The Met Office got the weather right.

 Click on an image for a larger view.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe

A class day in the Mourne Mountains.  The forecast the night before suggested mist over the tops from 9am to mid-afternoon.  However a revised forecast this morning suggested that it would be clear until late morning with mist over the tops before clearing again early afternoon.  They got that more or less right.   

The Hare's Gap from the side path to Slievenaglogh

Slievenaglogh

Serious erosion at the bottom of the short passage of steps on the way up Slieve Comedagh.  The wall is in danger of collapse.

Curved stone at the top of the steps.

The spring on Slieve Commedagh showing more erosion.

Mist being blown over Cove Mountain

Helicopter delivering bags of stone for path repairs on Slieve Donard

Returning for more

Everyone knows this rock on the Brandy Pad

Ben Crom Reservoir

Spellack from the lunch stop

LRPS distinction

Click on an image for a larger view.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe

Today was my assessment day for my first Royal Photographic Society distinction panel.  I was pleased to have achieved the standard for LRPS.

This was the outcome of 6 months selection, re-editing, re-selection etc.  I went through something like 10 iterations of this panel with some great images (in my opinion) omitted because the overall panel didn’t show sufficient variety of subject matter and techniques.

Then followed an RPS advisory day in November which was very helpful but which resulted in 2 further iterations before making this final selection of 10.

As I was 24th out of 25 up for assessment it was a long wait but worth it. The assessors’ comment were very positive and a great encouragement. 

Need to start working on the next level of distinction!

An easy day

Click on an image for a larger view.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe

After the exertions of last week we decided on an easy day.  The weather forecast was mist early on but clearing later to give the occasional sunny interval. Crucially - no rain.

After about an hour we had the first signs that the mist might clear.   

On Slieve Muck it came and went.

By mid-morning it had largely cleared

Action man

The views from the lunch stop on Doan

Slieve Muck with the mist still hanging about

Ben Crom and Slieve Lamagan with the Blue Lough in the background.

A hill walker masquerading as a photographer

Chimney Rock and Slieve Donard

  Click on an image for a larger view.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe

The day's aim, apart from several hours in the mountains, was to visit the disused mineral railway on the side of Chimney Rock below Carr's Face as part of our ongoing project to visit old granite quarry workings in different parts of the Mourne Mountains. 

Starting from Bloody Bridge 45 minutes before sunrise we had the benefit of a good sky over the Irish Sea as the sun came up.

Looking back down the remains of the mineral railway

Note that this is a 3 rail system

The top of a passing loop

Illustration of how a 3 rail system operates.  1 wagon going down brings one up.  To enable them to pass a passing loop is built which operates as in the illustration below.

By Cmglee at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10546565

Remains of the operating machinery

Overview of Carr's Face with the quarry at Crannoge in the shadow of Chimney Rock on the side of Slieve Donard in the background.

Rocky Mountain with Slieve Binnian in profile in the background

After leaving Chimney Rock we decided to climb Slieve Donard (just for fun!). The following images were taken on the way up.

4 image stitch panorama with the Bog of Donard in the foreground

Slieve Beg (and the Devil's Coachroad) with Slieve Bearnagh in the background

A classic winter's day

 Click on an image for a larger view.  All images copyright Leslie Ashe

A good start to the New Year.  Light snow over the tops and sunshine for most of the day, albeit with a strong north westerly wind.   The approach to the start at Carrick Little  looked promising with snow cover above 450m.  The aim was to do Cove Mountain and Slieve Lamagan.    

Annalong valley just before sunrise.

Slieve Donard as the sun came up

Ice patterns on the path

Starting to get into the snow above Lower Cove with Cove Lough in the background

Cove summit cairn and Slieve Donard

Views from Cove summit

Panorama from the slopes of Cove

Ice on Slieve Lamagan

The climb up Slieve Lamagan was cold as it was mostly in shade but BW managed to get the sun glasses on as he emerged back into the sunlight.

The rocks on the top of Lamagan provided shelter from the biting wind and given that we were in full sunlight it was an ideal place for lunch.  This is the view from a sedentary position.  Standing up would have exposed me to the full strength of the wind over the summit - clearly I've no commitment to photography!

Finally, the view as we began to descend looking towards Ben Crom, Doan, Carn and Muck.

A classic winter day but less wind and more snow would have been good.  Never happy!