Dow Crag

RhyoliteFaces NEtradDiff to E5 6a

A great wall of buttresses and gullies above Goat's Water in the Coniston fells, one of the birthplaces of British rock climbing. Long mountain routes on sound, blocky rhyolite, with the multi-pitch classics of the Ordinary and Eliminate routes drawing climbers for over a century. North-easterly aspect keeps it cool and slow to dry.

Dow Crag, Rhyolite — Cove Quarry and Dow Crag - geograph.org.uk - 1015698 · Tom Richardson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Conditions right now

Classics

Route	Grade
Giant's Crawl	D
Murray's Route	S 4a
Eliminate 'A'	VS 4c

Access & approach

Park at the Walna Scar road above Coniston; 60-75 minute walk via Goat's Water. Mountain crag - allow for weather and a scree approach.

Always check the BMC Regional Access Database (RAD)for current restrictions and seasonal bird bans before visiting. County: Cumbria. View on OpenStreetMap ↗

Photos

Freely-licensed photographs taken at or near the crag. Rock changes less than websites do, but check the date — an approach can silt up or a path can be diverted.

Bursting Stone Quarry - geograph.org.uk - 3273200 · Michael Graham, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Upper part of Bursting Stone Quarry - geograph.org.uk - 7995301 · Trevor Littlewood, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Huge spoil terrace at Bursting Stone Quarry - geograph.org.uk - 7995446 · Trevor Littlewood, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where this entry comes from

Location, rock type and climbing styles from OpenStreetMap(© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Description, classics and access notes are our own editorial content. More background: Wikipedia. Spotted an error? The fastest fix is often to improve the map itself — we re-import regularly.