An Alpine start put us just ahead of the crowds at Walna Scar car park as we set off for The Bell, a delightful little scramble. From there we dropped down to the Pudding Stone, which was climbed by several members of the party, before we tackled the scramble of Low Water Beck. We found the route quite exposed and exciting in places, though mainly on dry, very rough rock, with only one short bit of paddling. The views down into the gorge of the beck were stunning – if a troll had grinned up at me from the depths, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised.
I declared a coffee break on the shores of Low Water Tarn, then we ascended Brim Fell Slabs, where various lines were taken, given the abundance of route options and big holds. The scramble brought us onto the ridge where, after some discussion and more refreshment, the main party descended via the summit of Coniston Old Man, and Ian and Jonathan went in the other direction to descend via Levers Water.
Having re-assembled in the car park, we decided that the pubs in Coniston would be rammed (they were) and that it would be annoying to have to fork out again for parking. As there was an ice cream van at Walna Scar, some of us opted for a cone rather than a pint. I was glad to receive Jonathan’s report that there were several people swimming in Levers Water in defiance of the horribly obtrusive No Swimming signs that have been bolted into the shoreline rocks!
The team was Ian, Jonathan C, Rob, Mark H, Mike K, Brenda, Geraint and Judith.