Above, in and under the clouds
Sunday 4 January 2015
It's been a little while since I was last walking in the beautiful Black Mountains and I was itching to head out to feel a little of winter. The long term weather forecast for today had been wonderful, promising a crisp sunny day, but as we got closer the outlook turned increasingly cloudy. Nonetheless, I held a hope we would get above the clouds and enjoy some views so we headed over to an old favourite, the splendid Vale of Eywas. The journey over was bleak, in thick fog and it really wasn't looking promising. But as we drove up past Llanthony the fog began to clear, giving tantalising glimpses of the hills. Once parked in a frosty Capel-y-ffin it had cleared up and was looking very special indeed.
We climbed steeply up Darren Lwyd, looking back at the clouds chasing us up the valley. A classic temperature inversion, the valley filled, the peaks still clear - a phenomenon known by some photographers locally as dragons breath! Without doubt the finest I have ever seen. Slowly though the cloud overtook us, and the stillness of the sunshine was replaced by a freezing wind. We huddled together high on the hill for lunch, the dancing cloud and warm sunshine already seeming a world away. The biting wind encouraged us to descend, so we headed back down the Nant Bwch valley, soon in the peace below the cloud - a different world again. A very special day on the hills - above, in and under the clouds.
Climbing out of Capel-y-ffin
The cloud chases us up the Vale of Ewyas
The cloud is coming, there is no escape
Last glimpses above the cloud
The world changes, freezing cold within the clouds
Tranquility restored, below the cloud
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