At the end of our walk I turned to take a last look at the path down the mountain and noticed how beautiful the wall and gate are.
In the distance to the left is Tryfan at 918m. On this particular day it was cold and icy in places but in spite of the clear and bright conditions there were very few people climbing/walking its slopes. I remember my first visit to Tryfan about 20 years ago, it was really cold and covered in thick snow. I had trekked to the top with a group of friends and on the far slope on the way down we tobogganed part way on our rucksacks. Perhaps not the most sensible or safe method for descent but a heck of a lot of fun.
These two views are looking east from above Ogwen Cottage. In the first image we can see Llyn Ogwen at the bottom of the valley and in the second picture we can see the top of Tryfan.
Simply beautiful!
Last weekend I went back to Llyn Idwal in Snowdonia. This time I had my daughter with me and we scrambled up beside a waterfall and cautiously walked across some very boggy ground and gave pointers to some very energetic folk who were out orienteering. After a break for lunch we set off around the lake and at the end of the day we sat looking across the lake enjoying the late afternoon sun.
Sat on a rock by the side of the lake I noticed the patterns of the sky reflected in the rippling surface and took a few pictures. I wasn't sure how they would turn out but I have to say I am very pleased with these shots. I like the way water lends itself to such abstract images.
So today there is a watery theme to the photos I have chosen. The last picture is of Llyn Ogwen, the others are of streams that feed into the lake from the slopes of Tryfan and the Glyderau. From my vantage point overlooking the lake it was cold and very breezy but on the far side in the morning sun it looks a few degrees warmer. However cold I felt though, I think it was worth it to get these shots.
Today while driving home from North Wales I had time to think about good fortune or good luck. I felt very lucky or blessed today, as lucky as Pedro who has shocks and pegs on his bike and as lucky as the guy in the Tubelord song I was listening to.
The reason being... the weather was perfect for photography. As I set off at 7.00 a.m. in the dark and the rain I was being hopeful but it paid off because the light was great and although quite cold the conditions were perfect as I combined my photography with a really good walk up to and around Llyn Idwal in Snowdonia. Over the next few days or so I will be sharing a selection of the images I captured.
I also felt lucky to have met a really lovely couple and as we chatted about cameras and photography they told me how lucky they feel to live in such a beautiful part of Wales.
Perhaps the luckiest of all however was the person in the photos below who was being rescued by the absolutely amazing RAF rescue team. Obviously not lucky to have fallen down the mountain and needing to be rescued of course, but lucky that we have a service such as this with servicemen/women who are dedicated and highly trained to preform such dangerous work. More good fortune for the rescuers was the conditions were so good, and as you can see from the shots below this was a blessing indeed as they hovered so low and close to the rock face. The couple I spoke to told me that last week they had seen a similar rescue on the other face of the mountain but on that occasion there was a gale blowing and it was raining sideways. Respect and admiration by the shed load for these guys, if I had a hat I'd be taking it off right now!
