Dale Head Inversions Jan 17 th 2022

Over the past week there have been temperature inversions in the Lakes almost everyday , so i decided to take a trip up on Monday .  My plan was to climb Helvellyn, which has had some fabulous inversions over the valleys all around Thirlmere, But upon driving through Grasmere and up Dunmail Raise it was completely clear of any mist fog or anything.  Plan B , Err  not a clue .

Driving towards Keswick i could see mist in the distance , so a quick decision was made to drive along Derwentwater and go up towards Honister to see if Buttermere Valley area has any . 

Parking at Honister NT carpark i could see an inversion over the top of Fleetwith Pike and coming down wards into the Honister pass.   So  two options , go up Dale Head or head towards Fleetwith and Haystacks. Since i have Ozzy with me the easier route up Dale Head which has blue sky above it may be a better option.

The blue sly over Dale Head is being replaced by thick cloud now as i start walking up the steep first section . It is flowing over Fleetwith Pike on the left in the above image. 

While there is still a bit of sun illuminating the fells i will get the drone up for a few images , the new Mavic 3 will handle the fairly strong wind easily. 

                             Dji Mavic 3    12 manually shot frames merged in lightroom

                        Seatoller Fell is completely covered in cloud and the sun is trying to break through!   

   Mavic 3 drone 9 frames merged with three extra frames for the right hand side due to the highlights.

I can see the inversion  around the drone so i bring it back quickly just before the visibility disappears completely. 

The inversion cloud has now almost completely enveloped me,  amazing how fast it moved in!

Time to carry on walking upwards and hopefully get out above it. 

Finally i have climbed above the cloud and the views of the inversions open out.  it doesn't look like a full inversion here unfortunately.    

Just as the visibility increases i notice a Fogbow directly in front of me , i manage an image with Ozzy sitting in the middle.

        Time to get the drone up again while the conditions are looking good.  this is a 3 frame merge.

                                          14 frame panorama , the cloud is lifting again now 

           Using the my 100-400mm lens on 5dsr to fill the frame with the interesting inversions.

                                                Two hikers surrounded by the inversions.

I have been watching the clouds moving like waterfalls between the peaks, fascinating to watch, it appears to be a full inversion in the distance over Wastwater and Coniston over to the far left from my position..

                              We are almost at the summit now , a few phone images now 

                                    i phone 13 pro max raw dng files edited in lightroom.

Having reached the summit, it is cloud free on the other side looking down towards Keswick and  Skiddaw in the distance. 

                                   Ozzy doesn't look happy sitting on this rock for a picture!

                              Fabulous views across the fells today away from the inversions.

Up in the sun watching the clouds ebb and flow around the summits , 

Days don't get much better than this .

                       The inversions have mostly crept back towards away from me now, shame .

We have now walked along Hindscarth edge and taking a rest in the warm sun.

              The floor of Buttermere valley is in full sun, but creeping towards the trees now.

                                                     5dsr with 100-400mmL at 400mm 

What a great place to sit in the sun , I think that is Pillar in the background over Fleetwith Pike and Haystacks.

            One last look at the view from the summit cairn , stunning!   a fabulous day in the lakes .

That's it for today , until the next adventure.............

Y-Garn and Snowdon Temperature Inversions pt 2

Continuing the Superb day up in the welsh mountains, with the Inversion having almost dispersed on the Ogwen valley side of Y-Garn , my attentions have turned around towards Snowdon , The mountains all the way to Cadair Idris in mid wales are surrounded by the Inversions . Using long lens has the effect of compressing the view making them all look much closer together than they actually are.   what an amazing sight to see :)

                                                             A Panorama of Snowdon    

                                                   A closer view of the Snowdon Massif .

                                                             And Tryfan and Glyder Fach.

It is now looking like the cloud Inversion is filling Ogwen valley again , it is sweeping in up Nant Ffrancon valley from Anglesey and filling the valley floor as i sit watching.   Amazing!

                                   A long panorama of Snowdon with a lone figure watching :)   
                                                                     View large HERE

                                               A shorter panorama of the clouds swirling.
                                                                   view large HERE

                                                       A long lens image of the clouds :D

                A nice wide panorama with Snowdon on the left across to Elidir Fawr on the right.
                           Llanberis and Llyn Padarn are somewhere down there in the middle .

                                                          Looking out towards Anglesey

                                    Ogwen has now filled up again, fascinating to watch :)

                            Now turning attention to the Menai straits  , time for a long lens shot ..

    With my 400mm on now and i manage to get a group of walkers in the shot for scale, bottom left   and the  Dropped Inversion over the Menai straits :)     Its like a disaster movie Lol.

             Time to head down now , and a Brocken Spectre (cloud rainbow)  below me .

                                             Great view of Tryfan with good foreground rocks .

                                                       Yet another Brocken Spectre  Yay

The low sun is illuminating the Glyderau and the Inversion , which is looking darker than it did this morning. presumably due to lower sun angle. i will sit here a while just watching the cloud moving around in the sun while its still quite warm .

                                                       Descending into the cloud!!!!!!

Cant believe how much movement there is in this cloud, one minute it is thick and cant see anything, then its clear again!!!!!!!    weird.

                                                                     Suns out again  lol

                   I have now climbed almost down to the  Cym Idwal level , its cold down here :(

                           Llyn Idwal is now in view through the cloud , which has lifted a bit again.

 

   Pen-yr-ole-wen just visible through the cloud , amazing!

The end of one of my best ever mountain days  ,  definitely the best cloud Inversions i have ever seen .
The difference in temperature between the warm mountain tops in the sun and the almost freezing cold down at ground level is hard to believe.

Temperature Inversions in Snowdonia 9th Feb 2015 pt1

It is Monday morning , a week after my walk in the heavy snow fall in the Ogwen valley Snowdonia , but keeping a look on the web cams i have noticed most of the snow has gone , only the high areas still have a good covering.   The weather over the last four days has been very good for Temperature inversions ,so i am hoping to see one today, if i can climb high enough!      the Snowdon web cam is looking great, a good inversion with just the summit above the clouds :)  But the Ogwen cam is in thick cloud :(

So after driving down to Snowdonia and parking up near the Ogwen cottages in thick fog/cloud, i start my walk towards Y-Garn.  There is quite alot of ice on the path through the rock cutting but as i walk towards Cym Idwal patches of snow increase making easier going.

I am now at  the start of the Y-Garn track , its looking very gloomy and i just hope i can break through this cloud to see some views.

Full of anticipation i am climbing up into even thicker cloud ,  the snow cover is increasing now as i gain height and cant see anything around me now!

Time to put my micro spikes on now as the snow is quite thick here , but it is quite soft mostly making heavy going up the steps section.  its actually looking a bit brighter above me now with glimpses of the sun trying to break through the cloud.
another 15 mins of climbing and suddenly...............................

                        OMG!!!   Yay :D         WHAT A FIRST VIEW OF THE INVERSION!

                          Pen-yr-ole-wen rising majestically above the cloud in front of me.
                                                                view larger HERE

I am level with the top of the inversion  , i shoot 7 portrait frames to stitch together to make this panorama of Pen-yr and Tryfan over to the right.    view larger HERE

                                        Climbing above the Inversion now ,its a glorious sight :)

          Sitting in the sun watching the clouds move around in front of me  , its quite warm up here :)

 

                                             Heading up higher now towards the summit.

Stopping frequently for photographic breaks  , the views are amazing,  Cym Idwal and the Devils Kitchen are down there in the cloud , Tryfan over to the left and the Glyders around to the right.

   Y-Garn summit is in view ,  left of the sharp point on the right of this image, that's the steepest section to negotiate.

      Another photo break just above Llym Clyd which is a small lake down below the summit . the Inversion is starting to break up now as i can almost see down to Llyn Ogwen to the right of Pen-yr.

                                                   Onwards and upwards as they say :)    
                      steep off the path but not too bad in the deep snow on the main path.

The path follows this ridge straight up to the top plateau where i will be able to see the  Snowdon Massif  hopefully surrounded by the Inversion.

        Looking down to Tryfan , the cloud base is dropping now as it disperses with the suns warmth .

                                                The final long climb to the Plateau.........

                                                         Love this image with the rocks :)

                                                            almost a Batman shadow :D

  The summit is in sight , up this steep scramble and then a short walk along the plateau to the small stone shelter on the summit.

A view down Ogwen valley as the cloud clears , can see miles now :)  Llyn Idwal and  Ogwen are now visible with Llyn Clyd covered in ice/snow directly below me to the right.

                         Almost to the top now , the deep snow is giving good footholds here .

I have reached the top plateau ,The first view i get of Snowdon massif surrounded by cloud,what an amazing view :D

Looking towards Anglesey, only the Menai straits are visible where the inversion has dropped into the warmer channel.  wow!    i will take a better image with long lens later .

                    Sitting in the sun just watching the cloud swirling around between the peaks :)
                            It doesn't get much better than this up in the mountains, what a day.

                                   Just a short walk up to the summit now at 3107ft altitude .

                                                                  View from the summit :)
                                                 Tryfan and the Glyderau clear of the cloud now.

                                                                   View Large HERE

                                                                      Continued in pt2