Day 1: a gentle start...

Arriving in Coniston in time for lunch, we visited a likely looking hostelry - a ploughman's lunch seemed appropriate. And a good one it was too - sadly let down by the bread - one small soft soggy roll, microwaved so that it was hot and rubbery - yuk!

We'd missed the 12.40 sailing - so we made our way to the lake and joined the 2.40pm sailing of the south lake service to Park a Mor jetty, on the east side of the lake below Top o' Selside. A path winds its way up through the trees to the low ridge, where we followed the main path northwards. After a while the path enters the western fringes of Grisedale forest, and after a mile or so another path descends to Lawson Park, then gradually contours downwards until it meets the road, which we followed back to Coniston.

Day 2: The Old Man

...via Dow Crag, and then the ridge to Swirl How.

Almost the steepest part of this route is the start of the Walna Scar road out of Coniston. The road was somewhat busier with vehicular traffic than we'd expected - the reason becoming clear as we came to the open moor, where the previous night's rave party was gradually dispersing. "Just a few locals having a bit of fun" explained one of the few who were standing and able to communicate, somewhat evasively...

Last time we ascended Dow Crag (some 12 years ago - see Coniston Sunrise), we had followed the Walna Scar road to the ridge. Today we took a more adventurous route - via Goat's Water to the foot of the crags, thence scrambling up Wainwright's "South Rake" to the summit ridge - great fun!

Time for lunch! - then onwards to the Old Man, via Goat's Hawse. The cloud was lowering, and by the time we reached the summit, the view was somewhat intermittent ("It's John's fault - we never get to see the views when he comes!"). Just a brief pause here, before retracing our steps for a short way on the ridge, via the grassy top of Brim Fell, to Swirl How, at the hub of the Coniston fells. Little point in hanging around here either - so down to Swirl Hawse and the long descent, via Levers Water and the coppermines, to Coniston. 

Day 3: Low level - to Elterwater

Well, with the cloud base little over 1,000 feet, there wasn't much point in going any higher. 

At least it didn't rain - though at times it looked as though it ought...

This was a route that took a little working out - it looked a reasonable distance on the map - should make a good full day outing. 

We left Coniston village and headed, mostly by field paths, to Tilberthwaite Gill, where we paused for a little while to look at the old workings. 

On then by an interesting hill path to Slater Bridge, thence via the rough track to Elterwater village, where, it being lunchtime, we made for the pub. Well why not!

A pleasant, if somewhat popular path follows the river downstream, past the lake, to Skelwith Bridge. We then had little alternative but to walk along the main road southwards for about ¾mile, where a fell path winds below the 1056' top of Black Fell to the even more popular (and deservedly so) Tarn Hows. Lastly we began the descent through the forests back to the north end of Coniston Water, and so back to the village "Spot on 5 o'clock too - well done Geoff".

Day 4: Bowfell and Crinkle Crags

No, we didn't walk there from Coniston. We took the car to Dungeon Ghyll in Great Langdale. 

The weather looked good - sunshine, just a little puffy white cloud clearing gradually from the tops...

This deservedly popular route needs little explanation, though, as with Dow Crag, we made a slight detour. We began our climb on the Band, the long ridge which leads directly to the summit of Bowfell. Nearing the summit, however, we followed the climbers' traverse to the foot of Cambridge Crag. Wainwright describes a waterspout issuing from its foot - I've only ever seen a good trickle. But he was right in one respect - "nothing better ever came out of a barrel or a bottle". An easy rake then ascends beside the unusual slab of Flat Crags. Sadly, once again the mist had come down.

Someone had planted a Welsh flag on the summit! Admittedly, it was a very small one.

A stony descent takes the path to Three Tarns ("more like two and a bit"), where the climb begins to the fascinating ridge of Crinkle Crags. Not that we could see much beyond the immediate foreground...

     

Eventually, the promised difficulties at the "bad step" (for some of the older members of the party anyway) began our long descent via Red Tarn back to Oxendale, and thence to Dungeon Ghyll - for a well-earned pint before the short trip back to Coniston.