Coniston Fells – 19 January

On a very cold day with the cloud base around 2000ft Colin and I were undecided where to go when we turned off the M6 towards the fells. After several rounds of reconsideration we settled on the Coniston fells. Slightly surprised by how little snow there was on the road and by how little wind there was in the town. Up through the old mine workings for the last of the views before the clouds engulfed us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above are all in or looking back down to Copper Mines Valley – we both took plenty of pictures on the way up knowing there would be little to see on or, indeed, between the tops and so it proved. Conditions deteriorated considerably after we were above the cloud base. The temperature dropped to –5C and the wind picked up to about 30mph to produce a wind chill effect of –24C.

Summit Cairn – Coniston Old Man

Trig Point – Coniston Old Man

Summit Cairn – Swirl How

Summit Cairn – Wetherlam

Lone Walker approaching Wetherlam summit

After Wetherlam the weather was a little more benign, not any warmer but without the fierce wind that blasted through the hauses at about 40mph to make progress difficult on a couple of occasions. These were slightly unusual conditions as very little of the snow lay where it had landed – much of the snow has been scoured from the rocks to produce icy rocks between thigh deep snow drifts, neither of which make for quick progress.

 

Two views of Coniston to conclude a brilliant winter’s day on the fells