Black Sails
745m (2445ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Black Sails & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8ml (12km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,042ft (927m) |
| Time: | 5.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Fell Foot Bridge - Little Langdale - Hollin Crag - Wet Side Edge - Little Carrs - Great Carrs - Swirl How - Swirl Hawse - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Red Dell Head Moss - Wetherlam - Wetherlam Edge - Birk Fell - Greenburn Beck - Fell Foot Bridge
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 8.75ml (14km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,584ft (1,092m) |
| Time: | 6.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Low Tilberthwaite - Above Beck Fells - Hole Rake - Red Gill Head Moss - Steel Edge - Lad Stones - Wetherlam - Red Dell Head Moss - Black Sails - Keld Gill Head - Swirl Hawse - Prison Band - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Little Carrs - Hell Gill Pike - Wet Side Edge - High End - Greenburn Beck - Low Tilberthwaite
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 9.75ml (15.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,664ft (1,117m) |
| Time: | 7.25hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Church Beck - Levers Water Beck - Crowberry Haws - Low Water - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Prison Band - Swirl Hawse - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Red Dell Head Moss - Wetherlam - Furness Fells - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 10ml (16km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,584ft (1,092m) |
| Time: | 7 hrs |
| Grade: | (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Church Beck - Levers Water Beck - Crowberry Haws - Low Water - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Swirl Band - Swirl How - Prison Band - Swirl Hawse - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Red Dell Head Moss - Wetherlam - Furness Fells - Coniston
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.75ml (20.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 4,191ft (1,277m) |
| Time: | 8.75hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Coniston - Walna Scar Road - Boo Tarn - Torver Beck - Cove Bridge - Goat's Water - Goat's Hawse - Dow Crag - Goat's Hawse - The Old Man of Coniston - Brim Fell - Levers Hawse - Grey Friar - Great Carrs - Swirl How - Prison Band - Keld Gill Head - Black Sails - Wetherlam - Swirl Hawse - Levers Water - Crowberry Haws - Walna Scar Road - Coniston
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Black Sails
Nick Tippins walked up on September 26th, 2025 [from/via/route] c306: The Old Man of Coniston & Wetherlam from Coniston [with] Fran
Chris Faulkner climbed it on August 24th, 2024 [from/via/route] From Coniston via Levers Water & Wetherlam [weather] Bright & blustery.
Paul Macey bagged it on August 13th, 2012 [with] Luke Macey
Martin Woods hiked it on March 4th, 2023 [from/via/route] Old man of Coniston to Swirl How, Black Sails & Wetherlam c306 [with] N/A [weather] Overcast, 7 degerees in the valley cold on the tops - Be careful of navigation towards Swirl How easy to forget where you are up to
Kevin Foster summited on September 6th, 2021 [from/via/route] Low Tilberthwaite. [with] By myself. [weather] Cloudy. Summits mostly covered. Good visibility on lower slopes. - An interesting route onto Wetherlam via Steel Edge. The one Wainwright doesn't mention in his books for some reason? Don't know why because it's a cracking way up. Sadly on Prison Band the cloud level was reached & the rest of the walk was view less. Of interest on route was the war memorial & Halifax bomber crash site between Swirl How & Great Carrs. The views opened up again on the descent of wet side edge & the clouds & sunshine poking through made for some great photos.
Alan Smith conquered it on September 15th, 2020 [from/via/route] From Coniston. With kev. Hot sunny day [with] kevin [weather] Sunny
Caroline Winter scaled on April 11th, 2018 [from/via/route] Wrynose pass, Great Carrs, Grey Friar, Swirl How, Black sails, Wetherlam [with] Becky [weather] Cloud lifted & great views late morning/afternoon, breezy on ascent to Hell Gill Pike - Busy up here. Some off to Coniston from Swirl Hawse, we some how missed plane debris on Great Carrs! Lost time on descent of Prison Band & detour off path to Black Sails. Also, after rocky scramble decent.....ended up on the minor track to the mines, & boy was it steep & never ending. We were in dismay at another climb to get back over to Wet Side. Late for booked meal, but fantastic circuit
Anthony Scott walked up on September 22nd, 2015 [with] me
Graham Coules climbed it on April 23rd, 2017 [from/via/route] Nel Foot bridge [weather] Perfect
Louis Smith bagged it on July 12th, 2015 [from/via/route] temperature inversion
Mark Davidson has hiked it [with] Theresa [weather] Can't remember - Can't remember the date but would have been the late 1990's
Rob Cheshire summited on August 23rd, 2015 [from/via/route] From Three Shire Stone, horseshoe route including Great Carrs, Swirl How, Black Sails & Wetherlam. [with] Solo [weather] Warm & Sunny, with a moderate haze.
Darren Mortimer conquered it on July 21st, 2012 [from/via/route] Low Tilberthwaite [with] Dermot Palmer
Mark Purcell scaled on August 10th, 2013 [with] TA
Joanne Mcgawley walked up on August 8th, 2013 [from/via/route] Old Man of Coniston, Brim Fell, Swirl How, Black Sails & Wetherlam [with] Rich [weather] Very Warm & Humid - 9.98 miles
Iain Taylor climbed it on November 8th, 2009 [from/via/route] Coniston (SD 30001 97460)
Ray O'hara bagged it on June 3rd, 2012 [from/via/route] Coniston - Wetherlam - Black Sails - Swirl How - Great Carrs - Grey Friar - Brim Fell - Old Man of Coniston - Consiton. [weather] Cloud above the summits all the way. - Various jubilee events taking place in Coniston & a fell race over much of the route as well.
Christine Shepherd hiked it on March 31st, 2008 [from/via/route] Walked from Coniston using walk c222 [with] Rebecca [weather] Bright & cold - Nearly decided to give this peak a miss as it wasn't a Wainwright but was happy when Rebecca persuaded me that I would enjoy adding another peak to the day.
Mark Ingram summited on May 12th, 2012 [from/via/route] Coniston old man & Weatherlam [with] Sofia [weather] Clear skys but cold & windy on summits
Patrick Rogozinski, Leon Potts, John Cuthbert, Elaine Grayson, Paul Booth, Tracey Cordes, Jeanette Coward, Trevor Williams, Matthew Thomas, Andy Nicholls, Paul Warren and Martin Cowell have all walked, climbed & bagged Black Sails.To add (or remove) your name and experiences on this page - Log On and edit your Personal Mountain Bagging Record
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