Introduction
Located in the southern Lake District, Coniston is a nice touristy village with a few pubs and teashops. The scope for climbing mountains in the area is limited to the summits surrounding the Old Man of Coniston. Despite its relatively low height of 803m it forms a grand ridge with an east facing escarpment that drops in a succession of very steep glass slopes and broken crags for 200m. The northern end of this summit ridge ends with Great Carrs with Swirl How being the second prominent top.

Swirl How seen from the Old Man

Bow Fell and Crinkle Crags seen from Wetherlam

The next impressive peak lies out to the west. This is called Dow Crag and has the most impressive cliffs in the whole area where the cliffs drop shear for 150m. A steep scree gully can be ascended easily passing among the impressive crags to the south of the main crags, ending suddenly on the rocky ridge. It is perhaps the finest peak to climb and is well worth visiting. If you have the opportunity it's well worth going up. You need to be sure footed and be able to tolerate a steep drop behind you if you do go up this way.

The Coniston escarpment seen from Levers Water

The Old Man of Coniston has an impressive collection of corries and despite the old mines present, they are still a wild place with some of the corries having no paths in them. The Old Man itself is very popular and the ridge connecting it with Swirl How is often very busy. The paths around here are all well worn so navigation problems tend not to be so troublesome.

Seen from near Swirl Hawse, the grand escarpment of Coniston

The Langdale fells seen from Wetherlam

The Old man of Coniston on the way up

Wetherlam's your next summit, it is said that it has some of the finest views of the Lake District to be seen here with a pleasant mix of woodland, pasture, lake and fell spread out before you.

Wetherlam

Wetherlam as seen from the Coniston Mines

Grey Friar seen from Great Carrs

As for low level walks, Tarn Hows is apparently a very nice place to visit. The general relief of the land does suggest that plenty of other fine low level walks exist.