The Coniston Fells and Harter Fell

Sunday 25th May 2008

I started this walk early and soon I was venturing into the unknown by going into Coniston. I had been over the Coniston Fells twice before, the first time on my very first visit to the Lake District in 2002. In fact, the Coniston Fells were the first high fells I ever went up so they hold a special affection for me, but despite this I had never until this moment been in the village of Coniston. The reason for this is the presence of a Youth Hostel half way up the mountain that I stayed at on both previous occasions. I walked into the area from elsewhere, stayed at the Coniston Coppermines hostel overnight and then left going over the fells the next day, and never once descended into the village. Now that I was staying at the Holly How Youth Hostel I could see that the village is a quaint little place, especially at half eight on a Sunday morning!

Passing through the village I climbed up past the old railway station and onto the Walna Scar Road. I have previously taken this road from the top of the pass down into Dunnerdale before but never into Coniston. Despite a steep tarmac road on the early section this was a pleasant start to the walk, especially in the lovely weather that was providing me with stunning views over Coniston Water and up to the fells. The tarmac road eventually became a gravel track at a large gathering of cars, despite the early hour, but as I continued to climb more cars could be seen parked by the side of the track. What do people have against a little climb? They will do anything to reduce the amount they have to ascend, including driving their cars off road as far as they can. There was a car park at the railway station and for me that would have been sufficient (if I had brought my car) but I continued to see cars parked beside the track until eventually I reached a stream that was impassable by anything other than a high wheeled four-by-four.

I continued to climb until I reached the Torver Beck where I turned right up a path to the picturesque Goat’s Water. As I rounded the hillside I turned into the face of a strong wind that would continue to assail me all weekend and would be the sting in the otherwise brilliant weather. Putting on my cagoule as protection against the wind, despite the sun, I climbed up the steep scree slope beside Goat’s Water to the bottom of Dow Crag where climbers were beginning to make their ascents up the enormous cliff face. I turned left and headed up the much easier south rake as recommended by Wainwright, which although easier than a rock climb was still quite a struggle but very satisfying when I finally reached the top and clambered up the last little bit and along the ridge to the summit. From the top of Dow Crag I battled against the wind, sometimes unsuccessfully, down to Goat’s Hawse and up to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston where the wind was mercifully not very strong. The scenery from the top of this fell was stunning so I spent quite a while up there surveying my surroundings and taking many pictures before eventually venturing along the ridge over Brim Fell. After passing over the flat dome-like summit of Brim Fell I was struck by the wind again which made onward progress difficult and even unpleasant at times, but as I passed over Levers Hawse the ridge narrowed satisfyingly before climbing up Great How Crags to the top of Swirl How. From there I continued to the top of Great Carrs, passing the memorial to the Canadian Halifax Bomber which crashed there in 1944. There’s not much of it left as only the undercarriage was ripped off on the fell top before the rest of the plane plunged into Broad Slack below, the wreckage at the bottom having subsequently been removed and placed in a museum.

From Great Carrs I continued my battle against the wind crossing the broad plain of Fairfield and up to the top of Grey Friar where, after passing over the top, I found a secluded spot below a crag to have my lunch. After eating I made my descent off the Coniston Fells and away from the strong wind, much to my relief. The Coniston Fells are a lovely set of fells, very much self contained and separate from the other fells, having a character all of their own. They are particularly rugged with the remains of heavy mining below the Old Man a distinctive feature of the area. As I’ve said these were the first Lakeland Fells I went up after my very first day on Loughrigg Fell; I had crossed the Langdale valleys and climbed Weatherlam, proceeding to Swirl How. These were my first proper Lakeland Fells so every time I return to the area I am reminded of that first visit not so many years ago.

Descending Grey Friar I took a pathless route down the south-western slopes of the fell all the way into Dunnerdale, which wasn’t too bad until near the end where I went the wrong way around Little Blake Crag, mistaking it for the much smaller Loft Rigg How. When I found myself at the top of a huge, steep gully I carefully crossed the face of the cliff to the gentler slopes south the crag. With that difficulty over I located the gate into ‘The Close’ and followed the path thence down to Brow Side Farm and the bottom of the valley. A short walk along the road brought me to a bridge over the River Duddon that led me into the great Dunnerdale Forest where a path lead me very steeply up to Harter Fell. When I was there a couple of years ago the trees had just been felled, which had left horrible scars and a bleak landscape. A couple of years on and the hillside hasn’t recovered much with a lot of the fellside still not replanted with the planned mixed woodland so the steep climb past Mart Crag wasn’t through woodland but over the roots of the felled forest.

Eventually I reached the top of the fell where I found several outcrops dotted around the summit, but only one could be the actual summit. The westerly outcrop has a trig point but it’s not the summit, that is in the middle, so despite the strong winds I climbed up to the top of the highest outcrop and surveyed the landscape all around me, especially towards the majestic mountains at the top of Eskdale. Just for completion I also went up to the trig point on the westerly outcrop. When I went up Harter Fell a couple of years ago the weather was bad, so I didn’t go up to the very top of the fell and it was enough for me to just shelter behind the outcrop, and now I was able to correct that. It’s always satisfying to be able to do things like that. From Harter Fell I dropped steeply down the western slopes and pondered my next move. I had planned to simply descend into Eskdale from this point, walk completed, but it was only three o’clock and there were still a couple of hours of  walking time left so when I reached the bridlepath my next target was Green Crag.

After crossing the bridlepath on the edge of Dunnerdale Forest I climbed over the fence and walked across the moorland gradually climbing up to Green Crag. This was another Wainwright that I’d never done before, one that lies on the edge of Lakeland proper, at the start of the great upland expanse of Birker Fell that extends for several miles to the ominously sounding Black Combe (that has to be a target for me at some point). After a rest at the summit I crossed over to the subsidiary crags of the Pike and Crook Crag for a bit of a play amongst the rocky terrain before dropping steeply down to Foxbield Moss and head towards Tarn Crag. The map indicates a right of way on the eastern side, but shows an actual path on the western side. Since I was still on the eastern side I followed the non-existent path on the right of way past Tarn Crag and through the young bracken (this route would be impossible later in the season because of the bracken).

On reaching the edge of Eskdale I was struck by the awesome sight of the mighty valley stretching from the sea right into the heart of the Lake District and much nearer to hand I could see the path that I had scorned earlier and seemed astonishingly well constructed. This green track cleverly zigzags up the valley walls into the fells behind but then disappears, it’s purpose a mystery to me but was clearly the product of a much earlier era (Wainwright reveals that it is a peat road, one of several in Eskdale). The delightful path brought me down to Low Birker Farm at the bottom of Eskdale where a short walk across the river and past the Woolpack Inn brought me to the Youth Hostel. Overall, this was a rather tiring walk, with the wind not making it easy, but it was enjoyable, so even though it felt like a long walk I was still able to enjoy the evening sunshine as I strolled along the road to the Youth Hostel.