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Name:Black Sails
Hill number:2641
Height:745m / 2444ft
Parent (Ma):2634  The Old Man of Coniston [Coniston Old Man]
RHB Section:34D: Southern Cumbria
Nuttall/Wainwright area:Lake District - Southern Fells
County/UA:Westmorland and Furness
Catchment:Leven (Ulverston)
Class:Simm, Hewitt, Nuttall, Birkett, Synge,
Buxton & Lewis, Bridge
(Tu,Sim,Hew,N,B,Sy,BL,Bg)
Grid ref:NY 28290 00755
Summit feature:cairn
Drop:38m
Col:707m  NY285010  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 89 90
(1:25k) OL6N
Survey:Abney level
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 733 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
New Year's Day walk with Minto from Walna Scar car park (£5 for 4 hours). Returned via The Bell.Tony J01/01/2024
First hill of 2024, and my final Simm of Section 34D, and probably 45 years after I climbed Wetherlam. With TonyJ.Minto01/01/2024
Staying at Coniston YH with Alex McBride for the weekend, we headed up Walna Scar Road (a track really) for a circuit covering eight summits. Five of which were Hewitts and Wainwrights, two were just Wainwrights and one was just a Hewitt. Alex is bagging the Wainwrights, while I'm doing the Hewitts. Summits in order: Dow Crag (774m), H and W Old Man of Coniston (803m), H and W Brim Fell (796m), W Grey Frair (773m), H and W Great Carr (785m), W Swirl How (802m), H and W Black Sails (745m), H Wetherlam (763m), H and Wchillyman821/10/2023
From Coniston youth hostel. Nuttall walk 5.5 in reverse. Circuit of Walna Scar, White Maiden, Brown Pike, Buck Pike, Dow Crag, Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Little How Crags, Great How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Swirl How, Black Sails, Wetherlam and Lad Stones. Blustery day in the aftermath of Storm Agnes, in/out of cloud all day with some showers but enjoyable revisit to many of the tops. Solo.richard6928/09/2023
with L in heatwave after ascending Wetherlam - stating to get hill legs back after 5 weeks in Cornwall. Only 39 years since I was last here. The lower Red Dell House Moss climbed between the two hills feels like it should be a Lamp or the like. now down the S ridge.Chris Pearson04/09/2023
Wander around with Andy.munkyennui28/08/2023
From Coniston bus 505. Weather was pretty grim so took a while to find the summit. Wetherlam, Black Sail then dropped down as cold and windy.Fionalevey30/06/2023
Coniston loop. Wetherlam, Black Sails, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friars, Brim Fell, Old Man, Dow Crag, Walna Scar, White Pike, White Maiden. Just over 7 hours in warm sun. Great day.Longwojo13/05/2023
A gruelling but rewarding 17 mile, 9.5 hour circular(ish) round ticking off 16 tops; Starting at free roadside parking just before the church at Bowmanstead, Kitty Crag-Lad Stones-Wetherlan-Black Sails-Swirl How-Great Carrs-Little Carrs-Hell Gill Pike-Grey Friar-Grey How-Little How Crags-Brim Fell-O.M.o.Coniston-Dow Crag-Buck Pike-Brown Pike and returned via Banishead Quarry.Alfa1M04/05/2023
From Coniston, scramble up Long Crag, Kitty Crag, Lad Stones, Wetherlam, Black Sail, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Brim Fell and The Old Man of Coniston.welshyboyo03/03/2023
From Wetherlamb down to flat boggy area and small path off left to top, descend to main path and on up Swirl HowFlatfield19/11/2022
Coniston Old Man and Brim Fell with the girls then nipped up Swirl How and Black Sails to bag my penultimate English Hewitt. Descended the south ridge and met back up at Levers WaterGary Heath02/10/2022
Very long and exhausing up to wetherlamLauralj8429/09/2022
The classic Coniston Round, but including a few not previously climbed Birketts and Synges, and including a new ridge down off Wetherlam. Starting point at Fell Gate is now a Pay + Display car park (£8 for the day). 18 summits topped during the day, order of ascent: Walna Scar, White Pike, White Maiden, Brown Pike, Buck Pike, Dow Crag, Coniston Old Man, Brim Fell, Little How Crags, Great How, Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Wetherlam, Black Sails, Erin Crag, Kennel Crag, The Bell. 25.5km with 1500m ascent taking 9 hours.silverwolf_alan21/09/2022
From Swirl How. It's surprising that a Simm in the Lakes still has no real path leading to it. On to WetherlamColin Crawford17/09/2022
From Wrynose Pass on a hot and sunny morning. Grey Friar, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Black Sails then Wetherlam. Descent was rather scrambly down the north east ridge of Wetherlam and then steeply down to the old mine and workings before a slog up to the eastern end of the Wet Side Edge ridge near High End before dropping down to the car at Three Shire Stone. Time 4 hours for 7.25 miles. Good views could just make out Ireland as well as the Isle of Man and Scotland.isabelle11/08/2022
With Oli, on way down from Wetherlam. Descended south ridge of Black Sailsalistairpooler05/07/2022
Coniston - Wetherlam - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Grey Friar - Brim Fell - Old Man of Coniston - Dow Crag - ConistonJHes21/06/2022
Old Man of Coniston loop: https://strava.app.link/MHS9Zp8iHzblivvips10/05/2022
With MarkS.DaveT27/04/2022
With JGCW23/03/2022
From Three Shires Stone up Swirl How and round to Black sails. Back over Swirl How and across to Grey Friar and own to start. Nice day, a bit of wind but not too much.dickscroop15/03/2022
with MFabioski08/09/2021
An exploration of the Birketts and Synges on Wetherlam, including: Blake Rigg, Haystacks, Hawk Rigg, High Fell (Hawk Rigg), Great Intake – Low Fell, Birk Fell Man (Birk Fell), Wetherlam, Black Sails, Lad Stones, Kitty Crag, Long Crag – Yewdale Fells, High Wythow, Low Wythow, Yewdale Crag, and Brackeny Crag. 16km with 1000m of ascent in 6h 40m. (S)silveracorn_alan10/07/2021
From Coniston. Six SIMMS: Wetherlam > Black Sails > Swirl How > Grey Friar > Old Man of Coniston > Dow Crag. Back by the Walna Scar Road. Perfect weather. Fantastic views all round.Peter_W_Mitchell 01/07/2021
20.7 miles 5935ft walk. Start at Great Langdale NT campsite followed path to Red Tarn cross Wryrose Pass to Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Swirl How, Black Sails, Wetherlam, Brim Fell, Dow Crag and The Old Man of Coniston back past Blea Tarn to Great Langdale.stephenbuda19/05/2021
10.5 mile walk from lane north-west of Coniston (free parking). Walked up track towards Miners Bridge then started ascending passing the old quarry up nice grassy ridge all the way to Wetherlam, from here we continued easily to Black Sails then steeply up Prison Band to Swirl How. Then its an easy amble to Great Carrs taking in plane wreckage on the way, then grassy descent/ascent to Grey Friar. Descended back to col then followed contouring path around Swirl Band to Levers Hawse following track past Levers Water, down to the Pudding Stone then up to The Bell which has great views for a little hill. We then followed tourist track back to Miners Bridge and back to car. Perfect sunny/light breezy conditions, we saw a few people about but not too many for the Lakes. Great views all round. 1141m ascent.DanTrig24/04/2021
Tilberthwaite, Wetherlam & Black Sails from Park CoppiceKatyT13/04/2021
Lovely 20km walk from Coniston with Long Crag scramble, a round of 6 Wainwrights, and a swim in Low Water on the way back down.atreides788720/09/2020
Greenstead circuit with Sue HardenC02/09/2020
From Tilberthwaite via Steel Edge on Wetherlam amd on to Black Sails. Returned over Birk Fell Man, High Fell(Hawk Rigg), Hawk Rigg, Haystacks (Tilberthwaite) and Blake Rigg.knarf02/06/2020
Circular walk from Wetherlam to Old man of Coniston. Parking at old station road.Dan Baddeley22/03/2020
Clockwise Circular from parking area near Tilberthwaite cottages.muzza221/03/2020
Final peak on the ridge after Erin & Kennel Crags. Visibility poor & compass was kaput, so we went back down the same way.DanMaisieBex29/12/2019
During Old Man loop from Conistonlerritt30/11/2019
Revisit with PeteDave Geere10/11/2019
The Old Man of Coniston -> Brim Fell -> Dow Crag -> Walna Scar -> White Maiden -> Green Crag -> Harter Fell -> Grey Friar -> Grear Carrs -> Swirl How -> Black Sails -> Wetherlam. Mostly nice weather for my 2 day walk. Camped at Harter Fell.axoree12/10/2019
With Jonny, Nathan and Chris. Dropping a car in Tiberthwaite, we walked up Yewdale Beck and into Dry Cove Bottom. Up onto Weathelam Edge, the veiws kicked in, and the wind picked up. Nice almost scramble upto Weatherlam. Then along the Black Sails, and another fun step up to Swirl How. We then walked along the ridge to Brim Fell and the Old Man. Turning back on ourselves, we went along the Dow Crag ridge (new fav) along Buck, Brown Pike, then down and along to Walna scar and White Maiden, before dropping back into Torver for food and well needed sleep. 8hr20mins (5hr19min): 20.3km; 1437mByronHaywood14/09/2019
Round from Coniston via Wetherlam to Old Man.NormanW12/04/2019
Route: Walna Scar Rd(Car Pk), Big Hill, Low Water, Old Man of Coniston, Goat's Hause, Dow Crag, Goat's Hause, Brim Fell, Levers Hause, Swirl How, Prison Band, Swirl Hause, Black Sails, Wetherlam, Red Dell, Church Beck, ConistonRobPollitt10/04/2019
Walna Scar road - Levers Water - BLACK SAILS - Wetherlam. With Anne-Marie.citygent01/04/2019
From Erin Crag. Lovely ridge.Karmakarl30/03/2019
With TaliMountain Goat27/02/2019
Birkett`s Con 4 walkmart079726/02/2019
From Wetherlam then down the grassy ridge to Erin Crag. With Sail, Danu, Coel & Alfie.Dangerous Dave30/10/2018
Hill bagging with Andrew: Wetherlam, Black Sails, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Black Crag, The Old Man Of Coniston. 16.86km 3:51:00peter_tun05/08/2018
Bleathwaite Pasture, Brown Pike, Buck Pike, Dow Crag, The Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How, Black Sails, Erin Crag, Kennel Cragkeithouk05/08/2018
WithJules and Jill after WetherlamGrey Hare04/08/2018
From Coniston Old Station (SD 29998 97444) - Walna Scar Road - The Bell - Kennel Crag - Erin Crag - Black Sails - Wetherlam - Birk Fell Man. Hard descent of Wetherlam Edge, steep with loose rocks, would be easier in ascent. Return to Coniston via Crook Beck, Hole Rake & Coppermines Valley.david23020127/05/2018
cj bwchrisj196514/05/2018