During the last 24hrs it had put down 35mm of rain but the morning was now clear but not cloudless. This is rather frustrating as it is my first solo camping trip in over 2 months and almost the first significant rain during the same period. I caught the 6:35am bus to Chorley then the 7:15am train to Ulverston. As I passed north of Lancaster I looked out across Morecambe Bay which was mostly in sunshine with a nice cloudscape overhead. I reached Ulverston at 8:30 and had quite a wait before the bus so sat in the station waiting room and read. At 9:30 I set off to walk to the bus stop and had time to enjoy a cup of coffee from the cabin before catching the X12 bus to Coniston. The timetable shows the bus leaving at 8:50 but it didn't turn up till 9. I sat back and enjoyed the ride to Coniston. Most of those who got on the bus had left it by Spark Bridge.

Ulverston Railway Station.
Both pictures taken at the same time!

Ulverston Railway Station.

A very useful display board in Ulverston.

Quite a few people got on at Torver. At 10:25 I stepped off the bus in Coniston and quickly got my gear sorted before setting off to get away from the noisy crowds. It was cloudy bright as I crossed the bridge and turned right up the road towards Walna Scar. The start to the day was steep. Passing the point where the old railway station used to be it became even steeper. Up through the trees the road becomes very steep for a while before eventually levelling out a bit after the car par at the end of the tarmac. Quite a few cars were parked but I couldn't see anyone about. At this point the Walna Scar Road is pleasant walking with nice grassy areas either side. It soon becomes more difficult as the surface deteriorates into loose round stones which are treacherous underfoot. Wherever possible I kept to the adjacent grass. As I rounded the mass of Coniston Old Man up ahead the higher parts off the fell were shrouded in cloud. The track soon vanished into the same cloud. I passed the branch path to Goat's Tarn but my way was straight on. Crossing the stone bridge I stopped for a while to wonder why on earth it had metal hand rails on either side on top of the existing stone walls. Even without walls there was no need for a metal fence. A complete waste of time and effort. The track surface continued to deteriorate and I continued to keep to the adjacent grass. A couple of women walkers came down the track as I climbed up. They commented on the size of my rucksack as I passed them. The views had now gone as I entered cloud.

Old quarry above Blind Tarn

An old quarry track lead off to the right, marked by a stone cairn. I reckoned this is where I wanted to go and followed it up into the mist. I soon started to come to old slate workings and finished up amongst some old ruined buildings. I was heading for Blind Tarn but couldn't see anything of the surrounding area because if the mist. I checked my map and the GPS unit which said it was very close and that I needed to retrace my steps a short way. I did and a brief gap in the mist revealed the small tarn just below. Unfortunately the wind had increased considerably and it was even difficult to stand up. Near to the tarn was a slight depression where the wind's severity was a bit less. Even so I struggled to get the tent up. I collected some water from the tarn and hadn't been in my tent long before the rain started. Torrential rain battered the tent all afternoon and only stopped at 5pm. The wind had reduced considerably by then.