Mollys snowy Ogwen adventure jan 23 2013 pt1

I have now had molly my new companion two weeks, it has snowed hard overnight in Snowdonia , the web cam in Ogwen valley shows a good covering but is very grey and overcast!     any how cant miss the snow and Mollster will love it:)   so after a drive into north wales and down to Ogwen i park up near to the white cottages to start the walk up to Cym Idwal and the Devils Kitchen.  i may go further will see what the conditions are like.   as its a Monday there are very few cars here this early so will be no distractions for Molly , she has only been off lead a few times with me.

 Here is the classic view up the first Idwal waterfall with the single lone tree :)   it is frozen today!

 

Starting up the path in the snow there is a good depth of snow, Mol is going to have a great time .

 

 

                                               She doesn't waste any time, look at her :)

 heading towards the Devils Kitchen but the low mist is shrouding almost everything in sight!

 the snow is getting deeper as we climb higher , and she soon starts rolling and playing in a deeper drift,  she is getting covered in it :)

 This fun is what i have missed in the near two and half years since my last dog Ben died.  i am enjoying this as much as she is.  she is running around diving into the snow having a great time.

                                                          more playful bounding in the snow

Looking behind us towards Pen yr ole wen shrouded in low cloud and Molly has spotted something in the distance by the look of it .  it has come over very dark and is trying to snow. not great for taking photographs :(

We have now reached the lake, Llyn Idwal which is completely frozen as expected , it is a very shallow lake for the most part so the ice is usually quite thick and safe ish to walk on!

the snow has drifted into very deep drifts all along the lakes path , molly soon finds how deep!   Ooops

                          here is the Mollster doing what she does best  "posing"   haha

down to the lake edge and she gingerly walks on to the ice , i would not normally let a dog do this but the water is only a few inches deep for a long distance out into the lake , so is safe for her close in

    somehow i don't think she knows its ice under the snow and slips all over the place, so funny!

any how she spots a walker in the distance and starts running down the beach towards him, i call her and she comes running back and i shoot a series of images of her running and have placed them together into one image , looks quite good :)

we are heading around the lake to take the path that goes up the Devils Kitchen, we will see how far up it is possible to get before the ice gets too treacherous. great view across the lake , still not fully frozen over, must have been quite windy!

                                      love the wave ripple patterns in the lakes frozen surface .

                  "come on" she must be thinking,  stop taking pictures and get moving!   lol

we have now left the lake behind and it is a magnificent view back down to the valley in the distance.

having reached the steeper path the icy steps are getting a bit harder to walk on , will plod on, be careful molly i shout :D

Looking ahead there are ice falls down the rock faces, and a number of climbers with ropes making there way up.  amazing to see , but molly doesn't seem interested. watching a crow flying around more important   lol

superb views from up here , Pen yr ole wen still covered in low cloud, if it had been a blue sky day it would have been fabulous ,  never mind :(

                                          i am not the only one admiring the view :)

                                                            icefalls , doesn't it look amazing !

we have come to an ice shelf , cant get any higher without crampons and an ice axe , really tricky standing on it!  fantastic view though

                                                   the ice climbers , looks seriously scary! 

                             i will finish this first part of the day with a portrait of the "Mollster"

                                        the day continues in part 2 with more snow fun


                                  all images shot with canon 5dmk2 , 17-40 L & 70-300 is