File:Ascent of Coniston Old Man (8) - geograph.org.uk - 1540846.jpg

English: Ascent of Coniston Old Man (8) Alfred Wainwright (AW) describes the various ascents of The Old Man of Coniston, at 2633 feet, in his unique and thorough style; detailed both in text and drawings. Via Church Beck, AW quotes a distance of 2.5 miles, and 2450 feet of ascent. Very much the “Tourist Route”, and attempted by walkers of all abilities, the summit gives superb views on a clear day. With this series of photographs, I have attempted to show the route as it would be seen by the walker; looking initially towards the summit, but as the summit disappears from sight and the walker is faced with a steeper face of rock and meandering paths, some views back down the climb in the direction of Coniston.

I used the Coniston Tourist Information office as a start point, and have added the {camera} times for each photograph, as this information may be of interest to potential walkers who are not familiar with the route.

After a steeper stretch of the climb, a chance to look back down towards Coniston (out of picture to the right), rest calf muscles, and take stock of progress. The couple, who I had first seen about 7 minutes previously, are already tiny dots behind me on the path. We had joked about our relative attire. I was wearing base layer, shirt and mountain jacket, the others wearing rather less. I was to make the summit, spend 15 minutes there, and pass by Low Water before the couple made that point. Still; a mountain ascent is about enjoyment within your capabilities, and they seemed to be enjoying the experience.

Near the centre of picture is "The Bell", which is just a small pinnacle, and beyond the old workings near the foot of the climb. To the right of picture is a path which comes up from the south of Coniston. {11.56}.

http://www.wainwright.org.uk/