Old Man Coniston

The Old Man of Coniston hike is one of those classic Lake District days that gives you a bit of everything: a sharp pull straight from the village, old mining tracks, a broad high-level ridge and big views across Coniston Water and deep into the fells. I did this route from Ruskin Avenue car park in Coniston, using The Bell as a warm-up summit before dropping back and climbing past Low Water to the Old Man itself, then carrying on over Brim Fell, Levers Hawse, Great How Crags, Swirl How and across to Wetherlam before descending through the old Coppermines workings. At around 17.4 km with 1,279 m of ascent, it’s a hard walk on paper, but it feels like a proper mountain day throughout.

Setting off from Coniston

I started from Ruskin Avenue car park, which makes a straightforward base for an Old Man of Coniston walk without any faff. One of the things I like about starting in Coniston is how quickly you leave the village behind. There’s barely any easing into it here; the climbing begins almost straight away, and before long you’re looking back over rooftops, dry-stone walls and the long ribbon of Coniston Water.

Rather than heading directly for the main summit, I took the detour up The Bell first. It works really well as a warm-up peak, giving you an early bit of height and helping the legs settle before the bigger climbing begins. The Bell is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, but it’s well worth including. The views open up quickly and it gives the route a more rounded feel than simply marching up and down the most obvious line.

After The Bell, the route drops back down before turning towards Low Water. That dip means you give away some height you’ve just earned, but the trade-off is a much more interesting approach to the Old Man of Coniston. The path becomes more rugged and the landscape starts to feel harsher and more industrial, with the old quarry and mining scars adding a lot of character to the climb.

Climbing to the Old Man of Coniston via Low Water

The pull up past Low Water is one of the best parts of the day. The tarn sits tucked beneath steep, stony slopes, and the whole setting feels more dramatic than the well-trodden tourist reputation of the Old Man of Coniston might suggest. It’s a steady, honest climb rather than anything technical, but it definitely makes you work, especially with the summit ridge looming above.

As I gained height, the views really started to stretch out. Looking back, Coniston Water becomes more impressive with every step, and on a clear day the surrounding fells seem to stack up one behind another. This is the kind of route where it’s worth turning around regularly, because the backward views are every bit as good as the ones ahead.

The final pull onto the summit of the Old Man of Coniston is broad and stony, with plenty of signs that you’re on one of the Lake District’s most popular high fells. Even so, it still feels deserved when you reach the top. The summit cairn and shelter always make it feel like a proper landmark rather than just another high point on the map.

Along the summit ridge: Brim Fell, Swirl How and Great Carrs

For me, what really lifts this from a straightforward Coniston Old Man hike into a brilliant mountain round is what comes next. Instead of turning back from the main summit, I continued north over Brim Fell and towards Levers Hawse. The ground up here is much more open, and the ridge gives you that airy feeling of moving properly through the high fells rather than just bagging a single top.

From Levers Hawse, the route continues over Great How Crags to Swirl How, and this section has a wild, high-level feel that I always enjoy. There’s nothing especially awkward in dry conditions, but it’s a rugged stretch and the undulating terrain adds up in the legs. On a good day, though, it’s a superb place to be, with wide views in all directions and that lovely sense of space you only really get once you’re committed to a ridge.

If you’ve still got the energy, there’s the option of an out-and-back to Great Carrs. It’s not essential if the weather’s closing in or the legs are fading, but in decent conditions it’s worth the extra effort to extend the round. I always think these little additions can make a walk feel more complete, especially when you’re already high and moving well.

Crossing to Wetherlam and descending by the Coppermines

After returning from the Swirl How side of the ridge, the route heads across to Wetherlam, which is another summit that can be underestimated when it’s tucked into a bigger round like this. By this stage, the accumulated ascent is definitely noticeable, and Wetherlam feels like a proper final climb rather than a casual extra. Still, that’s part of what makes this Old Man of Coniston circular walk so satisfying, it keeps asking questions right to the end.

Wetherlam has a slightly different feel to the main Coniston ridge, and I always enjoy that shift. The views back towards the Old Man and across the route you’ve already covered give a real sense of scale to the day. It’s one of those moments where you realise just how much ground you’ve actually taken in since leaving Coniston.

The descent past the old Coppermines workings is a fitting way to finish. It brings you back through a landscape shaped as much by industry as by nature, with tracks, ruins and spoil heaps telling the story of the area’s past. It’s an easy section to enjoy because the hard work is mostly done, but it’s also more than just a functional way down. There’s loads of interest underfoot and all around, and it rounds off the day with something a bit different from a standard grassy descent.

Back in Coniston, this route felt like exactly what I want from a hard Lake District hike: a memorable summit, a proper ridge, varied terrain and enough distance and ascent to feel earned without becoming a slog. If you’re after a bigger day than the standard up-and-down Old Man of Coniston route, this is a brilliant way to do it.