Swirling wind on Swirl How - Photo Gallery

The sky was clear and it was almost light when I left home, but even then it was windy; it wasn't blue sky by the time I reached Coniston and it was even more windy. I walked up past the Sun Hotel, through the Dixon Ground farmyard, and followed the rough track to Miner's Bridge. I didn't cross the bridge but continued up the path on the left hand side of the beck; there is an interesting glimpse into Coniston Hydro-Electric. After walking along the rising path you will join a good track, an easy start to the climb up through the old quarries. The climb of Coniston Old Man using the tourist route through the old abandoned workings is as interesting as it is ugly; there are huge spoil heaps, a steep path, fallen steel cables, deep adits, ruined buildings and a fallen cable car stanchion or two.

It was definitely breezy and there were stronger gusts, but I was generally sheltered from the worst of the wind. When I reached Low Water, I was fascinated by its emerald green sheen, and by the mist swirling at the top of the steep corrie. The steep final climb to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston is generally on a roughly reconstructed path through the upper quarries; the final climb to the summit is steep and pathless but more eroded. It was only when I could see the summit cairn, albeit barely visible through the mist, that I heard the wind roaring across the summit; it was only when I got to the large cairn did I feel the strength of the wind.

There was a possibility that the wind was not too strong, but there would be consequences if I got onto the ridge and it became impossible to walk. I decided to put on all my cold weather bits and try walking towards Brim Fell, having abandoned my plan to climb the rugged side of Dow Crag; it was immediately cold and I was glad to have wrapped myself up. Walking along the edge I could see the remains of the cornice through the mist; I put my head down, but I had to pull my hat over my eyebrows to prevent the cold wind from making my forehead ache. The wind was not strong enough to impede steady walking; but it was cold, it was hard battling against the wind and my eyes were watering.

It was an easy descent, gradient-wise at least, to a shallow col, it was not too steep either to ascend; there is a line of good cairns, and they are really needed on the wide, bare ridge. It is always windy on the ridge walk to Brim Walk, I have been beaten up by it on this ridge more than once before. At the summit of Brim Fell, there was a moment of clarity but it was misty again before I got my photograph of the cairn. I followed the cairns again as I descended to a col, it is difficult to believe that there are other routes on this simple but challenging hill; the wind was getting stronger.

There was a brief view of Levers Water below an old snow cornice as I descended, the path then became steeper and more eroded; I passed a couple of large and apparently meaningless cairns but cairns of that size are there for a reason. When I reached the bottom of the col a much smaller and apparently insignificant cairn marks the point at which an unlikely path goes down to Levers Water; just as I was wondering if it really was there a couple of walkers appeared walking up it.

The climb of Swirl How starts reasonably enough, an obvious path close to the edge but still sheltered from the wind; it becomes more rugged nearer to the ridge and the wind was causing me some difficulty with gusts catching me as I stumbled up the eroded rocky path. As I reached the summit plateau of Swirl How it was obvious that the wind was much stronger; it was constantly and consistently strong, I was only just about managing to hold my ground. I had to walk half-crouched, in case I had to drop to the ground if I was caught by a stronger gust; I wouldn't have set off along the ridge if the wind had been so strong, but there was no turning back as I stumbled to the summit of Swirl How.

At the summit, I had to sit down to take my photograph, and then almost crawl across to the cairn; I found the path for my descent and the wind eased immediately. Prison Band is rugged and steep, enjoyable and interesting; as I reached the half-way point I was a party of walkers on their way up. I would have warned them about the strength of the wind on the ridge but we took different routes around a rocky outcrop. As I descended the Prison Band path I was sheltered from the wind again, but as inviting as it looked, it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to climb Wetherlam.

When I got down to the col, I still wanted to climb Wetherlam but I had experienced enough strong gust to realise that it wouldn't get any easier. I turned right to descend the good path towards Levers Water; the good path eventually disappeared in a swamp but by then the gradient was not a problem. When I got to the shore of Levers Water I sheltered behind a large boulder, I was fascinated again watch the wind creating spouts and curtains of spray that moved across the surface of the water all the way to the dam.

I walked the rugged shore path towards the dam, stopping frequently to admire the effect of the wind on the water. After reaching the dam, I descended on a rough wide track; I could see the junction of quarry paths below me, but instead of descending I turned left on a green quad bike track that passed below the mighty ruggedness of Kennel Crag. I walked down to the Red Dell Copper mines, past the deep wheel pit and the unusual Triddle Incline; the curiously deep and dangerous mine shafts have recently been fenced off.

I walked along the route of an old stone mill race, complete with ancient gate, before descending to the back yard of Coppermines Youth Hostel and making the walk back to Coniston.

© Andy Wallace 14th March 2009