On my last hike in the Lake District in 2024 I was lucky enough to witness something that I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing in my 10 years of walking the fells, a cloud inversion. The time I spent on the top of Great End that day will forever be painted in my memory not just for the beautiful sights on offer but the emotions it brought. To photograph it whilst wiping away the tears is a pleasing reminder of why I do this.

For me, the most enjoyment I get from photography, especially of the landscape genre, is the opportunity to witness great light, conditions and those moments which do not come around that often. I feel that recently I have found what works for me in terms of how I get pleasure from this art. My landscape photography is predominantly made of images I capture using the single standard zoom, handheld and on the fells of the Lake District, combining my passion for hiking.

The day of the inversion

This was a second visit to Seathwaite, Lake District within a few days over the Xmas period. The previous hike brought with it some inclement weather, including high winds that got the better of me on the summit of Green Gable and 2 subsequent falls due to the wet stones on my descent. On a side note, those stone paths in the wet can be treacherous when going down. One misplaced step at the back end of a hiking day can lead to a serious injury. The day of the inversion however was different with no rain and minimal wind. There was signs of what was to come with the hill fog hugging the fell tops seen on my ascent.

It was a pleasant start with the weather and if honest, a surprise as the forecast had predicted poor visibility from the fog with a constant drizzle. The signs were good as I headed up towards Stockley Bridge before heading up a stone path up towards Styhead Gill and Styhead Tarn. The clag was heavy at Styhead Tarn, bringing no visibility but there was some good photographic opportunities shortly before I got to this point.

After a few refreshing cups of coffee from my over sized flask, I headed up towards the next Tarn of the day, Sprinkling Tarn. The visibility was still poor with a veil of clag making the far banks of the Tarn almost out of sight. I slowly continued up to my next point of reference, Esk Hause. The clag started to lift and the layers reveal themselves as I made my ascent. As I approached Esk Hause the sun was clearly to be seen and burning through the water vapors in the atmosphere. The views opened up and the first signs of what was to come. The sight of the sun and partial blue skies lifted my spirits to a point where the endorphins started to buzz.

The fell tops peaking their heads above the clouds were clearly to be seen for miles as I approached the summit of Great End. This was a time of reflection of what was a challenging 2024 on a personal basis with the passing of my brother. It was a mixed bag of emotions of memories and realisation of how lucky I was to witness such an amazing sight. There was only around an hours lights left at the end of the day so the chase was one to maximise the opportunities of getting a descent collection of images. It was similar to the times when I loved getting out at sunrise, only to end up running into anxiety and realising later that my results were poor. Today was different though. I managed to shoot a fair number of images but I also wanted to enjoy this time and contemplate to myself. I often use these times to let my thoughts run wild and release the unwanted energy of some. This was a special time.

My love of the great outdoors and landscape photography brought me to this moment. A very small chapter in my life which will remain in my memory banks until my end of days. These days I do not leave disappointed from a hike. On occasions my spirits are lifted when I capture a good image but that is a bonus. It is more about being present and never setting expectations.

Watch the video below of the day come to life