Mountain

Norway E2.6 Telemark & Låtefossen /  by Tom Glendinning

En route to Odda from the Setesdal valley we passed through many long tunnels. We came out of one at altitude to a stunning mountain landscape in the West of the Telemark region.

Leaving the mountains down a steep gorge we stopped at the most touristic place we had seen so far. Låtefossen falls just above the road and tourists clogged the highway to have their photo on the narrow bridge... It seems that the renown dramatic waterfalls is due more to their accessibility than rarity however.

Låtefossen

Norway E2.3 Setesdal - Tjørhom /  by Tom Glendinning

Up out of the Setesdal valley and West over the mountains, reserved for reindeer (Elk also? We won't see them until later, just sheeps for now).

Water, water everywhere, and all of it good to drink.

All elements of the mountain roads here shown in roughly representational proportions.

Most of these photos come from the mid-level around 700-950m altitude, where I find my favourite landscape so far - the bushy, scrub, low birch woods with moss & lichen barely covering the granite. Overflowing with wild berries and fresh wind. 

Most mountains reach a tumbled, broken and boggy granite plateau at 900-1000m and peak not much higher than 1500m here. Up on these 

A lonely lakeside wildcamp... Until the 12 Poles, 2 Swiss, 6 German, 7(?) French and 4 canines nationality unknown turned up in the rain.

 

Snowdonia NP /  by Tom Glendinning

For Mungo & Gav’s birthday weekend we stayed in a mountaineering hut in Snowdonia National Park, making two days out on the snowy peaks with really excellent weather for February. The pro boys carried their crampons in vain. 

These are photos resulting from:

Day 1 - Snowdon (1085m), followed by the horseshoe to decent; 

Day 2 - a valley walk (I didn’t take a tripod so no waterfall photos) followed by one solid ascent to Pen Yr Ole Wen (978m) with a great view of Snowden beneath the clouds, thena vertiginous scramble straight down the other side, looking over the stunning jutting crag of Tryfan. 

All the panoramas were taken by steady hand with no tripod assistance, just sweeping around the view in portrait orientation. A good skill to practice if it’s cold and more importantly if you are going to slow everyone else up taking your camera out as the light gets just right!

My Peak Design clip holster also had a good long term trial to great success. Very good when on the move, with shifting light requiring a quick response, and especially with a pack.

As usual you also can view the whole set on Flickr

Really worth seeing the whole set this time. What great conditions we had.