High Winds Force a Partial Retreat

Day 18 – Saturday 4 April. Val wasn’t sure whether to join us but decided to go home and get some jobs done, which turned out to be a good call! So Mike and I had only Philip Bailey for company. We left one car at the Coniston car park where a group of racing cyclists were preparing to set off, making me a bit jealous, especially looking at some of the expensive machinery. We took the other car up Walna Scar Road and then set off for the first fell of the Coniston Round. After overnight rain the clouds were fairly low and the wind was stronger than expected.

It’s quite a trek along the Walna Scar Road but eventually we left it at the summit and headed up for Dow Crag (2555’). Every fell on the Coniston Round is over 2500’. We were now in cloud and the wind was getting very strong indeed. At the rocky summit it was so cold and windy I couldn’t be bothered to get the camera out – and this was to be the pattern set for the rest of the day, as misty pictures of desolate summits seemed a bit pointless. Nevertheless, Mike kept true to the photographic record on each one.

From Dow Hause there was another climb to the summit of Coniston Old Man (2633’). So much mist was condensing out on my glasses that for the first time I can recall, I could see better without them. And if you’ve ever tried looking through my glasses you’ll realise how bad that must be! At the top of the Old Man, an elderly-looking lady, who appeared to have been dragged up there on the miners’ track against her will by daughter and son-in-law, was complaining about the conditions and asking which was the easy way down. She seemed devastated when we told her that the easiest way down was the way she had come up, and said “I’m 66 you know!”. She was certainly non-plussed to discover that this was exactly the average age of Philip and Mike!! As a spring-chicken some 10 years junior, I kept quiet.

Brim Fell (2611’) was an easy stroll (well it would have been in better conditions), and then it was a further mile and a half to Swirl How (2630’), involving more of a descent and climb. As soon as we set off towards Great Carrs (only 600 yds distant, 2575’) the wind became almost hurricane force and unrelenting. It must have been accentuated by the topography of that part of the mountain, but I can tell you that it was difficult to stay upright, which is a bit scary when you are only a few yards from the edge of a steep drop. Grey Friar (2536’) should have been next on the agenda but it was deemed too dangerous, so we went back to Swirl How to see what conditions looked like on the Prison Band, the route to Wetherlam (2502’).

The wind wasn’t too bad but unaccountably we took a wrong turn and went North instead of East, losing too much altitude. After a brief conference where unanimity was, for once, lacking, we headed back uphill and east, only to find Prison Band at exactly the same time as a large party was walking along it, making the contrast between our lonely situation and this appear like crossing a motorway!

The wind increased again at the summit of Wetherlam but at least the clouds were lifting a little. Descending to the tranquil environs of Coniston (the Grand National was about to start) it was hard to believe the contrast in conditions between the valley and the tops.

And so we finished the day with a total tally of 96 but disappointed in the fact that we will have to go back and climb Grey Friar (from Wrynose Pass) all on its own.

Pictures: 1. Old pack-horse bridge on Walna Scar Road; 2. The view from Prison Band as the clouds lift. Sorry there aren't any more, I was just too cold and miserable to be bothered!