Old Man of Coniston, Coniston

Decided to leave the house at 2am and drive along here for 4am and there was no regrets. This provided me with a lovely yet challenging hike but was worth the early start. When it's dark the path is quite difficult to see so a map or Google maps is highly recommended so you don't go off trail as it can be quite dangerous. Make sure to bring a headtorch and some decent hiking shoes. The day I went at the top it was still cloudy so didn't get a view from the top but going down the hills I managed to get the sunrise and made the whole trip worth it. Quite a few rams and goats on the path and plenty of birds all about. Parking from 9am is £4 for 4 hours and anything over is £8. Therefore going early allowed me to avoid the piaf parking. Can pay by phone or cash. Overall would recommend for people wanting a hiking challenge but would take caution if not experienced.

The Old man of coniston is a great hike challenging your fitness levels. This was my first hike in the UK and it lived up to the expectations. I found the hike to be moderate-tough. It starts slow and gets really steep upwards and downwards. I remember we had to crawl for a bit on our way up. The downwards journey was really hard on my knees too. But the summit was worth it! Not just the summit the entire time the view was great and weather was pleasant. We finished the hike in 4 hours approx. We did the hike in early June. My learning from the hike: - Invest in a hiking shoe (they are really great and keep you from slipping) - Carry water, thermal jackets, energy bar - Plan to start the hike early and finish early (don’t worry all down after dark unless you plan to camp for the night ) - Enjoy the view climbing up and down. Slow down look around. It’s beautiful. Overall I highly recommend this hike 🙂