Old Man of Coniston via Dow Crag

The Old Man the Quiet Way

We like to try to walk on the more interesting and less visited areas, particularly when in such popular areas as the Lake District. So when we decided to climb the Old Man, (again); we chose to scramble up the path on Dow Crag and then picked our own route down from the summit. The route brings you up high surprisingly quickly, via an easy plod followed by an interesting scramble.




Scrambling up Dow Crag

We drove up the Walna Scar Road from Coniston and parked in the rough car park through the gate. We thereby gained a lot of height quickly, without getting out of the car; parking at about 250m above sea level. The Walna Scar Road is a pleasant and easy walk up; if followed all the way it would take you through a saddle into the Duddon and Seathwaite area. We have mountain biked to the saddle and found that most of the route is rideable. Today we were walking, enjoying the gentle gradient and stunning views. After about a mile a path breaks off to the right, heading up to Goat's Water and the imposing Dow Crag. Again the gradient is easy and the path starts to pick its way between boulders, eventually reaching the tarn and the high cliffs popular with climbers.



Trying to stay on solid rock

There are a few paths through the scree at the bottom of the crag. I'm not a great fan of ascending scree but these slopes were fairly stable and the paths felt steady, without too much movement of the rocks beneath your feet. We headed towards the obvious fissure in Dow Crag, pausing at the foot of the crag to add layers. The route up the crag is marked on the map and is an obvious breach in the otherwise near vertical cliffs. However it is not for the faint hearted. If you know of Jack's Rake up Pavey Ark; this is a similar type of scramble but not nearly as pleasant. The rocks here are loose and slippery and although the route is enclosed it requires an amount of concentration to place feet and hands confidently. It is enjoyable, if you like this sort of thing and is certainly a more interesting and challenging way up the hill compared to the more popular routes. I was relieved to get to the flat ground at the top, knowing we had a fairly level walk around the corrie lip that holds Goat's Water.



Looking west to Goat's Hawse from the ascent up the Old Man

After a brief stop for a hot drink and adding even more layers we set off to summit Dow Crag and then follow the path to Goat's Hawse and finally to the summit of the Old Man. The views were fantastic with the sun out but ominous clouds threatening to dump their loads of snow and hail on us at any moment. The path to the summit is easier than I remembered and soon we were at the top. I think this was the only time that we have had the summit to ourselves. I guess this comes with climbing the mountain mid-week, in November, in the snow.



On the gentle descent from the summit, Dow Crag behind

We were descending off the southern flank of the mountain where an easy-angled ridge slopes gently between disused quarries. This is an enjoyable way off the mountain, particularly when you compare it to the knee grinding, ankle twisting right of way off the north-eastern side. We paused for lunch, out of the wind, pooping our heads over the rocks occasionally to take in the moody conditions that the weather was creating. Occasionally we would pick a small path to follow, but it was often lost. This was not a problem as you can easily pick your way down the grassy slopes, choosing to visit the remains of the mines if you so wish. Eventually we made it back down to the Walna Scar Road without our knees complaining and having enjoyed a pleasant descent. We strolled back to the car with the beautiful low light of the sun behind us.



The views to Coniston & Ambleside



Descending Walna Scar Road

This route is a fairly short walk and keeps you away from the hoards of walkers making their way on and off the Old Man, however, the ascent won't suit all. If you get to Goat's Water and don't like the look of the scramble through Dow Crag there is an alternative, walking route up the headwall behind Goat's Water. The descent is definitely my preferred way off and would suit anyone, as long as you are happy not following a well defined path.