The track finishes there on that side of the beck, to keep on the same side of it you have to make do with a path; the path rises easily until you go through a gate and then becomes rougher as it rises a little more steeply. From this point onwards, you can see the quarry workings up ahead, but you can't see the quarry path until you go round a bend and join another track coming up from the Walna Scar Road. As I reached the track, the wind had got cold enough to bite and within a couple of minutes I had to put my jacket back on, and a pair of gloves.

The path going up through the quarry workings is full of interest, although it is man-made and ugly it is interesting. There are steel cables strewn across the path (the remains of some kind of cable car), there are many ruined buildings and you can visit the actual quarry faces after stepping carefully over the flattened retaining fence. After the untidy clutter of the quarry is left behind, there are more discreet remains of disturbance as you reach Low Water; on a sunny day its water is almost turquoise, but I haven't seen many sunny days on Coniston Old Man. Having got past the tarn you start to climb again on a recently reconstructed path before the final steep climb to the summit.

It had become increasingly colder as I gained height; from being good walking weather in clear conditions, it had become very windy and bitterly cold by the time I reached the summit. There was an excellent wintry view of the Scafell group and a clear view of Dow Crag; I couldn't see any trace of the alleged path below the crags but I could see the stretcher box when I put my glasses on. I set off along the ridge path towards Brim Fell, if you keep slightly below the ridge you will find a small path that branches off to the left. I followed the path diagonally downwards towards Goat's Hawse; the ground is very fragile and would become seriously eroded if the path was easily found and well used.

The diagonal path meets the main path between Goat's Hawse and the ridge, and I used it for the final part of the descent to the Hawse. I was a bit concerned about the strength of wind, but I was determined to stick to my planned route, although there was only the slightest trace of a path. I was looking for a path across the scree to the base of the crags where the stretcher box was, although from this angle I couldn't see where that was. I wasn't sure that I could really make out a path but I was going to go anyway, I just had to pick the right place to start. I reached an outcrop boulder and started to descend towards the scree; there did seem to be occasional signs of a path, but if there was one, it has been swamped by new material as the scree naturally makes its way downhill.

The scree was not very stable, more evidence that it had recently moved; I was happier crossing the smaller stones because the larger ones moved, I dislodged some as I brushed past them and they slid downwards perilously close to me. There were a couple of undulations, small gullies in which the deeper scree needed extra care, I tried to keep above it but that meant hopping across larger boulders. I eventually reached the end of the scree where I found a small trodden path on grass; I must have taken the “natural” route across the pathless section to reach the visible path so accurately. The easy path, at the base of vertical crags and above a steep descent to Goat's Water, starts to climb; there are are a couple of large boulders to get over and around before it becomes very eroded on a steep gradient.

Suddenly I was below the stretcher box, it looked an improbable location below the impressively rugged crags rising up above it. It got steeper and looser as I climbed up past the lonely crags; down below there were whirls of water being sent spinning across Goat's Water by the strong wind. I walked past the base of Great Gully, to my surprise there was a party of climbers making their way up the rock by the side of it.

Shortly afterwards, I reached a very eroded, steep gully; I wasn't sure that if I climbed up it I would reach the South Rake or end up trapped and crag-fast. Below me I could see a path in the loose scree coming up from Goat's Water which suggested that I was probably at the right place. I started to scramble upwards, I kept out of the loosest eroded material in the narrow gully and clambered up the better rock on the right hand edge of it. Then I saw Easy Gully above me; I felt that I was in the right place but I still wasn't absolutely certain, the last time I was there I was wearing crampons and the snow was deep.

The better rock at the side of the gully must be climbed to avoid the loose slippery scree, although I remember it was easier climbing good snow in crampons. Looking downwards to where I had just come from it felt exceedingly steep; continuously steep and eroded I was engrossed in making sure I kept going safely. Eventually the gully starts to become less distinct as the rake spreads out over rough ground near the top; it is still steep and I felt more exposed clambering over boulders and grassy soil than while climbing the gully.

Eventually I stepped onto the ridge and got hit immediately by the fierce, strong wind; I had to sit down to get my balance whilst planning an alternative descent if the wind became too strong for me to carry on. I decided to start walking towards the summit of Dow Crag and see how it was; at the top of Great Gully the wind caught me again and I was being blown towards boulders so I had to throw myself on the floor. I made difficult progress to just below the summit rocks; there was no way that I was going to try to get to the exposed pinnacle.

There were good wintry views of the Scafells, Harter Fell & Green Crag but I knew it wasn't sensible to try to carry on walking at high level. I decided to call it a day and turned round to descend the ridge; I walked below the crest, hopefully in the lee of the wind, but I still found it difficult to stay on my feet at times. I climbed up to the summit of Buck Pike, where other walkers were wondering whether to carry on; you can tell people how you found the conditions, but it doesn't mean that they won't go and see for themselves. I followed the ridge down to Brown Pike and to Walna Scar Pass, before making the long walk back towards Coniston. It's a route I have only ever used when having to cut short a walk because of the weather, and there seemed to be plenty of others doing the same after coming off the hills earlier than planned.

I always dislike the final steep tarmac road down to Dixon Ground so I decided to use the footpath, signposted to Miner's Bridge & Coppermines Valley; it's an unexpected route going easily back to Miner's Bridge, a much better alternative to the road.

© Andy Wallace 18th Apr 2008