Detailed Itinerary:

1. Our walk starts from Walna Scar Car Park. This is a relatively large car park that gets busy throughout the day and parking charges apply. If you are staying in the village or travelling by public transport, you may prefer to walk up the hill to the car park. This is quite a short walk - however it includes a relatively steep climb which should be taken into account when considering whether this is the walk for you. There are a couple of options for this - with one option to be to walk up the road (if taking this option please do take care of moving vehicles!).

2. From the car park, we start by heading West to continue along Walna Scar Road (now a vehicle free track). The first couple of kilometers will see us skirt gently uphill around the base of the Old Man of Coniston. We will take this time to warm up our legs and enjoy the views that start with an elevated perspective on Coniston Water and eventually extend out to Morecambe Bay and the West Coast of Cumbria as enough elevation is gained.

3. We will keep to the main track, keeping the Old Man on our right, for just under two kilometers. At this point, we will reach a fork in the path where we will take the left hand path (the clear track that we have followed since the start) which leads towards Torver Bridge.

4. As we reach and cross the beautiful Torver Bridge you will notice that you can see where the climbing starts to ramp up towards the ridge, a series of hairpins visible on the track ahead. We will stop and have a drink and a breather - it's a great spot for a photo. 

5. When the group is ready to move on, we will continue to follow Walna Scar Road all the way to the pass between Walna Scar (to the left) and Brown Pike (to the right). This pass can be windy, but on a calm and clear day is an absolute treat for the eyes. Suddenly, our proximity to the west coast becomes clear as large areas of coastline become visible. Sweeping around to the right you see the dramatic peaks of the more northerly southern fells (and beyond) and further round still, at 90 degrees to the right of the track we have been following so far, is the path we will take up on to the ridge. Though the path looks steep, from here it is a short sharp climb (with clear and stable footing the whole way) to the top of the ridge. So, try to enjoy it, and keep in mind that we will have done the majority of the climbing when we reach the top.

6. Brown Pike Summit 682m. The first summit of our climb, bravo, enjoy! There is a shelter here that makes for a great place to stop for a cup of tea, looking over at the Old Man and down at Coniston Water in the valley. This is a real chance to proudly look back on how far we have come. We will exchange group pats on the back here - and stop for a snack and a drink, before continuing along the clear summit path.

7. Buck Pike Summit 744m. Our second summit of the day. Though the views are great the whole way along this ridge, there is a pleasing symmetry (when looking west) between the summit cairn and the very pointy Harter Fell in the background. If matching shapes are your thing, then what a treat. If not, then the views across to the Old Man should suffice.

8. Dow Crag Summit 778m. Our first Wainwright summit of the day. The path skirts the west side of the summit, but for completeness I always like to go a little off-piste at this moment and climb up the rocks to the true summit. For anyone up for a scramble, this is perfectly possible, for anyone who wants to keep to level ground, that’s absolutely fine too. The views are spectacular either way.

9. Having sat on the summit of Dow Crag, you will have noticed the path we have been following descends into a pass between the two ridges, with the option of descending to Goat's Water and returning to the car park if if the need should arise (this route down is around 1.5km shorter and has less climbing as it is all downhill from this point). From here, our group will cross straight over the pass and begin our final climb of the day, sticking to the obvious path and following it to the summit cairn which will soon come into view.

10. Old Man of Coniston Summit 803m. Our second and final Wainwright summit of the day - awesome work! This summit can get busy, so once we have got visited the summit cairn, we will wonder over to the Old Man Breast (the gently sloping bit extending towards Coniston Water), finding a quiet spot to sit and take a moment to recover from the climb and reflect on the walk so far.

11. When the group is ready to carry on, it is time to begin the descent. Going in this direction, the path is very clear, but time and care should be taken on this top section as it is particularly steep and in places can be slippery (especially if you are moving fast or if it has been raining). We will follow this path all the way down to the tarn, Low Water, where you can look back up to the summit and if it is a warm day, dip your toes in the beautifully refreshing water. 

12. After admiring the tarn it is time to round off this walk. We begin by heading away from the tarn, descending through the signs of historical mining (of copper and slate). This section of the route also offers a view down to a minute Coniston village and across to Levers Water and the surrounding peaks.

13. As the path starts to level out, we curve around to the right and passe through two small hillocks, often patrolled by sheep. There are two other path options here, the path breaking off and back on itself at a sharp angle twists off to Levers Water (a lovely addition to see a nice waterfall) and the second option, that forks more gently left but follows the same general direction as the path you have been on, descends all the way to Coniston without needing to walk on the roads. We will stay on the main track, bend around to the right, and continue back to the car park.

14. This is the final, well paved section of the route, where we can relax and enjoy the steady finish. It won't be long until you can see your car and start to celebrate all that you have achieved and enjoyed. Chapeau.