Far too glorious a day to not go on a walk. The walking blog will get updated tomorrow, but for now, here’s one of today’s spectacular views: Great End on the left, then the three lumps from centre to right are Loft Crag, Pike o’Stickle and Harrison Stickle — the Langdale Pikes. England doesn’t get a great deal better than this.
The real point of this weekend was to meet and — hopefully — bond with the people who are going to be attempting Kilimanjaro with me. Here is a selection of them, at least. A good weekend, I think we’re more ready than we were on Friday anyway.
You didn’t think I was going to come all the way to Scotland to work and not get a walk in, did you? This is about an hour north of Dundee by road, the southern edge of the Cairngorms National Park. Here we are about 2,600 feet above sea level, at the head of Glen Clova. A good walk today.
“OK, I might have a bit of a silly tail. But I live in a cooler place than you.”
And yes, that’s snow in May.
Sometimes there are days — and associated weather forecasts — on which one has to admit (for the sake of general sanity and effectiveness in life) that one’s personal priorities are more important than one’s paid employment. I rearranged a few things as a result. And yes, I like being out in countryside like this, as did the gentleman pictured here, who I slowly caught up over the course of a mile or two and was able to use to give a good sense of scale. This is a desolate spot, but worth reaching. You can see more photos from the day on my other blog.
Time for a walk. Watch Hill is near Cockermouth, Cumbria. This is my Zen landscape shot. More will appear on my walking blog in due course (probably tomorrow).
University doesn’t reopen until Monday so I took advantage of this fact and a reasonable weather forecast to do another Lake District walk (written up in full on my other blog). The Duddon Valley slices through the south-west of the district. Walking in winter like this does lead to more time spent outdoors in the ‘golden hour’, thus plenty of chances for shots like this one.
Pictured towards the end of the 15-mile walk I did today, heading north from Ulverston, Cumbria, and dropping down to the Duddon estuary near Kirkby-in-Furness. The wind farm is offshore; the sheep defiantly onshore, both represent the same thing at heart. More pictures from the day (and I have several that I like) will be on my walking blog later today.
Think landscapes are easy to photograph? No! Landscapes are capricious and complex. Like women. You have to get them in the mood, and when they’re there, don’t hang around — it might not last long.
A walk in the Lakes. Specifically, around the southern tip of Windermere. Generally a very nice day except for about 90 minutes of clouds and squally drizzle around lunchtime; at the point this photo was taken things were mostly cleared up. This is the summit of Gummer’s How, a small peak at the end of the lake, and famous (rightly) for its view. These Luing cattle live permanently on the fell and maintain the flora, so we are informed by the noticeboard at the point where the path leaves the road, anyway.
Being 42 