Start: Car park/Information centre on B5285 close by church. From M6 take junction 36 "South Lakes" towards Kendal and Windermere. After 3 miles turn onto A590 towards Barrow-in-Furness. At Greenodd turn right onto A5092. On reaching Lowick Green turn right onto A5084 towards Coniston. Once in the village centre turn right at the church onto the B5285.

Distance: 17 Km or 11 miles
Time: 6 - 8 hours
Terrain: This is a serious and arduous outing. Walkers should be well equipped with suitable footwear and waterproofs.

1. Car park to Dow Crag (6 Km or 4 miles: 2 hours:)
From the village the way is up. Walk by the church and turn left and then a short while later right into Station Road. Keep going up past the Sun Hotel and follow lane as it turns sharply left. This section of the walk is lined with trees but as you climb higher the lane breaks out into the open to reveal, across fields the massif that constitutes the Coniston range. A mile from the village you reach a car park at the start (or end) of the Walna Scar Road. This pedestrian route to the Duddon Valley was once an important link in the past. No longer a road as such this rocky track will take you up to the top of the pass between the eponymous Walna Scar and Brown Pike. In doing so you will skirt about the substantial base of the Old Man. Close to the top of the pass, which is almost 2000ft above sea level, you will pass this shelter which Wainwright describes as being "just big enough for one person or a honeymoon couple."


Reaching the top of the pass will come as some (temporary) relief and you may rest there to enjoy the views over Duddon Valley and down to its estuary and beyond. Your way is right to the top of Brown Pike. Here you will reach the ridge to take you onto Buck Pike and then Dow Crag 2555ft/778m.


Below Blind Tarn will come into sight and Goat's Water.



Also, nearer at hand, or rather foot, on route to the summit, you will pass by the tops of gullies beloved of rock climbers. Wainwright urges you to "Count this amongst the most delectable and exhilarating of Lakeland summits..."

2. Dow Crag to Wetherlam: 6 Km or 4 miles: 2 hours)
What would have been obvious since gaining the ridge is the impressive bulk of Old Man itself. The route to it is quite clear too. Pick your way carefully from the summit of Dow Crag to join a path that takes you down to Goat's Hawse. ("Hawse" is a common name on Lakeland maps indicating a pass or col) From the hawse take the path that breaks to the right, traversing the flank of Old Man. Across Goat's Water the full stature of Dow Crag will become obvious. The path will take you onto the broad ridge a little way from the summit cairn. Here you may find yourself in a crowd. Coniston Old Man is a very popular fell. Should you wish to curtail your walk at this point then take the main path down past Low Water and return to the village. But this would be a shame since the walk across to Swirl How is one of the finest ridge walks in the Lake District. Retrace your steps to the point where you gained the ridge and then continue to the gentle rise that is Brim Fell (2611ft/796m). Maintaining the same direction aim for Swirl How ahead which is reached after dropping to Levers Hawse and then ascending past Little and then Great How Crags to the summit. (2630ft/802m) From here you gain superb views into Little Langdale and across to the Eastern Fells. The way now is to descend carefully down Prison Band, to Swirl Hawse (to the right of the summit when walking from Brim Fell.) Picking your way down will demand a high degree of concentration. At Swirl Hawse you have another opportunity to exit by taking the path leading down to the right. Keep ahead and up to ascend the final summit of the day, Wetherlam. (2502ft/762m). This viewpoint will give you superlative views over Coniston Water and stretches of Windermere.

3. Wetherlam to Car park (5 Km or 3 miles: 2 hours )
Wainwright makes this point  "Considering the popularity of the fell..it is remarkable that there are not good paths linking summit and valley...". Picking up the downward path is far from obvious. Looking back towards the Old Man, now seen from an entirely different angle, pick up a faint path in grass as it drops southwards. This soon forks and both branches will lead down to Coppermines Valley. We took the left fork and after passing a small tarn  intercepted the path over from Tilberthwaite.


Here we turned right and on a more definite track descended sharply into the valley, a few hundred metres below the youth hostel.


On reaching the road turn left. This will take you back to Coniston.