The Coniston Meet, 18th May.

 

For a change the weather forecast promised a fine day. Twelve members met up at the Cottage, two climbers and ten walkers, and decided on routes for the day. John and Rodger set off for Little How Crags. Betty led the rest for a walk over the fells.  Various of the party were still in recovery mode following health problems so it was a leisurely progress, avoiding the steepest ground where possible.

 

Steve Nelson wanted to do the Old Man by a more interesting route than the normal tourist track, so they set off up to the water treatment plant where it was decided to go via Grey Crag, as they were discussing the Pudding Stone at the time. When the party reached the stone some members got the urge to scramble up it; this done it was time for a coffee break.

 

The old compressed air line was followed to the compressor hut, then up to the old smithy and on to the main track to the corridor route. This is the old route that skirted the Old Man above Bursting Stone and it brought them out above Cove Hut, the route used to get to Dow crag from the Cottage years ago. At the apex of this route there is a path that takes you up the Old Man, called the Diamond Route, named after Jack Diamond of Coniston Tigers fame. This route was created so that you didn’t have to look at quarry workings on the ascent.