UKC

Hi guys,

Looking at heading towards the coppermines for a couple of days but was just wondering how busy it is around the general Coniston area at the moment. I'm thinking its school half term so may be crazier than normal.

Is it worth going elsewhere?

Cheers

Frank

In reply to Frankie boy:

Very busy in the Lakes this week yes. Glorious weather, half term, and restrictions on overseas travel = this place is bursting at the seams.

In reply to Mark Eddy:

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated. 

I'll go elsewhere for the time being then and go there another time when it's quieter.

In reply to Frankie boy:

(Lake District + Half Term) x Staycation = Chaos

Despite the above there is still plenty of quiet areas if you know where to head

In reply to Frankie boy:

Not the Lakes but went up Cross Fell yesterday and saw 3 other people all day.

In reply to Frankie boy:

In contrast to the first reply I didn't think the small bit of the Lakes I was in on Monday was crowded at all.

I didn't get there until mid-afternoon and I wasn't in a real honeypot area - Broughton Mills to do Stickle Pike "horseshoe". Only saw 2 other people at a distance, but when I peeked over down into the lower Duddon valley, there were loads of people by the river where it's near the road.

So, if you pick your locations and times carefully, you can avoid the crowds whilst out on the hills. But, you probably can't avoid the crowds all the time if you're camping.

You don't mention if you're travelling by car or public transport or how you're staying overnight.

Camping and public transport, maybe leave for another time. Car and (e.g.) renting a cottage, you have the means to avoid the crowds.

Final tip if driving, time your journey into and out of the Lakes to avoid peak times; i.e. very early or very late. Makes the whole experience so much nicer; I find that sitting in a queue for ages can really spoil my day.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Realistically, we would have been looking to camp, somewhere near Coniston, and generally spending time on the regions of the slate quarries etc, so so exactly getting up the hills and away from it all.

There's plenty other places to go so we'll just head elsewhere and look and going into the slate when it's quieter.

In reply to Michael Hood: pretty much what he said . The key point being to pick location and times carefully . It’s not hard to imagine that Keswick in the middle of the day will be almost gridlocked , whereas Shepard’s /black crag in the evening either empty or quiet . I went the back way ( rather than a66 / Keswick ) to mungrisdale over the weekend and passed several road bikers and a couple of cars . It’s not impossible to avoid the chaos’s it just takes a bit more thought and flexibility .
I “needed “ something achingly middle class the other day that is even too posh for sainsbries so just went to booths in Keswick at 21.30 . Not empty but very quiet , parked , walked straight in , picked it up , straight on to self serve check out  and out again , drive home without a mishap . Even my pizza addiction wouldn’t have gone to Keswick , fought to park , stood in a pushy Ill tempered line for 25 minutes , been jostled by an Ill tempered granddad , stood in another line to pay , then sat in traffic for 20 minutes to get out of Keswick just to get a new bag of semolina flour .

In reply to Frankie boy:

It is not too bad to be honest. There are some media horror stories, wasdale and cat bells parking causing problems for example.

I climbed at shepherd's and gimmer this weekend, neither of these are quiet out of the way crags but neither were busy, just a few other teams like any good weather day. No problems parking, getting out of Borrowdale was slow but it always is on a nice day.

The towns seem to be very busy but the crags normal. 

In reply to Frankie boy:

I climbed on high crag and grey crag,  buttermere, yesterday and was the only team at both, so crags seem ok.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Only saw 2 other people at a distance, but when I peeked over down into the lower Duddon valley, there were loads of people by the river where it's near the road.

As C E Mathews said in 1898, "climbing is a sport that for some mysterious cause appeals mainly to the cultivated intellect. 'Arry or 'Arriet would never climb a hill" 😂

In reply to ebdon:

I was up at grey crag on Sunday hoping to get it to myself but there was a bunch of people there, mostly from the same group though so maybe I just got unlucky. The road along the side of Buttermere was a bit mental but there was plenty of parking at Gatesgarth farm.

In reply to Frankie boy:

To echo the general theme, crags OK, honey pot areas/roads are pretty unpleasant.  

In reply to Frankie boy:

Every day since last Friday i have read statements from Cumbria police stating incidents where emergency services vehicles have been unable to get past poorly parked vehicles on their way to help someone.

There is a special place in hell for these people who consider their right to climb, walk, swim, whatever in the lake district overides any social responsibility.

As others have said, its all about choice of venue and timing.  

In reply to Presley Whippet: that’s my impression too. I’m staying just outside Coniston and, whilst the village and easily accessible (by vehicle) lake shore is busy, the hills and general paths are for. Did a circuit of the Coniston fells on Tuesday and I was surprised how quiet they were, even the top of the Old Man.

In reply to NathanP:

I've noticed similar every time I've been out in the hills over the last week or so - towns/villages are heaving but the hills are quiet (or quieter than you'd expect). Was out mtbing with a mate last night who said the same.

I'm wondering if there's a big influx of visitors to the national park who aren't keen hillgoers so don't venture far from the road/carpark, and the busyness (or expectation of busyness) is putting off some of the people who normally would go out in the hills.

In reply to Frankie boy:

On the warm sunny days the lakeshore is busy everywhere.  Ullswater was even busier than an August Bank Holiday when we were there a couple of days ago. However walking areas and the lower fells all seem quiet. Parking outside of the real honeypots has been OK and as ever we try to stick to the non council charity parking,  like at sports clubs and village halls etc who are no doubt pleased with the income.

In reply to Wainers44:

Pick your spot.

I managed a 20 minute swim during the August Bank Holiday a few years back in Crummock Water having forgotten my trunks, and didn't get to wave my Lake Monster attributes at anyone. The only one interested was the Ms Freeflyer of the moment who was fully occupied trying to take embarrassing photos.

In reply to freeflyer:

Even in August the water temperature is surely such that any Lake Monster attributes will be severely minimised 😁

In reply to Frankie boy:

Lakeland Trails Marathon on Sunday

In reply to Michael Hood:

Please don't post any photo evidence of that!!

In reply to Frankie boy:

A space or two in the car parks at Tilberthwaite, Hodge Close and up near the Three Shire Stone yesterday (Wednesday). Busy but not rammed. I’d probably avoid the weekend if weather is good (or at least go early). There was a big queue on google maps on the run into Ambleside. Access via Greenodd/Torver was ok, although all the lake side lay-bys were full

In reply to Frankie boy:

We're camping near windermere at the moment. Campsite heaving with some decidedly non outdoorsy people (huge group of scousers near us spending all day and evening drinking and blaring their radio). However, I've taken my daughter up Jack's Rake onto Pavey and the rest of the pikes, climbed at Scout Crag and Long Scar, and up over Red Screes. No busier than any other weekend. A few other people but not feeling hectic.

Of course the fab weather helps, we've been swimming in the lake every day after the hills, so despite the crowds it's been good!

In reply to Michael Hood:

Indeed. It was an amazing experience, both in the water, and sunbathing afterwards for a couple of hours with ice running through my veins.

I can't resist the obvious though