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  • The Celtic Cross shaped memorial at the highest point of ChurchIsland stands proud, just, above the fog draped Menai Strait.Though the fog obscured much of the view, the extreme low tide revealed a landscape not often seen.<br />
<br />
On the way to work that Friday, I couldn't even see the end of our road for thick fog! As I had all my kit with me for a day's studio shooting, I drove via the bridges to see what atmospheric effects might be occurring. Whilst approaching the first lay-by, I saw a beautiful recessional tonal layering of tall trees disappearing into thick fog, almost top-lit by the weak early morning sun. However by the time I'd parked the van the fog has shifted and the recessional effect had reduced, so I walked right down to the edge of the Menai Strait to see whether either of the bridges would show through. This time I had the opposite problem where the fog was so thick I couldn't even see the field alongside me or more than 30 ft out onto the silent Strait. I trudged along a damp, muddy and waterlogged foreshore eventually meandering back up the misty fields to the road. Ironically, from this elevation, higher above the Strait, and with the sun starting to back-light the fog, I enjoyed several stunning variations of view from just a 200 yd stretch of road. The light, sunshine and fog were all dancing across the fast water when regrettably, I had to leave to open the gallery at 10.00 :-(
    GD000872.jpg
  • The thick fog not only enveloped the beautiful Menai Strait, it also flowed deep into the woodland, separating trees and copses into delicate tonal patterns and textures, creating an almost rain-forest like appearance. <br />
<br />
On the way to work that Friday, I couldn't even see the end of our road for thick fog! As I had all my kit with me for a day's studio shooting, I drove via the bridges to see what atmospheric effects might be occurring. Whilst approaching the first lay-by, I saw a beautiful recessional tonal layering of tall trees disappearing into thick fog, almost top-lit by the weak early morning sun. However by the time I'd parked the van the fog has shifted and the recessional effect had reduced, so I walked right down to the edge of the Menai Strait to see whether either of the bridges would show through. This time I had the opposite problem where the fog was so thick I couldn't even see the field alongside me or more than 30 ft out onto the silent Strait. I trudged along a damp, muddy and waterlogged foreshore eventually meandering back up the misty fields to the road. Ironically, from this elevation, higher above the Strait, and with the sun starting to back-light the fog, I enjoyed several stunning variations of view from just a 200 yd stretch of road. The light, sunshine and fog were all dancing across the fast water when regrettably, I had to leave to open the gallery at 10.00 :-(
    GD000873.jpg
  • Early morning fog hovers over a rural Anglesey landscape and old church, between Talwrn and Pentraeth on the isle of Anglesey. As the sun rose the fog became mist and then gradually evaporated and disappeared.
    GD001645.jpg
  • Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
    GD001809.jpg
  • I was up early to enjoy thick fog over the island. A shipwreck was exposed on the low tide, silhouetted by a blaze of brilliant sunshine. The ancient Welsh hills, normally a backdrop to this view were invisible, obscured by curtains of billowing fog gently heading Northwards.
    GD002305.jpg
  • Night time fog swirls in from the Irish Sea and up the Menai Strait, enveloping the Menai Suspension Bridge (Welsh: Pont Grog y Borth) which is a stone built Victorian suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and Bangor and mainland of Wales. The 100ft high bridge was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826.
    GD001940.jpg
  • Night time fog swirls in from the Irish Sea and up the Menai Strait, enveloping the Menai Suspension Bridge (Welsh: Pont Grog y Borth) which is a stone built Victorian suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and Bangor and mainland of Wales. The 100ft high bridge was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826.
    GD000684BW.jpg
  • A temporary clearing in thick fog at sunset, caused by a major temperature inversion, seen here at South Stack, Irish Sea, North Wales. The RSPB information centre and viewing point of Elim's Tower is the white building on the cliff top.
    GD001808.jpg
  • I left the valley in beautiful warm evening sunshine but by the time I reached the summit it was shrouded in dense, fast-swirling and cold hill fog. I shivered as I sat in the lee of the summit cairn but when the sun burst through I was bathed in warmth and mesmerised by the rapidly unfurling mountain views beyond me. The conditions lasted maybe an hour before the temperatures balanced out and the cloud dispersed leaving totally clear views. I can't help but be impressed by the constantly changing ethereal qualities of the Welsh light and weather.
    GD002311.jpg
  • Even in this thick sea fog the crash of the waves and the advancing tide is relentless and comforting, confirming a natural order of things, the spin of the earth, the pull of the moon, the winds and the gales blowing their way around the globe. Yet I stand here on the shoreline, in one small microcosm of the rest of the planet, wrapped up in my own thoughts, my own ideas and my own emotions and without doubt my memories. Perhaps the whiteness of the fog even encourages this mental escape, eliminating everything else about me, reducing chaos to minimalist simplicity, lovely!
    GD001074.jpg
  • A simple shot of Bangor Pier taken as the thick fog banks from a temperature inversion cleared in the warm morning sunshine. It was strange to see the Snowdonia mountains appear first, and then slowly but surely Bangor Pier and the Menai Strait, until finally the fog disappeared altogether.
    GD002306.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's highest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank but here in the transition zone on Mynydd Mawr the fog created eerie views above steep and craggy mountain cliffs.
    GD001953.jpg
  • “An eary morning fog rolls in off the sea, shrouding the idyllic church and graveyard of Ynys St Tysilio, Anglesey.<br />
<br />
The 100 foot high Menai Suspension Bridge, completed in 1826 by Sir Thomas Telford, looms above the sea fog which burned off by mid-morning
    GD001751.jpg
  • Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
    GD001810.jpg
  • Second day of a phenomenal temperature inversion in a row. This is right at the edge of the fog bank, before the coast, so the sun was able to pierce the thick fog over Aberffraw and the Irish Sea
    GD001807.jpg
  • Early morning fog hovers over a rural Anglesey landscape at Llanbedrgoch between Talwrn and Pentraeth on the isle of Anglesey. As the sun rose the fog became mist and then gradually evaporated and disappeared.
    GD001578.jpg
  • The vast sandy Malltraeth Beach beyond Llanddwyn Beach, at low tide, almost obscured by thick sea fog, West Anglesey, Wales
    GD000717-BW.jpg
  • Llanddwyn Island and Malltraeth Beach, shrouded in thick sea fog on the West coast of Anglesey. Beyond, across Caernarfon Bay, on the Welsh mainland, can be seen the three peaks of Yr Eifl, from L-R Tre'r Ceiri the iron age hill fort, Garn Ganol and Garn For on the Llyn Peninsula.
    GD000740.jpg
  • the vast sandy Malltraeth Beach beyond Llanddwyn Beach, at low tide, almost obscured by thick sea fog, West Anglesey, Wales
    GD000717.jpg
  • International Color Awards 2016 - Nominee in "Nature" category<br />
<br />
Rays of light from South Stack lighthouse, Holy Island, Anglesey, under a thick bank of fog at sunset, caused by a second day of temperature inversion over North Wales and here over the Irish Sea. Fishermen's torches light the rocks at the base of the cliffs in the blue gloom.
    GD001811.jpg
  • A simple shot of Bangor Pier taken as the thick fog banks from a temperature inversion cleared in the warm morning sunshine. It was strange to see the Snowdonia mountains appear first, and then slowly but surely Bangor Pier and the Menai Strait, until finally the fog disappeared altogether.
    GD002307.jpg
  • I was totally surprised. I rarely visit this beautiful location any more due to the sheer numbers of people heading there to photograph it 24 hours a day. <br />
<br />
With the thick fog of the morning, and it being a bank holiday I had little hope of grabbing a snap without a dozen others there already, but apart from the hamlet of camper vans parked there overnight, there was literally no one near the lighthouse. The early morning start this time had paid off. <br />
<br />
There were moments when I couldn’t see the lighthouse at all, and others when there was temporary clarity, but the pale limestone path formed a wonderful curving connection through the weight of the fog to the lighthouse itself. <br />
<br />
I hand-held all my shots here and escaped before the crowds appeared. I felt for a few brief moments that it was my place once again.
    GD002300.jpg
  • Thick fog at sunset, caused by a major temperature inversion, seen here at the high cliffs at South Stack, Holy Island, Irish Sea, North Wales.
    GD001843.jpg
  • From a shoot alongside the BBC's 'Weatherman Walking' series with Derek Brockway. I was acting as guide for the walk because of my book about the location.<br />
<br />
We had just come up from Tre'r onto the summit of Garn Ganol. The hill fog had been very thick, swirling in a clammy wet blanket about us which was very atmospheric but also blocked all the views. Here however, the cloud suddenly parted and revealed beautiful patches of sunlit Llyn Landscape. Even the cameramen were ecstatic about the weather phenomenon before us - stunning.
    GD000935a.jpg
  • Coastguard cottages in gentle morning sunlight passing through thick fog at Trwyn Du. These houses are so grand for such a remote and exposed spot. A blackbird hopping along the wall was the only movement in this gentle Spring stillness and it's song the only sound balancing the melancholy 'dong' of the lighthouse bell.
    GD002303.jpg
  • Enveloped in sea fog, this is the remains the Greek brig, "Athena" -which was wrecked here at Malltraeth / Llanddwyn, Anglesey, in December 1852. It was not a tradgedy as all 14 crew were rescued by local lifeboatmen
    GD000718.jpg
  • A large tree lost near the top of a mountain in high fog.
    GD000610.jpg
  • Night time fog swirls in from the Irish Sea and up the Menai Strait, enveloping the Menai Suspension Bridge (Welsh: Pont Grog y Borth) which is a stone built Victorian suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and Bangor and mainland of Wales. The 100ft high bridge was designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826.
    GD001753.jpg
  • A large tree lost near the top of a mountain in high fog.
    GD000610.jpg
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  • View from the summit of Garn Ganol (Yr Eifl) the highest point on the Llyn Peninsula, looking across the rural farmland through low lying clouds and hill fog  in showery weather
    GD000936.jpg
  • Very early morning fog surrounds the historical church and priory at Penmon. Two early birds catch the thermals as gentle sunshine warms the cool air.
    GD002095.jpg
  • Early morning mist gardually disappears as the early morning sun hovers over a rural Anglesey landscape and old church, between Talwrn and Pentraeth on the isle of Anglesey. As the sun rose the fog became mist and then gradually evaporated and disappeared.
    GD001581.jpg
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  • A thick Spring sea fog rolled in from the Menai Strait over Beaumaris town and the lush farmland behind. Visibility changed constantly and during a clearer moment I caught a glimpse of these non-phased cattle going about their business as I just stood in awe at this incredible weather phenomenon.
    GD002079.jpg
  • The massif of Snowdon tries to hold back an enormous fog bank from the Irish Sea, but clouds and fog spilled over nevertheless. Through short breaks in the fog, brilliant sunlight blasted the quarries on the mountainside opposite, separating and dividing the landscape into multiple layers of tone, colour and shadow. In a manmade industrial landscape like this, the whole scene looked more like something from a Hollywood film set.
    GD002371.jpg
  • The massif of Snowdon tries to hold back an enormous fog bank from the Irish Sea, but clouds and fog spilled over nevertheless. Through short breaks in the fog, brilliant sunlight blasted the quarries on the mountainside opposite, separating and dividing the landscape into multiple layers of tone, colour and shadow. In a manmade industrial landscape like this, the whole scene looked more like something from a Hollywood film set.
    GD002372.jpg
  • Even in this thick sea fog the crash of the waves and the advancing tide is relentless and comforting, confirming a natural order of things, the spin of the earth, the pull of the moon, the winds and the gales blowing their way around the globe. Yet I stand here on the shoreline, in one small microcosm of the rest of the planet, wrapped up in my own thoughts, my own ideas and my own emotions and without doubt my memories. Perhaps the whiteness of the fog even encourages this mental escape, eliminating everything else about me, reducing chaos to minimalist simplicity, lovely!
    GD001075.jpg
  • I left the valley in beautiful warm evening sunshine but by the time I reached the summit it was shrouded in dense, fast-swirling and cold hill fog. I shivered as I sat in the lee of the summit cairn but when the sun burst through I was bathed in warmth and mesmerised by the rapidly unfurling mountain views beyond me. The conditions lasted maybe an hour before the temperatures balanced out and the cloud dispersed leaving totally clear views. I can't help but be impressed by the constantly changing ethereal qualities of the Welsh light and weather.
    GD002310.jpg
  • A peaty hill top pool and the small peak of Gyrn in the background, in low cloud and hill fog, as seen from the saddle of Moel Wnion, Snowdonia, North Wales,
    GD000953.jpg
  • Low cloud rolling in from the Irish Sea wraps around the summit of Mynydd Mawr and adjacent peaks of the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia at sunset. The top of a pine woodland can be seen on the hillside, separated from the background by  sheets of hill fog.
    GD001829.jpg
  • Got up early this morning, melting overnight. Went out for some cool air in the thick sea fog. After about an hour the fog thinned and just a mist remained. At 9.08 am, just ahead of schedule, the Scillonian III slipped it's warps and gently steamed past St Michaels Mount on its 2 3/4 hr journey to St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly. <br />
<br />
Had several images from this morning that I really liked but just had to post this one first as two iconic subjects lined up. Even saw dolphins breaching this morning. Quite magical.
    GD002522.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's highest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.  <br />
<br />
Tryfan & the Glyderau are the high peaks in the background and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) fill the foreground above the fog
    GD001892.jpg
  • Huge banks of sea fog swirled in off the Irish Sea, isolating hill summits almost creating islands within the hilly landscape. The iron-age hill fort of Carn Fadryn sits atop the peak in the distance, a large settlement of almost 100 circular huts.
    GD001468.jpg
  • The imposing granite rock mass of Kenidjack Tor looms out of the fog on a damp Autumn morning on the Cornish moorlands, from where you can normally see the Atlantic Ocean on three sides.
    GD001935.jpg
  • Bangor Pier looms through the early morning fog over the Menai Strait on Easter Day 2015.
    GD001804.jpg
  • Hills of the Llyn in and out of fog.
    GD001328.jpg
  • It was strange to be standing in sunshine one one side of the valley, looking towards the banks of fog rolling over the hillsides opposite.
    GD002370.jpg
  • It was strange to be standing in sunshine one one side of the valley, looking towards the banks of fog rolling over the hillsides opposite. The bustling town of Llanberis looked so tiny below the crazy swirling weather above.
    GD002369.jpg
  • Bangor Pier looms through the early morning fog over the Menai Strait on Easter Day 2015.
    GD001803.jpg
  • Surreal, freaky, rapidly billowing and convecting fog in the void between Mynydd Mawr and the Nantlee Ridge. Ice and frozt covered wind exposed edges.
    GD001391.jpg
  • This was a beautifully eerie day on the Welsh hills for me. As usual I was alone, enjoying the solitude, but today felt different. There was hill fog all around, and enormous blankets of low cloud tumbled down over the Nantlle Ridge like breakers on a rocky shore, but then plunged down into the valleys around me. Here on the summit of Mynydd Mawr I was totally in the clear.
    GD001151.jpg
  • Bangor Pier looms through the early morning fog over the Menai Strait on Easter Day 2015.
    GD001802.jpg
  • The largest iron age settlement / fortress in Britain, Tre'r Ceiri covers the top of a high Welsh mountain, so high that clouds often pass lower than the summit as here. The highest peak on this peninsula hides behind the mist in the background.
    GD000977.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's hughest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.
    GD001952.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's highest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.  <br />
<br />
Nantlle Ridge peaking above a vast sea of fog in brillian sunshine. Below. it seemed like an awful dull wet day.
    GD001893.jpg
  • Druid's Circle in thick fog, Penmaenmawr
    GD000939.jpg
  • GD001601.jpg
  • South Stack lighthouse on Holy Island, Anglesey, in morning light with sunshine and fluffy white clouds and a calm sea.
    GD001520.jpg
  • Available in four sizes from 3 x A1 Editions, 5 x A2 Editions and unlimted A3 and A4 prints.
    GD001577.jpg
  • A year and a half on from my March Mist Series 2003, the Menai Suspension Bridge was once again shrouded in heavy mist. I was down at the water's edge at breakfast time and it was warm but quite eerie. From this angle, it was hard to see any of the pre rush hour traffic and in the silence, I was able to consider just how old and beautiful this bridge is, and the events and people in history that it's witnessed.
    GD000480.jpg
  • The Afon Ffraw river runs under an historical pack horse on the outskirts of the village of Aberffraw in West Anglesey, in an exceptionally cold mid winter.
    GD000525.jpg
  • Perhaps the quietest area of Anglesey, being acres and acres of privated land, mostly farmed by tenant farmers. The Bodorgan Estate is understandably a perfect, private location for the royal couple Prince William & Kate after their marriage, with spectacular views of the Snowdonia mountains and a short helicopter taxi ride to his work at RAF Valley.
    GD001301.jpg
  • A year and a half on from my March Mist Series 2003, the Menai Suspension Bridge was once again shrouded in heavy mist. I was down at the water's edge at breakfast time and it was warm but quite eerie. The bridge occassionally disappeared into complete whiteness, but towards the end of the session a ghostly sun gently burnt through the mist, right in between the arch, and gave this wonderful mix of elemental conditions. Ten minutes later and the mist had evaporated to leave a gorgeous day.
    GD000466.jpg
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  • Rolling moorland slopes of Bwlch Mawr on the Llyn peninsula in North Wales
    GD001600.jpg
  • Mist lingers over rural farmland and numerous green grass fields adjacent to Wylfa Nuclear Power Station, North Anglesey.
    GD001453.jpg
  • I do love silence, well, silence from human noise at least. This evening was so quiet that I could hear the almost imperceptible sound of the rising tide creeping up the shoreline, spilling into tiny ripples in the sand banks and flooding into small sand pools. As often here on the Afon Menai, I could hear the isolated sounds of two waders, a solitary Oystercatcher flitting over the surface of the strait, and a Curlew feeding on the rapidly disappearing shoreline.<br />
.<br />
It was yet another dull summer day, wind, rain and eventually a heavy, deadening mizzle, and yet there was also a delicate beauty about the subtly changing scene. The grey sky-blanket wasn't really solid, but an ever-morphing backdrop of monochromatic tones, more like a vaporous dance of silks on a washing line.<br />
.<br />
Once again I sheltered under a huge brolly, a dark, warm cove of protection from the elements racing in from the open sea to the West. The landscape became a view, separated from me until I lowered the brolly and felt the full effect of wind-blown rain on my face, smacking me back to reality. It was hard to believe such a pastel scene could exist within the wintry elements all about.
    GD002498.jpg
  • I was actually really excited by the subtle delicacy of it all, really ethereal and slightly surreal. I therefore left this one in colour as the muted shifts of almost desaturated colours present an honesty about the transformation of everyday vistas through simple elemental conditions.
    GD000917.jpg
  • Early morning mist over the Menai Strait from the Cadnant bridge, Menai Bridge.<br />
<br />
Available as unlimited A3 & A4 prints
    GD000042.jpg
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  • Things will change after this weekend. the strange peace and quiet we’ve been enjoying, one of very few positives from this lockdown, will soon end. There has been an absence of noise; an absence of traffic jams; an absence of machines, from powerboats & jet-skis to cars & trail bikes. There has been a blissful near-absence of human activity and noticeably less litter in nature. From Monday however, when everyone in the UK can move around Wales again, this calm, this peace, this relatively unspoiled beauty will change dramatically. It’s been a gentle period that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I will always remember seeing & hearing nature without human figures everywhere. I think we’ve had a glimpse at a time long past, when things were simpler and quieter & for some, more meditative. I do wish this peace would never change, but as I head for a holiday again I also recognise that it’s nothing more than a passing dream.
    GD002497.jpg
  • Available in four sizes from 3 x A1 Editions, 5 x A2 Editions and unlimted A3 and A4 prints.
    GD001597.jpg
  • Banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia, North Wales before evaporating again over the valley. Taken from the adjacent mountain, Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001822.jpg
  • A mountain walker stops at a high point of a precipitous crag of Craig y Bera on Mynydd Mawr, to watch banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia, North Wales before evaporating again over the Nantlle valley.
    GD001826.jpg
  • Banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia, North Wales, before evaporating again over the Nantlle valley at Drws y Coed. Taken from the a precipitous crag of Craig y Bera on the adjacent mountain of Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001823.jpg
  • Banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea at sunset, and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia and over Rhyd Ddu and the lakes of Llyn y Dywarchen and Llyn y Gader, Snowdonia, North Wales. Taken from a lower ridge of Mynydd Mawr
    GD001828.jpg
  • Banks of cloud roll in from the Irish Sea and curl over the top of the Nantlle Ridge in Snowdonia, North Wales before evaporating again over the valley. Taken from the adjacent mountain, Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001825.jpg
  • Nominated in 9th (2016) International Colour Awards (Nature category)<br />
<br />
The undulating set of hills in the foreground is known as the roller-coaster by locals, the foothills to Wales' highest mountain, Snowdon, the name forming the root of the Snowdonia National Park, though Snowdon's real name is Celtic, Yr Wyddfa, & is the one dear to Welsh people. This hugely popular mountain is mostly deserted and offers perfect solitude as dusk settles upon it, the crowds having left by foot and railway to the warmth of the pubs and guest houses in the town nestling below.
    GD001748.jpg
  • 3 Edition A1 - 5 Edition A2<br />
(Only one left in A1 size, no.1 of 3)
    GD001155.jpg
  • A shattered landscape, blasted, gouged and ripped apart by mans material need, lies abstracted in the gorgeous warmth of evening sunlight, the quarrymen long gone. <br />
<br />
Today a different form of quarry workers assault the slate faces, roped up, drilling, clipping, sweating and shouting to each other in the carved out quarry levels. <br />
<br />
The multitude of tough labourers who faced hardship and danger in this industrial landscape are now but echoes in the shadows and deep pits. From the faces of smooth slate in now abandoned quarries, come the sounds of excited chatter and exhilaration as modern day climbers fill the void that has been left.
    GD002373.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's hughest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank. Here we see the first peaks of the Nantlle Ridge, a hill walker's paradise, with Moel Hebog just making an appearance in the far distance.
    GD001792.jpg
  • Heavy mist surrounds Yr Aran, one of the smaller peaks of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), as seen from the Nant Gwynant Valley, Northern Snowdonia.
    GD000927.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in Snowdonia, North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's highest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank. This ridge of Mynydd Mawr is at cloud level, just before breaking into bright sunshine, the cloud below dark and ominous.
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  • After an unpromising start on a cold grey day, and my hip playing up for the first time in a year, serene sunlight glowed underneath the swirling low cloud shrouding the summits.<br />
.<br />
It’s moments like this that make my day, that lify my spirits and paint away the anxiety and anger over the stupidity of human kind. I need the solace that the hills offer those who seek it. I love the solitude as it’s further escape from the nonsense that is current society. Thankfull I didn’t see many fellow walkers, and those I did, bar four, were the grumpiest sods. They never ackowldeged me or my warm greeting, choosing instead to pretend I didn’t exist. Sign of the times. The mountains however welcomed me glady as always, and I felt part of them and utterly connected to them and the elements.
    GD002347.jpg
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  • Pilgrim's Way Llyn Trail, Iron Age route - A Life path for centuries. <br />
<br />
The largest iron age settlement / fortress in Britain, Tre'r Ceiri covers the top of a high Welsh mountain, so high that clouds often pass lower than the summit as here. The highest peak on this peninsula hides behind the mist in the background.
    GD000976.jpg
  • The summit of Snowdon peaks above a huge cloud bank and convection clouds building over Nant y Betws, Rhyd Ddu and the mountain of Mynydd Mawr.
    GD001824.jpg
  • As is the way with my days off these days, there is no rush ever. Jan works long days and even longer nights in an intensive care department and there is NO shift pattern at all to allow a person’s body clock to plan the week. Her need for sleep catch up is vital, so I have learned not to expect a 7am leap out of bed, and instead to respect her body clock readjustment time. It doesn’t stop me getting fidgety however if the light looks amazing, and the day is going by :-)<br />
<br />
It was Sunday however, and for Jan a rare Sunday off, so whatever! The weather forecast was for brightness, light cloud, zero chance of rain and plenty of sunshine later. We could do a lazy leisurely hill walk later with no worries about the elements or timings. I didn’t really absorb the additional information I skimmed through on the mountain weather forecast though, which indicated freezing level at summits and 45mph winds. Nevertheless we threw in our Paramo’s and Rab wind proofs just in case, along with two flasks of steaming hot coffee.<br />
<br />
At about 2pm we started the one hour drive towards the distinctive pyramid shaped mountain called Cnicht. I haven’t done it for couple of years and I love the mountain (approximately 2200 feet). I have done it from the very meandrous North side and also from the shadowy East facing quarry valley of Cwm Orthin, which was today’s plan as I wanted to show Jan the old quarry workings. However, as part of her prep for some bigger mountains in the next few weeks she said she’d prefer a steep ascent, so we headed for Croesor on the brighter West side instead. This was a first for me too which was nice, making our way up the classic West ridge.<br />
<br />
We decided to have a cuppa and a sandwich in the cafe in the tiny, sleepy hamlet of Croesor but the cafe was so asleep it was closed! I was really surprised, this being the Easter break and a car park packed with walkers’ vehicles. We started up the long, bouldery woodland track before exiting right up towards
    GD001733.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's hughest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.
    GD001951.jpg
  • There was a draw, I wanted to just leap into the light, to soar like a raven into the void - I wanted the light, I needed the light and the cool vapours swirled around me as the sun tried to warm my face. <br />
<br />
It was caused by a phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's highest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.
    GD001891.jpg
  • The largest iron age settlement / fortress in Britain, Tre'r Ceiri covers the top of a high Welsh mountain, so high that clouds often pass lower than the summit as here. The highest peak on this peninsula hides behind the mist in the background.
    GD001129.jpg
  • The largest iron age settlement / fortress in Britain, Tre'r Ceiri covers the top of a high Welsh mountain, so high that clouds often pass lower than the summit as here. The highest peak on this peninsula hides behind the mist in the background.
    GD000982.jpg
  • Rapidly developing and blowing clouds create a mountain illusion, as they obscure the spatial reality, that the summit we see is Elidir Fawr, but the base which is actually the lower peaks of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), separated by the Llanberis Pass
    GD001827.jpg
  • A phenomenal temperature inversion in North Wales, leaving only the summits of Snowdonia's hughest peaks in glaring sunshine above the cloud bank.
    GD001950.jpg
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Glyn Davies, Professional Photographer and Gallery

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