Llanberis Pass under grey skies

Llanberis Pass

Seeing the Llanberis Pass in Snowdonia in heavy cloud is pretty common. Even on a bright day it doesn’t see much sun, the high valley walls keeping it mostly in shade.

A little bit of snow

By coincidence I exchanged comments a day or so ago with a reader from Helsinki who had posted a YouTube link showing his driving in snow. I responded that with so much snow Britain would grind to a halt. Today we had about an inch of snow and there was chaos on the roads and trains cancelled. My wife’s one hour journey to work turned into three hours. Britain doesn’t understand snow.

The Old Man of Coniston

This is a classic circuit of the hills above Coniston. Up to the Old Man of Coniston, around the head of the valley to Dow Crag, along the ridge and back along the Walna Scar road. A change in character from last week’s route, the snow was nearly all gone and replaced by ice and frozen turf.

St Sunday Crag Winter Wonderland

The High Street range from St Sunday Crag

Nowadays it isn’t often that you get so much snow in the Lake District. Add in clear blue sky and no wind and you have a perfect mountain day.

• View route on plotaroute.com
• 7.4 miles, 730 metres ascent, 6 hours.

Coniston Water, Monochrome

I made this trip nearly three years ago but the shots have languished in the catalogue ever since, untouched and unloved. The day was far too bright and in colour the shots just didn’t work. I found them again and realised that black and white would work much better, so here are the results.

The location is the southern end of Coniston Water, in the Lake District. Most of the views are towards Dow Crag and the Old Man of Coniston, with the Fairfield range in the far distance beyond the head of the lake.

Fairfield and Helvellyn beyond the head of Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Coniston Water

Ulpha, Duddon Valley

Duddon Valley

Ulpha is a small Cumbrian village in the heart of the Duddon Valley. This is a little-explored part of the Lake District. Far from the major centres and without any major peaks but it’s one of my favourite places, full of scenic beauty.

Llanberis Slate Mines

The welsh tourist town of Llanberis, at the foot of Mount Snowdon, is not dominated by the highest mountain in Wales and England, nor by the other impressive peaks lining the Llanberis Pass, but by a vast slate mine and its spoil heaps.

The mine was one of the largest in the world. Its heyday was the 19th century but it didn’t stop working until the 1960s. If I were to be critical I’d say I couldn’t decide whether the natural mountain scenery would be improved more by the removal of the slate mine or the removal of Llanberis. However the mine is undoubtedly eye-catching and worth photographing.

 

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llanberis Slate Quarries

Llyn Peris

Llanberis Slate Quarries