#Explorefromthedoor with Sean Conway – #12 Bagging those Tarns
Munro bagging. Bag a Wainwright. Bag that mountain summit. These we have all heard of but there is one more thing that I love to ‘bag’ in the Lake District, and that is the humble tarn. A tarn is defined as a small mountain lake and there are hundreds of them. What’s better is they are often quite high up a mountainside.
The rules are simple. Hike up to a tarn, and jump in. You don’t need to do a big swim but you need to at least get your entire body underwater. No, dipping your toes in does not count.
If you fancy a bit of tarn bagging around Coniston Old Man then there are 5 to tick off your list and this is the route to take.
From the centre of town head up Church Beck towards the Coppermine’s Valley. Keep on the road, up past the YHA and then at the water treatment works take the road to the right and keep going. Eventually, you’ll come out at Levers Water. Jump in, scream like a small child from the cold and then continue. I tend to keep my clothes and shoes on because they’ll all land up getting wet anyway.
Cross over the dam wall then start skirting the mountainside up towards Low Water (I suggest you take an OS map with you) There isn’t a path but you’ll see an obvious route along the cliffs. If you’re lucky you may even stumble across a disused mine tunnel. Eventually, and feeling very warm from the uphill scramble, you’ll get to Low Water. There is a rock at the far end which I like to jump off. Head there.
Then it’s up to the top of the Old Man on the main drag. It gets your heart racing and with some luck, you may get some good views of Isle of Mann, Scotland, Yorkshire Dales and Blackpool Tower. Then it’s down the other side following with footpath north. Then take the path heading west and down towards Goat’s Water. The wind is often howling up here so it can be cold. Goat’s Water also has loads of those little fish that you spend a fortune at day spa’s to eat the skin on your feet.
After that windy cold swim, it’s off the path, heading south-west along the contour of the mountain to your right. Blind Tarn is well hidden (hence the name) so make sure your navigation is up to scratch, especially if the mist is down. Then jump in and tick your forth tarn.
You’re back on a footpath heading south from Blind Tarn to meet Walna Scar Road. Turn left and walk about 1km and take the next footpath on your right. This leads you down a river and eventually, you’ll come across a Banishead Quarry. After some rain, you’ll be greeted by a spectacular waterfall. It’s a quick scramble down the bank and then a short massage on your shoulder from the waterfall before the final dip and tarn number 5.
From Banishead you can take a few different routes back to Coniston for that all-important tea and much deserved cake having completed the Old Man Tarn Bagging Adventure. . . and you’ll feel epic.
I highly recommend these little tarn bagging days out as something a bit different to your normal hiking up hills adventure. You won’t regret it.
