Posted by Geoffrey Baker on September 16, 2010 at 8:30 AM
Can you see them?, they're up near the top
This was taken on "Corn Ddu" which leads to "Pen y Fan" which is the tallest mountain in South Wales.
3 of us decided to climb it one Winter's Sunday, it was a few degrees above freezing at the base, no problem we thought
We had the usual Winter's clothing on but nothing like the clothing we needed up there as we later found out.
We got this far and took a few shots before my hands went past being cold, then numb, then they stung as though I'd put them in boiling water, I was the only one who forgot to take gloves.
Ice crystals were forming all over us and the clouds were dropping.
The wind was gale force up there, (just a breeze at the base) and it was more like a down draft, coming almost vertical down the mountain, never experienced anything like it before, it was difficult to stand, I was pressing down hard on my tripod while taking this photo.
I dread to think what the wind chill temperature was, must've been -20 or thereabouts I guess.
My friends helped me pack away my camera and we turned back, leaving it to the better equipped climbers
It took about half an hour before I could feel my hands again.
Minolta Dynax 7D
Sigma 10-20 EX
1/3 second
f25
ISO 100
12mm
Posted by Graham Goddard on September 16, 2010 at 11:37 AM
44 views and no comments.
Sounds like quite an adventure and one that might not have had such a happy ending if you'd been on your own.
An interesting story and a picture packed with atmosphere to illustrate it
Posted by Oscar Dewhurst on September 16, 2010 at 11:42 AM
Great shot, and interesting story
Oscar
Posted by Karen Summers on September 16, 2010 at 12:05 PM
Love the story Geoffrey just goes to show how some can be caught out and a lovely atmospheric shot to go with it
Posted by Lee fisher on September 16, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Great shot Geoff, well worth the frost bite I say
Lee
Posted by Guy Rogers on September 16, 2010 at 12:36 PM
Hello Geoff.
Love the feel to this and its the conditions I am hopping to get my self into later in the year.
I like the image as is but I could also see this as a vertical with that lovely base of frozen grass and the path leading upto the walkers.
Posted by Phil Mclean on September 16, 2010 at 2:05 PM
You can feel the cold atmosphere Geoff.
Just wonder if it would feel even colder without that patch of blue sky.
Phil.
Posted by jack chapman on September 16, 2010 at 3:52 PM
great lighting and composition, certainly looks cold too
Very atmospheric, impressed. Another alternative composition would be just the top half.
T
Posted by Nigel Blake on September 17, 2010 at 5:03 AM
Super shot, very atmospheric with the cloud and frost adding to the cold 'feel' of the image.
I spend alot of time in the hills/mountains and can't impress on people enough just how important it is to have the right equipment and clothing, + food and spare dry gloves as well as a lightweight 'quick pitch' tent.
Posted by Mike Smith on September 17, 2010 at 8:42 AM
an alternative to Nigel's tent is a three man emergency bivvy bag/shelter. They take up very little room in your rucksack and give great respite against a howling gale or simply make your lunchstop a more pleasant experience if there is no summit shelter.
If you are getting into winter hill walking/photography consider a pair of 4 season boots and crampons - the boots enable you to kick steps in hardened snow and are needed to prevent crampons flexing and snapping. An alternative to full boot crampons are the Grivel "slip on" studded plates as used by US lumberjacks - they have hardened screw in tungsten spikes that give good purchase on verglass ice covered stone/rock. Again these take up next to no room in a rucksack and can get you out of jail on tricky steep ice covered sections of path. Having tried several types now, these are my current favourite bit of "emergency kit" to be taken whenever the weather forecast says the freezing level has risen above the summit - its very easy to get caught out as the ground stays frozen for a considerable time after the nominal air temperature freezing level rises - in fact it gets trickier as these conditions cause thaw and overnight freezing resulting in increased frozen run-off water problems
Finally a £50 basic personalised winter skills training course is worth it weight in gold, it gave me much more confidence to go out on the hills in full winter conditions - these can be negotiated with the guides/leaders advertising in the back of Trail magazine
Posted by Andy Gregory on September 17, 2010 at 11:34 AM
A cracking image Geoffrey. It brings back memories of my trips to Scotland in winter.
Posted by Ian Haskell on September 20, 2010 at 5:01 PM
Discussion
14 repliesThis was taken on "Corn Ddu" which leads to "Pen y Fan" which is the tallest mountain in South Wales.
3 of us decided to climb it one Winter's Sunday, it was a few degrees above freezing at the base, no problem we thought
We had the usual Winter's clothing on but nothing like the clothing we needed up there as we later found out.
We got this far and took a few shots before my hands went past being cold, then numb, then they stung as though I'd put them in boiling water, I was the only one who forgot to take gloves.
Ice crystals were forming all over us and the clouds were dropping.
The wind was gale force up there, (just a breeze at the base) and it was more like a down draft, coming almost vertical down the mountain, never experienced anything like it before, it was difficult to stand, I was pressing down hard on my tripod while taking this photo.
I dread to think what the wind chill temperature was, must've been -20 or thereabouts I guess.
My friends helped me pack away my camera and we turned back, leaving it to the better equipped climbers
It took about half an hour before I could feel my hands again.
Minolta Dynax 7D
Sigma 10-20 EX
1/3 second
f25
ISO 100
12mm
Sounds like quite an adventure and one that might not have had such a happy ending if you'd been on your own.
An interesting story and a picture packed with atmosphere to illustrate it
Oscar
Lee
Love the feel to this and its the conditions I am hopping to get my self into later in the year.
I like the image as is but I could also see this as a vertical with that lovely base of frozen grass and the path leading upto the walkers.
Just wonder if it would feel even colder without that patch of blue sky.
Phil.
T
I spend alot of time in the hills/mountains and can't impress on people enough just how important it is to have the right equipment and clothing, + food and spare dry gloves as well as a lightweight 'quick pitch' tent.
If you are getting into winter hill walking/photography consider a pair of 4 season boots and crampons - the boots enable you to kick steps in hardened snow and are needed to prevent crampons flexing and snapping. An alternative to full boot crampons are the Grivel "slip on" studded plates as used by US lumberjacks - they have hardened screw in tungsten spikes that give good purchase on verglass ice covered stone/rock. Again these take up next to no room in a rucksack and can get you out of jail on tricky steep ice covered sections of path. Having tried several types now, these are my current favourite bit of "emergency kit" to be taken whenever the weather forecast says the freezing level has risen above the summit - its very easy to get caught out as the ground stays frozen for a considerable time after the nominal air temperature freezing level rises - in fact it gets trickier as these conditions cause thaw and overnight freezing resulting in increased frozen run-off water problems
Finally a £50 basic personalised winter skills training course is worth it weight in gold, it gave me much more confidence to go out on the hills in full winter conditions - these can be negotiated with the guides/leaders advertising in the back of Trail magazine
Ian