Wharfedale overnight – the next morning

I just found this post in my Drafts folder in WordPress and realised it had been there since early summer and never posted. I think I held it back because the trip hadn’t fully worked out and I didn’t get many shots from the morning sunrise. Looking at it now though, there aren’t many shots here but they’re nice ones so here’s the post, to remind me of summer wild camping trips.

After a good night’s sleep in warm, calm weather I eventually awoke to my alarm from a deep sleep at 4:15 am. The sky looked very promising and there was an almost-full moon on the other side of the valley. I got up and got ready and hid my camping stuff out of sight so they wouldn’t be seen in any shots I took.

I got increasingly excited as the clouds started to catch with orange light. However it was clear that the sun was going to come up right behind the highest part of the hill beside me – something I could have found out easily if I’d checked my compass. More to the point there were enough clouds in the way that the initial promise soon fizzled out. Just like my Eskdale trip of a few days before the sunrise was to disappoint and leave me with unfinished business. So – not many shots in this post but hopefully I’ll be back.

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Askrigg and Bainbridge – around Wensleydale

Wensleydale

Another trip around Wensleydale, this time through the meadows and fields at the bottom of the valley around the villages of Bainbridge and Askrigg.

Again the fields were full of flowers and everywhere you see the pattern of drystone walls and barns that the Dales are famous for.

Right now I’m really concentrating on the Dales and I’m hoping I’ll get the chance for more overnight wild camps before the summer ends. Doesn’t look very likely with all the rain we’ve had so far.

Wensleydale

Wensleydale

Wensleydale

Wensleydale

Wensleydale

Wensleydale

A Wensleydale round

A walk around the south side of Wensleydale.

Gayle

• 9 miles
• 560 metres
• View the route on plotaroute.com

Wharfedale overnight

I had an overnight trip to the Yorkshire Dales last week, camping in mid-Wharfedale above Conistone. I’d previously scouted this area and figured it would be a good bet. It’s a beautiful spot with the stone barns so typical of the dales.

Conistone Circular – monochrome dales

A circular high level route from Conistone in Wharfedale.

Wharfedale

• View the route on plotaroute.com
• 9.5 miles
• 450 metres ascent

A did this walk to find overnight wild camping locations but it turned out to be a superb walk in it’s own right. The views up and down the valley are incredible and at this time of year the wild flowers are at their best in the limestone meadows. Unfortunately my camera decided to pack up as I got to the best of the flowers – c’est la vie.

Although I’m extolling the wild flowers I’ve decided to convert these shots into black and white. When shooting in mid-day mid-summer the light isn’t entirely flattering and the colours, although lovely in real life, don’t add to the drama. Converting to black and white lets me concentrate on the shapes and textures of the landscape.

Wharfedale

This walk follows a fantastic high level balcony that is taken by the Dales Way, with limestone edges for company, with a higher return to the high moorland of Conistone Moor. As you climb the terrain changes and you move through geological layers to a gritstone layer. The gritstone bedrock also changes the vegetation. At the top you can look down over the head of Nidderdale.

The carpets of wild flowers get even better as you get closer to Grassington but this was where my camera stopped working, so no more shots.

I hope to return soon and try overnight wild camping to get sunset and sunrise colours.

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Wharfedale

Swaledale Flower Meadows – part 2

Swaledale

My last post had photos from a drizzly day in Swaledale. I camped overnight (in a campsite, not my usual bivvy bag) and set my alarm optimistically for 4am, hoping for clear skies at dawn. I was surprisingly asleep when it went off and I poked my head out. Hmmm… – mixed. However, enough clear areas to make it worth getting up for. Out I went, walked up the valley to find a good viewpoint.

Not the best sunrise I’ve ever seen but worth being out for.

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

Swaledale

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Swaledale

Swaledale Flower Meadows

Swaledale Meadows

Each year in late May and early June a natural wonder occurs in the Yorkshire Dales. The meadows come into flower. Throughout the pennine areas you see carpets of buttercups. Nowhere do you see a better display than Swaledale and most spectacular of all are the meadows of Muker, at the western end of the dale.

The start of autumn – Bolton Abbey

Wharfe near Barden Tower

I went out for my first specifically-autumnal shoot last week, to Bolton Abbey. The stretch of the River Wharfe from the abbey up to Barden tower has some spectacular mixed woodland as the river goes through a deep valley. I try and go there every autumn. Plenty of colour already but I suspect the best is yet to come. I haven’t been out photographing much recently, as I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio making frames and prints but I’m mostly over that so hopefully a lot more shots to come.

Swaledale

Route map on plotaroute.com

Joy and I did a wonderful walk around Swaledale yesterday. Despite a less than good forecast it was perfect walking weather, cool but bright and calm. We were there visiting our friends Richard and Polly at The Old School Gallery in Muker. They’d had their second open evening, which was a great success, and I’d also taken some new prints to put into stock there.

Swaledale – the morning after

In my last post I wrote about a beautiful autumn day taking waterfall shots at Kisdon Force in Swaledale. The next morning was a different day in more ways than one.