Dow Crag

Climbing Dow Crag from the car park by Walna Scar Road

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This route reaches Dow Crag by way of the Old Man of Coniston. It starts from the Lake District National Park Authority car park beside Walna Scar Road, which has room for about 60 cars and sits at about 230 m. Parking is paid. The Haws Bank Church bus stop is about 1.1 km away in a straight line and is served by the X7.

The line is 4.2 km long and gains about 690 m. It follows Walna Scar Road, a restricted byway, for about 670 m to Boo Tarn, climbing only from about 230 m to 285 m. A path with a grass surface on the map then takes over, crossing Scrow Beck at about 1.65 km.

From Boo Tarn the climb is long and steady, from about 285 m at 0.7 km to 640 m at 2 km and about 800 m at 2.6 km. The route passes the Old Man of Coniston at about 2.6 km. Parts of this upper section are graded mountain hiking by OpenStreetMap.

Beyond the Old Man the line loses height, down to about 650 m at 3.4 km. The last 800 m, also graded mountain hiking, climb back to the summit of Dow Crag at 778 m. No cairn or trig pillar is mapped there.

About 2 km of the line follows public footpaths and a restricted byway, and 4.1 km crosses open access land. Dow Crag is 778 m high, 49th of the 214 Wainwrights by height, and belongs to the Southern Fells in Book 4.

The GPX file is the same line, from the car park to the summit. Return the same way, or plan another descent with a map before you set out.

Download the GPXFree. The route is © OpenStreetMap contributors and the file is released under the Open Database Licence: you may copy, share and adapt it.