Coniston Old Man, Lake District (March)

PLEASE NOTE: The GPX trace on this route is for use as a guide only, its accuracy may change depending on the scale of map you are using. Use in combination with judgement and a paper map. We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure these walks are safe and correctly described. However things do change and all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. The publishers accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any injuries or accidents that occur whilst following this walk. Trail magazine, Copyright Bauer Media Limited.




Distance 13km (8 miles)
Total ascent 1095m
Time 6 hours in snow, 5 hours in normal conditions
Start / Finish car park at SD303975
Nearest town Keswick
Terrain good paths at lower levels; steep, very exposed and rocky higher up.

Accommodation several B&Bs in Coniston; camping at Coniston Hall 1 mile out of Coniston; Hoathwaite National Trust campsite on the lake shores; Holly How Youth Hostel, Coniston 0845 371 9511 
Public transport nearest train station is Windermere; the 505 bus from Windermere station takes 1 hour (last return service is at 15.47)
Tourist info Coniston Tourist Information Centre, Ruskin Avenue (015394) 41533, mail@conistontic.org 

In glowering low cloud, with spring still seemingly a lifetime away even in March, Coniston Old Man and his sheer, monochrome neighbours, Swirl How and Black Sails, make a slightly menacing sight. It is a range that at once forbids and demands to be walked.  For anyone into the mountain bagging game, the loop takes in four Wainwrights. Moreover, once above the fascinating snaggle of old slate and copper mine workings at its base, this is a classic broad ridge route that boasts outrageous views. It is the last major fell in the Lake District and the vistas take in the Irish Sea and on clear days the Isle of Man to the west, while to the east lie the western Dales of Yorkshire. 

Below is a sometimes shimmering ribbon of blue that is Arthur Ransome’s Coniston Water – and I haven’t even mentioned the prolonged sightings of the Scafell massif and the Langdale Pikes yet! Before you get to take in these promised panoramas, you have to snake through a landscape pitted by dozens of now shattered buildings and inky black holes that fi ssure the hillside. Many dislike these intriguing scars left behind by heavy industry but few can dispute the majesty of the views that broaden with each foot of ascent.Many walkers blast straight off up the Old Man, wheezing up the zigzagging path to the summit cairn and then travelling clockwise round to Wetherlam.

However, taking on Wetherlam first and then tackling the loop anticlockwise allows you to keep the biggest hill in sight for the entirety of the day and lends the outing a satisfying payoff. It also means you complete the walk virtually directly above Coniston where pubs beckon your wobbling legs as they plunge down the Old Man’s tightly packed contours with greater haste than is probably wise.

SD303975 From the car park head into the centre of the village, cross the river and turn right behind The Sun Inn. The road keeps to the south of Church Beck and climbs gently towards Miners Bridge. Cross the bridge and bear left on a gravel track for 100 metres. Bear right on a miners’ Land Rover track.

SD293982 Shortly above this point the track splits in two. Both routes reach the top of Wetherlam. Option A: keep to the gully by winding between disused mine workings above Levers Water reservoir. Continue up the narrowing valley with Black Sails looming above left and Wetherlam top a dozen false summits away at NY288011. Option B: From SD292985 turn right briefly before climbing steadily to a branch in the path at SD293990 where the route to the summit heads up steeply just to the east of the ridgeline.The map (right) shows option A.

NY288011 At Wetherlam summit take the broad path downhill and south-west for 250m. The path avoids Black Sails summit, but it can be picked off easily before rejoining the path towards the bottom of the rise to Swirl How.

NY278007 Here admire the superbly named ridge, the Prison Band, and pick out your route as it weaves its way through low, rocky outcrops.

NY272005 The trail tops out at Swirl How, which at 802m is just a metre shy of the Old Man itself. A well-marked path leads across Swirl Band in a southerly direction with dramatic cliffs plunging down towards Levers Water reservoir. Steer clear of cornices if there is any residual snow. Continue along the well-defined ridge line over Savin Hill and up the short climb onto the summit of Coniston Old Man.

SD272978 The route down is steep and hugs the northern slopes of the mountain. Snow and, more commonly, ice can cling to the path for long periods, making the winding descent route treacherous on occasions. Cross the levels at SD277980 giving your knees enough time to recover for the final descent back to Miners Bridge. This time there is no need to cross; just head back down into Coniston for a wellearned beverage!