| SITE NAVIGATION: |
How to buy/prices | About me | Contact |
| Themes - Geography: |
The
Coast,
Aberystwyth
to
Barmouth |
The Valleys:
Scenery & Wildlife |
The Mountains: Cadair Idris,
Tarrenau, Arans, Plynlimon |
| Themes - Weather: | Storms - stormclouds, floods & damage | Winter: snow, ice and frost | Light: Rainbows, sundogs, noctilucent clouds, sunsets |
| MOUNTAIN SUBCATEGORIES: | Cadair Idris |
Tarrenau |
Arans | Plynlimon massif |
Cadair Idris
Rated by many as the most spectacular mountain hereabouts, Cadair Idris
rises to 893m above sea-level. The best
views of it are from the north, when the wall0like line of precipitous
crags guarding the several summits stands out; on
the mountain itself it is the local rock-architecture that catches the
eye.
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over
any
image
for
brief
caption;
click
on
image
for
an
800
pixel
width
enlargement,
longer caption
& ordering info; click the "Back" link to return to here.
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The Tarrenau
Under-rated and as a consequence quiet, the Tarrenau form a lengthy ridge above the north side of the Dyfi valley, from Corris
to Tywyn. The western section is my favourite: after the tiring plod up to the 633m summit of Tarrenhendre the going is delightful,
out to Trum-Gelli and its huge, Bronze-age pair of cairns, with extensive views in all directions.
Mouse over any image for brief caption; click on image for an 800 pixel width enlargement,
longer caption & ordering info; click the "Back" link to return to here.
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The Arans
Aran Fawddwy, at 905m above sea level, is the highest peak in this part
of Wales, and the Dyfi itself springs forth from the
lake at the base of the summit-crags. In winter conditions it is a
fairly demanding day out but the photographic opportunities
make it worth the effort. The cairn on Drws-Bach commemorates Mike
Aspain of the RAF Mountain Rescue, killed there by
lightning some decades ago. The bottom row of images are pretty unique
- they show noctilucent clouds (80km up in the
Mesosphere) with the Arans below. These were taken during the amazing
and widely-reported display overnight on July 2-3 2011.
Mouse over any image for
brief caption; click on image for an 800 pixel width enlargement,
longer caption
& ordering info; click the "Back" link to return to here.
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Plynlimon
(752m)
is
the
high-point
of
a
vast
area
of
wild
hill-country
that
stretches
from
south
of the Dyfi Valley down as far as the
A40 corridor across South wales. Crossed by only a handful of roads,
its vastness is the key to its peacefulness. For the photographer,
the mountain's northern aspect is by far the best, and likewise the
northern escarpment of the high ground where it plunges down
into the Dyfi Valley. This area is accessed by the
Machynlleth-Llanidloes mountain road that reaches 520m above sea level
at its
high-point. The road may be affected by snow in the winter months,
sometimes to a spectacularly photogenic degree!
Mouse
over
any
image
for
brief
caption;
click
on
image
for
an
800
pixel
width
enlargement,
longer caption
& ordering info; click the "Back" link to return to here.
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© ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT JOHN S. MASON 2000-2011: NO REPRODUCTION WITHOUT PERMISSION.