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Swirl How – Old Man of Coniston summit loop from Holme Fell

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Hiking trails & Routes

Swirl How – Old Man of Coniston summit loop from Holme Fell

Hard

4.8

(14)

208

hikers

Swirl How – Old Man of Coniston summit loop from Holme Fell

06:23

15.9km

1,110m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: March 27, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Lake District National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

3.40 km

Wetherlam

Peak

5.24 km

Swirl How

Highlight • Viewpoint

My favourite approach of Swirl How is from Wetherlam, a great route with a few fun scramble sections to enjoy in dry weather. Linking up the 2,633-foot (802 m) Swirl How with it's Wainwright neighbour Great Carrs is one of the easiest connections a Wainwright bagger can hope for! Despite both fells being relatively high, you barely feel like you descend between them and you can make quick progress.

Tip by

6.44 km

View of Grisedale Tarn from Gill Cove Path

Highlight • Trail

steep drop off that's easy to miss

Tip by

7.32 km

Brim Fell summit

Highlight • Viewpoint

Brim Fell is a great fell in the southern Lake District. Often all the hard work is done during an the ascent of either Old Man of Coniston or Swirl How but we celebrate reaching the summit all the same.

Tip by

8.13 km

Old Man of Coniston summit

Highlight • Summit

A Southern Fells classic, Coniston Old Man might be industry-scarred, but it remains stoical and unbowed. Towering high above the village of Coniston, it's a rightfully popular fell with good paths exploring high tarns, lofty ridges and the historical remnants of centuries of slate quarrying and copper mining.

Tip by

8.14 km

Summit of the Old Man of Coniston via Low Water

Highlight (Segment) • Summit

This is the route you take to go up Coniston Old Man from Low Water. The path takes you up a series of sharp and steep zigzags, and as you reach the top, you hang a right along the ridge to the trig point and the nearby summit cairn. It is a great route to get to the top with fantastic views.

Tip by

8.60 km

View of Low Water Tarn

Highlight • Lake

The views of Low Water Tarn from here are spectacular. Low Water is a high corrie tarn situated directly underneath the imposing north face of Coniston Old Man. The walk up Coniston is one of the most popular walks in the Lake District, and this tarn reflects this popularity for wild swimming, being a super gorgeous place to swim!

Tip by

9.50 km

Saddlestone Mill Ruins

Highlight • Monument

Derelict, fascinating remains of Saddlestone Mill - part of the slate workings on the NE flank of Coniston Old Man. Extensive artefacts from the industrial past are strewn around, include the huge steel cables (approx 2.5 inches diameter) that were used to haul trucks of cut slate down the mountainside. A bleak but beautiful location.

Tip by

9.99 km

Crowberry Haws

Highlight • Trail

Great views when the clouds aren't stopping you from seeing it. even then you get a sense of peace and get to see the mine workings on the way up

Tip by

15.9 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

9.15 km

4.41 km

2.29 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

8.89 km

4.31 km

1.41 km

1.23 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (790 m)

Lowest point (160 m)

Weather

Friday 8 May

13°C

3°C

51 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 23.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Swirl How – Old Man of Coniston summit loop from Holme Fell

Swirl How

View of Grisedale Tarn from Gill Cove Path

Brim Fell summit

Old Man of Coniston summit

Summit of the Old Man of Coniston via Low Water

View of Low Water Tarn

Saddlestone Mill Ruins

Crowberry Haws

Nearby routes

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