers Water too. We didn't fancy the zig zags
(https://i.ibb.co/2Zdgwrm/13a-Dow-Crag.jpg)
Dow Crag with the Isle of Man beyond - look closely!
(https://i.ibb.co/t4f2PYW/14a-Last-Look.jpg)
A last look
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Very nice pictures, a lovely clear day. Lots of people on the top but there always are.
Shame you couldn't convince them to come back via Dow Crag that's a great route.
I have given up inflicting the Walna Scar Road and car park on my car and my mood.
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Grand pics Richard. O0
That's a lovely interesting route up from Torver.
I bet i could beat you on the people count as I was on Catbells yesterday ;D
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Very nice pictures, a lovely clear day. Lots of people on the top but there always are.
Shame you couldn't convince them to come back via Dow Crag that's a great route.
I have given up inflicting the Walna Scar Road and car park on my car and my mood.
Thanks Ridge - it wasn't me doing the driving and getting the stress, for once - that honour went to my eldest son!
Yes, the Dow Crag ridge is a great route - my youngest son has been along it already. I was pretty laid back about where we went, the benefit of living where I do is that it is easy for me to pop out onto the fells whenever the fancy takes me. 8)
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Grand pics Richard. O0
That's a lovely interesting route up from Torver.
I bet i could beat you on the people count as I was on Catbells yesterday ;D
Thanks Karl - yes, much nicer than the tourist route up from Walna Scar. I was particularly impressed by the waterfall in the quarry. And of course by Dow Crag above Goat's Water.
I estimate about 50 people on or around the summit of the Old Man yesterday.
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Lovely O0
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Great :) photos
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Your route forms part of my favourite Lakes day walk which starts with a walk along the lake from Coniston before climbing up through Torver Common and ends by descending via the tourist track or over Swirl How/Wetherlam if we are feeling fit. There is also the option of an easy scramble up the South Rake and over Dow Crag which is really nice on a sunny day. What makes it special to me is the sheer variety of paths and walking involved in one route.
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Thanks for your replies, pleb, windyrigg and andybr :)
Your route looks like a good one, nice to have such variety.
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Lovely pics Richard O0
We descended down the zig zag path along with a million other people once so your choice was spot on. It is a lovely route that Torver way up.
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Thanks April, it is indeed - a blessing in disguise that we couldn't park at the Walna Scar roadhead. Much nicer to approach via Goat's Tarn or sneak up on the Old Man via Swirl How than climb those zig zags.
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Fantastic photos Richard O0 The old man of Coniston is one of my favourite Lakeland fells; I really like the view of the eastern fells from there :)
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Thanks Henry - yes, a great viewpoint - a grand display of hills all the way around from Black Combe to Ingleborough. And the view down to Small Water is very dramatic - the ground really drops away.