Coniston

A few of weeks ago my friend Ronan suggested over a post-swim pint that we should go walking somewhere in the Lake District, so last Saturday morning we set off up the M6 motorway for a weekend trip to Coniston. Ever since I'd read Griff Rhys-Jones' book "Mountain" (and saw the great scenery in the companion TV series) I've been thinking about going walking in the Lakes so I was thrilled to be given an opportunity to actually do it.

It's pretty amazing that in just over 2 hours you can travel from the hustle and bustle of Warrington to the relative peace (and spectacular views) of Cumbria. Ronan had the maps and the basic plan - to walk up a small mountain called "The Old Man of Coniston" on Saturday, and to wander around nearby Grizedale Forest on Sunday - and I had all my brand-new gear from Millets (which only added to my feeling of being a complete newbie as far as this whole walking marlarkey was concerned).

This time of year Coniston seemed fairly quiet, which is the way I like it, and the weather was a little cold but otherwise very pleasant. We checked into the Bluebird Lodge guesthouse (a nice little bed-and-breakfast a short walk from the village), paused briefly for a baked potato lunch, and then set off for the summit of The Old Man.

It took us a few hours to ascend from Coniston to the top, which is 803m (2635ft) high. I guess that it is technically a mountain (even more technically, it's actually a "fell", which according to Wikipedia is a particular type of mountain) but the fact that I was able to get to the top (with Ronan's encouragement) makes me feel somehow that it can't really be one. All the same I found it challenging enough, especially towards the top where we were inside the cloud scrambling through left-over snow, and I did felt a sense of pride on reaching the cairn at the summit. Once we'd made it we placed our own stones on the pile (which Ronan told me was the traditional thing to do), and since there wasn't really a view to admire, we went back down again.

It wasn't just about climbing the mountain though, there was a variety of different landscapes along the way - great views back into the valley below, eerily derelict buildings and equipment left over from mining operations, mind-bogglingly enormous piles of slate, and even a small lake (the amusingly mis-named Low Water tarn) above the cloud line. And our pints of beer and dinner of Cumberland sausages followed by cheesecake back in Coniston later that evening tasted all the better.

The next day we enjoyed a more leisurely walk around trails in Grizedale Forest. We stopped for a while at a vantage point, to soak up the views (and to daydream about a more carefree life where you could see this sort of landscape every day), and then back at the car Ronan cooked up some tasty noodles on his portable burner so we could enjoy a warm and hearty meal. Afterwards we took the ferry across Windermere and checked out the town of the same name, which seemed pretty busy for a Sunday afternoon in winter - it made me feel glad that we had decided to stay in Coniston instead.

There wasn't a lot of the day left after that since we needed to get back to Warrington that evening. On the journey home we made a small detour into North Yorkshire to visit the town of Ingleton, most of which - unsurprisingly - seemed to be closed (we were at least able to see the outdoor pool there, though that is closed until May too).

Back at home on Sunday evening I was left feeling pleasantly exhausted, with some great memories and a bunch of nice pictures. Hopefully Ronan will suggest another weekend away doing something similar in the not-too-distant future!