Like most trips I’ve made to North Wales, this one took a bit of planning and research. After months of pretty average weather I wasn’t confident in getting anything special, but a few days before I had planned to head up, the forecast changed. It now predicted there was a high chance of low cloud and fog in valleys…Bingo!! Forecasts mentioned mountains over 900m would be above the fog so it was obvious to me to head to a peak of around 1000m. I chose Glyder Fach as I know the mountain well and it has great views of Yr Wyddfa and Crib Goch. Leaving my van at 5:45am in the Ogwen valley I began my ascent. The route starting from Gwen Gof Uchaf steepens very quickly and soon I had walked into thick cloud and low visibility. A good head torch and navigation skills are pretty important when visibility is reduced to <20m! The climb up to Glyder Fach can seem relentlessly steep but after 1.5 hours walking I finally got to poke my head out of the cloud and see the summit of Tryfan looking more like an island than a mountain.
A 30 second exposure of Moel Siabod as the clouds roll through the valley below.
Finally, the hard part of the climb up was done and I was above the clouds. It was about 40 minutes before the sun was due to rise so I had plenty of time to try a few different shots and get myself ready. Conditions were absolutely perfect, zero wind and no clouds to block the sun as it rose. I set up my tripod and managed to capture a shot of myself on some rocks looking over Bristley Ridge, towards Tryfan.
Tryfan 30 minutes before sunrise.
I still had 20 minutes before the sun was due to rise so I made my way over to Castell y Gwynt, a classic location and one of my favourites in Snowdonia. The clouds below were everywhere and only a few peaks were visible which gave lots of different options to isolate the mountains. I couldn’t help feeling like I was on the ocean surrounded by islands instead of up amongst Wales’ great peaks.
Y Lliwedd, one of my favourite shots of 2021.
As the sun started to rise I kept myself busy changing lenses and trying different shots. A favourite of mine from this location is to use my 200-600mm lens to pick out people on Crib Goch. Right on cue a few hikers lined up perfectly on the ridge, just giving me enough time to capture the size and scale of the infamous peak before they scrambled out of sight. Another classic shot is the tall rocky outcrop of Castell y Gwynt, I set my tripod up and made the mad dash up on to the rocks to get a selfie over looking the Snowdon horse shoe.
Crib Goch.
Selfie on Castell y Gwynt.
After enjoying the best morning’s photography I think I’ve ever had, I decided to slowly make my way back down towards the valley floor. It was so hard not to stop every few minutes to capture something new. As I made my way towards the cloud below I spotted my first Broken Spectre. A Broken Spectre also called Broken Bow or mountain bow , is the magnified (and apparently enormous) shadow of an observer cast onto clouds opposite the Sun's direction. The figure's head is often surrounded by the halo-like rings of coloured light forming a glory, these are caused by sunlight refracting in the water droplets of the cloud.
I couldn’t have had a more beautiful and perfect end to a perfect morning. Until next time Snowdonia.
Broken Spectre and Tryfan.