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Coniston Old Man, Lake District
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Grade: 1
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An escape from the tourist route up the Old Man, this scramble is a great taster for beginners finishing on top of one of the Lake District's most popular summits.
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Equipment: Rope, slings not necessary.
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Online Map link
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Views: 3
Technicality: 1
Exposure: 1
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GIBBER FACTOR* 1
*out of
five.
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Overview An escape from the tourist route up the Old Man, this scramble is a great taster for beginners. Taking a line of small crags from a southern approach you get as much variety as you want on good grippy rock, and finish on top of one of the Lake District's most popular summits.
Coniston Water, by Rob Sutherland
Approach From the start of the Walna Scar Road head up towards Torver Beck, then turn right towards Goat's Water. A set of mine spoil heaps is followed by an obvious white cairn. About a quarter of a mile after the cairn a series of crags descends to the side of the path just as it turns left - this is your starting point.
Route Ignore the first simple outcrop and head straight for the cairn at the start of a large slab. Take the right hand side of the recess that splits the slab then straight up the middle on good sized knobbly holds.
Almost immediately above this slab another outcrop gives a different style with more flakes, which can be a bit brittle at the top. The right hand side of this small wall again provides the better climbing, and leads on to a nice rib. Follow the rib onto a large block with a groove giving a good line upwards.
At the next rib stay left on good slabby rock before moving left again to reach a much steeper wall. A ledge here gives a traverse left to an easy climb up spikes and flakes followed by a short walk to the next outcrop. Take the polished, but still easy, groove up this outcrop, moving right as you go.
Ahead, follow the ridge onto and over a pyramid followed by a short walk left on relatively level ground.
Pass below the crags to a rib on shattered rock and continue the ascent over shattered rock interspersed with short walks to pick out the best line. The choices here are immeasurable with moves of almost every type possible as you pick a line to suit. Eventually the outcrops disappear, leaving the final walk up the remaining slope to the summit of the Old Man.
Coniston Old Man Summit View, by Andy Wallace
Descent The usual descent is via the tourist path down Coniston Old Man, but it's well worth knocking off Brim Fell via a short ridge walk if you're bagging Wainwrights.
Caution Scrambling is potentially dangerous and,
particularly at the higher grades, requires technical skills and
equipment to minimise the risk. We suggest that you take professional
instruction or climb with an experienced partner.
James Tingley
