a walk in the mountains, part one

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

To my shame, I never seem to comment on everyone else's lovely pictures nearly enough. Thanks to everyone who keeps posting them, though - they are always lovely.

I come bearing more pictures again, this time taken on a family outing to the Brecon Beacons last Saturday. As with my last picspam, I suspect I'll have to post this in two parts as it'll be pretty image heavy - I just can't stop myself once I start snapping!

Our day started with a leisurely drive up the A470 to the Storey Arms centre, where we – myself, my parents, Brother Mine, Small and the little puppy Ruby – met up with Big Sis and her Husband, who were visiting from Kent for the weekend. The weather was fairly mixed, but it still came as a bit of a surprise to see snow on some of the higher mountaintops and ridges.


There are loads of popular mountain walks starting out from this point, but for us it was just a place to meet on this day, and I took a few photos while waiting.






Storey Arms is the starting point for many keen walkers and climbers to ascend Pen-y-Fan - it's one of the most accessible circuits of the highest peak in South Wales. Once D&R had joined us – late as usual – we drove a few hundred yards up the road to our regular family picnic spot alongside a pretty little waterfall overlooking the valley.




I took loads and loads of pictures this day, so apologies if many of them look pretty much the same – the light kept changing, cloud formations kept shifting, the scenerary in general was so pretty, and the snow over on Pen-y-Fan was steadily melting!



It had rained quite a bit overnight, so the ground was pretty boggy – the slopes of the mountains are criss-crossed with tiny streams, which doesn't help. I'm not sure what the name of this particular one is, but it's a pretty gentle climb – and it helps that the road runs fairly high up the hill, so that you're already fairly near the top before you even start to scramble up the slope!


Standing on the first shelf up by the side of the waterfall, you can just about make out the snow-covered peak of Pen-y-Fan in the distance.








The puppy was so excited she was practically in orbit – she's only 7 months old, and this was the biggest excursion she's ever been on.


A close-up of the view across to Pen-y-Fan.



Another view down the valley, this one taken from higher up the mountain.



This is the stream that becomes a waterfall a little lower down.



Large stones provide a much-needed resting spot!


More views.





Me! To prove I really was there…


More views.





Coming down again.




Onto part two

Comments

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

The waterfall looks soooo pretty!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

It really is that pretty. Boggy, too, on this particular day!

[shaw012145.livejournal.com]

Very pretty. Love the waterfall ... so close to the road and then the water went under the road bridge ... very clever planning there.

Nice to see a picture of yourself too.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Aye, it's all very neatly engineered!

[femsc.livejournal.com]

I too was in that area on Saturday, but mostly on the road, on the way back from a friend's place. I stopped a couple of times on the Defynnog road to take some photos of Pen y Fan and Corn Du with snow on the tops, so I really must get around to uploading them. I had a late 'afternoon tea' at Terry's snack van, just before he went home for the day, followed by an ice cream or two from the other van in the same layby (the one on the nasty bend where the bikes congregate, further down towards the Defynnog turn off from where you were), and then drove home. It was a gorgeous day, and not too cold all things considered. That part of the A470 and also the road to Penderyn are probably among my favourite roads to drive along. I'm going to get the Imp out next time the weather's half way decent :)

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

LOL we could probably have waved to each other in passing!

I know just the place you mean, and it was a lovely day apart from the hail.

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Lovely.

In particular I love the waterfall.

[mav-fan.livejournal.com]

Beautiful pictures, especially the waterfalls. What surprised me the most is (excluding all the water features) the terrain looks very similar to a part of Texas where I used to live. I can only assume the hills and mountains are a bit more green when Spring and Summer arrive. Which is another divergence from the Texas area, it is brown almost year 'round.
Thanks for sharing!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, it gets a lot greener later in the year! Always a little bleak and exposed, though - kind of adds to the appeal of the place, I feel. But really, the various valleys are all very different, some lusher and damper, others wilder and more exposed.

[mav-fan.livejournal.com]

It's lovely country, are you perhaps planning to go back when it is greener? I'd love to see it then!
As shaw012145 said, it's great to see a picture of you, as well as the scenery!!

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

I don't know when I'll get up into the mountains again now - we tend not to go very often these days. But hopefully sometime when the scenery is a little lusher! Or someplace else - sightseeing is always so much fun. :)

[mav-fan.livejournal.com]

Oh I hope you go again. I have a bit of a sightseeing trip planned next month, over the mountain, and since I'll be driving by myself, I'll be able to pull over and take photos whenever I want! And the place we're going has a river through town as well as an arboretum. I can't wait!

[smirra.livejournal.com]

Love the gorgeous landscape with the interesting sky. The country side where I live has only one or two *very* small hills. So I enjoy the photos a lot. May I file some of them as inspiration and sample for my water colour painting? (you can see a sample here:http://smirra.livejournal.com/19760.html).
It's been a while since I've done a painting like that, but I hope I can 'exercise' it a bit more soon. Right now I like the water colors from artist Gottfried Salzman here:http://www.smca.at/sonderausstellungen/salzmann.html I'm afraid that the site is german but you can see pics there) I was reminded by the artists works by your pics, these here and your beautiful bluebell photos.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

What a lovely painting!

Please feel free to save and use as many of my photos as you want - I'm really glad you like them.

I have a close friend who is an artist; she works in oils, and tends to favour seascapes. I have many of her pieces decorating my walls - every time she visits, she decides she doesn't like one of them any more and swaps it for a newer work! I am always in awe of her talent and ability to create such gorgeous scenes. Now I am equally in awe of your work! ♥

[smirra.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it.
So you have a private collection from your friend at your place? That's nice. Are there pictures somewhere?
Your fotos are really an inspiration! I hope I have time to do anything during the summer.

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have my friend's paintings all over the flat. I don't have electronic copies of any of them, though.

I hope you get some quality painting time soon. :)