Old man of Coniston - time to summit?

MrDrizz

MrDrizz

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Hey,
So I'm going to be in the lakes next week and I'm trying to plan out places to go, already got a few places lined up like Cat Bells for a sunrise.
But I'm also looking at Old man of Coniston for a sun rise/maybe sunset and having never walked it before I was wondering what's the average time to the summit? Just so I know at what stupid o'clock I'd need to get up. I'm staying 45 minutes away.
 
Obviously depends how fit you are but up the tourist route at average walking speed I would say at least a couple of hours plus some faffing about time. I don't know, not having been up there for Sunrise but it may not be the best as I guess the sun might be rising behind Weatherlam. Somewhere further east like High Street may be better
 
For a first trip up, especially if you're going for sunrise, I'd allow 2.5 hours.
Its possible to do it much quicker, but remember that its often the 15 mins before sunrise that provide some of the best colours in the sky.
It's possible to get up in much less than that, but walking up in the dark can slow your time down quite a bit, depending upon conditions.
That said, it's a particularly easy route to navigate on the way up.
Enjoy
 
Depends how good a hill walker/navigator you are. For an inexperienced guy you should allow 2 hours. It's steep in parts and mainly rough underfoot. The lower parts can be boggy. Do you know where to start? There is more than one way up. One idea would be to drive to the top of Walna Scar road - and that is steep and narrow - and walk in from the car park there. That will still be 90 minutes or so. Start in the village behind the Sun Hotel or up the old road to the Coppermines (Follow YH signs) and look out for the bridge across the beck. Don't be tempted to stop in the old quarries - save them for on the way down.
45 minutes away? From where? The village? Drive or on foot? 45 mins drive is a long way! Staying in Ambleside?
It's a bit dull and bland on the top. Just a big cairn type thingy and nothing else. Views might be said to be disappointing as they are from the top of many Lake District hills. Points of interest are a bit distant and early morning you might be plagued with haze. October/November you might be lucky with cloud inversion over the lake. The whole ridge is flat. You might be better going to Goat's Water and getting the sun hitting Dow Crags. Park at Walna Scar and walk in. Maybe an hour, and you wouldn't need to be there as early.
If you want the Coniston ridge at dawn you might be better off going east of the lake. Try Parkamoor. You'll get the bulk of the ridge in shot, but you'll need map reading skills to get there. A mountain bike would be very useful.

Bragging a bit here...I once got down from the top of Old Man to Coniston village in 12 minutes, and I wasn't the fastest!
 
Thanks guys.
I might just give it a pass and just do it as a hike one day.
I'm stay at the Kings Head next to Thirlmere.

I'm defo up for good sunrise/sunset locations.
 
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Staying at the King's Head and driving to Coniston? No.
Get yourself up Whiteside Bank for the views across to Helvellyn.
The best views in Lakeland are seldom from the highest points. Half/three quarters of the way up something is usually the best
 
WOW, just checked a 360 from Helvellyn. I could walk straight from the hotel.
 
mickledore said:
Damn you Matty. You always post when I am writing!
Click to expand...

I thought this was the fastest finger first round.
My apologies. The Lakes is my only field of knowledge, so any other topic in the world, you should be safe
There are some mighty fine view from the fell tops too though. But you do have a point.
I'm out now - so post at will


MrDrizz said:
WOW, just checked a 360 from Helvellyn. I could walk straight from the hotel.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its a fair slog up that side, and doesn't hold the interest of the walk from Patterdale/Glenridding, but Helvellyn at this time of year is a nice sunrise spot imo
 
Lookong at OS maps, there's a path right from my hotel up to White Side via Brown Crag.
 
MrDrizz said:
Lookong at OS maps, there's a path right from my hotel up to White Side via Brown Crag.
Click to expand...
That's right. Laid down 130+ years ago by the then landlord to encourage visitors. Called the White Stones route. When I started out up there in 196? There were still big boulders painted white. Think they're just mucky brown now.
 
Awesome guys.
Plotted a route to White side, via Brown Crag, then back down via Lower man, Browncove Crags and Brown How. Easy 7.6km.

Loving the OS maps route plotter.
 
MrDrizz said:
Awesome guys.
Plotted a route to White side, via Brown Crag, then back down via Lower man, Browncove Crags and Brown How. Easy 7.6km.

Loving the OS maps route plotter.
Click to expand...
But that's just an out and back route.
Better would be to go down Swirral Edge from the summit and onto Catstye Cam. Then go north down a good path that isn't shown on the map to the ruined dam in Keppel Cove. GR 346163, if you know what that is. Walk across the top of the dam if you dare. I did once, but the second time I crossed on my arris!
Then up the Whiteside zigzags, over Raise and back down Sticks Pass.
If you want a bit of derelict photography go east from the top of Raise to Stang and the ruined mine workings there. You could even carry on down over Stang End and come into the old dressing floors which are photogenic before picking up Sticks Pass at he Glenridding end and then back to Stannah and the hotel. So long as you are sensible you can wander where you like away from marked footpaths.

Here are some shots in the snow from the top of helvellyn some 6 years ago. Thermometer said -10. Nice and warm on top but was probably colder than that in the Helvellyn gullies. A good day.
Can't post the 360 because it is way too big for on here and resizing distorts it too much.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by mickledore on Talk Photography

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by mickledore on Talk Photography

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by mickledore on Talk Photography

Photo quality is carp but they were only taken on a little Olympus point and shoot.
 
striding edge in the snow, that would get the adrenaline going :)
 
AshleyC said:
striding edge in the snow, that would get the adrenaline going :)
Click to expand...
The second picture isn't Striding Edge, but Swirral Edge leading to Catsycam. I have been over Striding Edge in snow and ice more than once. An interesting challenge!
 
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