Barrow Mountaineering and Ski Club Hut
I had once been up the Old Man of Coniston many years ago with St Albans Caving Club and hadn't walked in this part of the Lake District since so had decided to go walking – I hadn't even brought my caving gear! 
Coppermines Youth Hostel in the distance
On Saturday morning Pete Wagstaff arrived and he plus the others, including Karen planned a trip through the nearby copper mine entering at The Crater and exiting via Hospital Level with a number of pull-down abseils. Jenny was off to the coast bird-watching and I was setting off for a walk taking in the Old Man.The hut was in an ideal location for several walks direct from the front door and I chose on route which meant heading back down the valley for a short way so I could cross over to the other side of Red Dell Beck flowing down by the hut. There was a bridge further down the valley but as the water was low, I was able to cross by making use of large rocks in the river bed.
Once across the beck, I followed a path which climbed diagonally upwards which led to the Old Man, but I turned off at junction and continued along the track to reach Walna Scar Road.
Walna Scar Road with Buck Pike and Dow Crag in the distance
Passing a rough car park, I followed the Land Rover track and crossed a small bridge until I reached another junction where I left the Walna Scar Road and followed a path leading gradually upwards to the summit of Brown Pike. From here was a very nice broad ridge leading to nearby Buck Pike and a short distance past this to the summit of Dow Crag.
Old Shepherd's Stone Shelter
It was now overcast and getting misty but the mist parted for a few minutes to reveal the Old Man across the cwm with the tarn Goat's Water below.
Dow Crag and Goat's Water
From here the way led down to the col of Goat's Hawse. Just as I reached the col, there were a few drops of rain followed by a steady increase until it was raining lightly so I joined one or two other walkers in fishing out my overtrousers from my rucksack and put them on.The path led upwards to the ridge from the summit of the Old Man of Coniston which leads northwards, and in half a kilometre or so, the very large cairn and its square base loomed out of the mist.
Looking across to the Old Man of Coniston
Luckily some walkers who had been sitting by the base which was sheltered from the rain had just stood up to continue on their way so I took advantage of the shelter and sat down to eat my lunch.
Summit Cairn on the Old Man
Nearby was a more direct route up from Coniston and several walkers arrived from this direction including one or two in shorts and cotton T-shirts. Well I suppose it was July, but they didn't look very warm in their soaking cotton T-shirts... and they had nothing else at all with them...Once I had finished my lunch I set off again in the rain heading north reaching the peak of Swirl How. Straight ahead were crags and cliffs with a path leading at right-angles to the left and right. My route lay to the right and is called Prison Band, which dropped down steeply with small rocky steps dropping me down to a col. Ahead lay the route ascending to the next peak, Wetherlam. I could have continued and dropped down back to Coppermines Valley or I could take a path leading down from the col past Levers Water and then down to the hut.
As it was still raining, although it had lightened a bit, the choice was easy and down I went!
The path led gently down through one or two boggy bits, skirted right alongside Levers Water. Just past the small dam at the end of the reservoir I saw a group of yellow-clad cavers about 300 metres away heading around a corner – which turned out to be Karen and the others who were heading for a quick trip into a level after having completed their first underground trip of the day.
I was back at the hut at 15:30 and was the first back so I retrieved the key from its hiding place and after stripping off boots and waterproofs made a very welcome cup of tea after a very enjoyable walk despite the weather.
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