Great How is a rescue hotspot for the Coniston team. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

A group of walkers had to be rescued after getting into difficulties on a Lake District fell.

A passer-by called police after noticing the four men stuck on a ledge while descending from Great How in the Coniston Fells.

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team said it was a damp, cloudy winter’s day with the mountain tops shrouded in mist. The team said the walkers thought they were on the Old Man of Coniston.

Its members were called out about 1.40pm on Saturday.

A team spokesperson said there is no path on the descent through Great How Crags. “One of the party managed to descend, but the other three saw how close he came to a big fall, and decided to stay put,” the spokesperson said. “We were called out, and despatched three Land Rovers to Levers Water dam.

“We then hiked up with all our kit across the screes to the base of the crag. Two of our team climbed a gully to their side, climbed over to their ledge, set up a belay and lowered the remaining three down using team harnesses.

“It transpired that they thought that they were climbing and descending the Old Man of Coniston, which is more than a mile away from Great How, having parked their car at the Fell Gate car park and walked right past the Old Man.

“Great How in descent is one of our three key hotspots where people have not fared well in the past. At least this incident had a safe outcome.”

The 3½-hour rescue involved 16 team volunteers.

Coniston MRT says Great How is a trap for unwary walkers. A grade-two rock scramble leads intricately through the slabs and buttresses to the top. Great How also has rock-climbing routes ranging from Very Difficult to Extreme grades.

The team says walkers regularly stray on to Great How by mistake thinking that they are descending the path from Levers Hawse down to Levers Water.

More details of this rescue ‘hotspot’ are on the Coniston MRT website.