Today was a blue sky day, so lots of photos to be taken. We knew it would be a late start so didn’t get to the lift until 10.30am. This was much too early, it didn’t open until midday. Instead of waiting we went for a walk, not easy in ski boots! Some interesting views which I wouldn’t have seen if everything was running normally.

Only 3 main lifts open but some great skiing and good views. I took a few shots on my Mamiya 7 film camera with Ilford 400 Delta 120 film. Unfortunately I forgot to take them on my mobile phone as well so I can’t include them here. They’ll be on the website in a few weeks time, hopefully.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even better weather with everything open. Keeping fingers crossed!

Dinner tonight at the excellent Bellevue Hotel was a veritable meat feast followed by a choice of 2 schnapps. I went for the pine cone flavoured version. I wouldn’t have believed you could get such a pleasant range of flavours from pine cones. Even better, I have the recipe!

Obergurgl village from the Mahdstuhllift area; Taken with Mamiya 7 camera, negative 564809

View to the mountains from Stenmannbahn run 3, Obergurgl, Austria; Taken with Mamiya 7 camera, negative 564910

Obergurgl stream and mountains

Obergurgl view from our bedroom window

Obergurgl valley

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Not the best day weatherwise! Heavy rain delayed our start. Then we had a break in the weather, headed out and had over an hour dry and took advantage with some good waterfall photos in the Goyt Valley.

The rain returned at noon so we went for an early lunch at the Church Inn in Chelmorton. A sunny afternoon was forecast and we didn’t want to miss it!

As usual the sun came out while we were in the pub.

We resumed the day taking photographs of the small fields, dry stone walls and trees from Chelmorton Low, the hill behind the pub.

Big clouds came over to block the light so we went off for more waterfalls as they don’t need sunshine to make them impressive.

3 Shires Head was in full spate. I can’t remember seeing so much water here before, and I’ve been here dozens of times over the years. Lots of scope for stunning photos.

Only my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone to record for this blog. Hope these give you an idea of what it was like. The last 2 show how conversion to black and white changes the scene.

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It’s on now until the end of February and entry is free.

Here are a couple of examples.

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It rained this evening so looks like weather has broken.

They have given us a room with a 4-poster bed, at the Black Horse. Perhaps they think we are on our honeymoon. Just 35 years late!

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Friday started, for Peter, John, Abi, Anya and Geoff (on his 13th course with us) at Pilsbury Castle for some misty shots along the valley as well as a very shapely tree and limestone outcrop. Then on to Chelmorton Low for shots of the dry stone walls and the village from the hillside. Unfortunately, the church steeple was cloaked in scaffolding and green sheeting, not that photogenic. We lunched in the Church Inn just below the hill, always a reliable stop for us. After lunch it was a short drive to Monsal Head for views over the viaduct and then down to the waterfalls at the weir. They were in spectacular form with loads of water from the recent rain.

Saturday was almost entirely a ladies day, with Abi back again for her second day, Margaret, Sally and Rachel. Rob made up the group. We first went to Castle Naze for some big views, bit grey though but with a few patches of muted sunshine lifting the shots across the valley. Then down to the Goyt for a 25 foot waterfall and a river and packhorse bridge. Unlike July and September there were no midges here. Lunch was at the Rose and Crown at Allgreave. We are always well looked after here by the new landlord and landlady. The last location was 3 Shire Heads. This needs a walk of 1.5 miles each way but it is worth it. The waterfalls are always great and often spectacular. They didn’t disappoint there was lots of water everywhere.

Sunday was a 1-to-1 printing workshop with Alan from Kent who came on a 3 day landscape course in Eskdale in March, now 2 weeks into his retirement from the Met. It was good to see him again. We managed 6 large prints which is about the most we could reasonably expect and all good shots. Also managed to set Alan up with a darkroom as I had arranged for someone to drop off their complete darkroom while we were printing. They just wanted it to go to a good home so no charge. Alan’s little car was pretty full as he drove away!

All 3 days were very enjoyable with easy going folk, lots of jokes, wisecracks and interesting stories. Lots of good pictures were taken, mostly digital, and printed too.

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We stayed in Grassington in Wharfedale, which is just a couple of hours driving from here. This is where we will be based for a 2 day ‘Waterfalls and Dales’ course next year. This will give us access to locations between Bolton Abbey in the south and Aysgarth in the north. Lots of variety of subject with limestone pavement, waterfalls, trees, rock formations, dry stone walls, isolated barns in the landscape and lots more. Keep an eye out for the dates if you are interested, just 5 places available at £300 each.

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The way it works is that there is a new web page for course photos, both those taken on courses and candid action shots taken by Jan, my wife. One image is displayed for each person and moving the mouse over each image displays information about the person and the course. Clicking any image takes you to my new courses page on Flickr. This is just for images taken on my courses. There are none of my pictures here – I have enough coverage on my 6 web sites and this blog!

Take a look and I hope you enjoy them.

If you have been on a course and would like some of the images taken on the course with me to appear on this new system then do please send me some. They don’t need to be huge files, no more than 500kb each is fine. Send by email or disc, whatever is easiest for you.

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Mark, John and Anna won the 1 day course by entering the competition in Black + White Photography magazine, which I ran in conjunction with Ilford / Harman. The competition is actually a prize draw, so all who enter have the same chance of winning. We had a good day on Sunday in Eskdale. The rivers were in full spate; I’ve never seen so much water coming over Stanley Ghyll Force. It was a raging torrent. Good for pictures but reduced viewpoints because lots of usual camera positions under water. Rocks at River Esk bridge mostly under water but still some with interesting shapes above water line. Jolly nice lunch at the Brook House Inn then up to Hardknott Pass for some big views in sunshine, then it closed in for a bit so we went to the Roman Fort on the way back to Boot. Good views here but the big peaks were in the clouds. We finished the day with the impressive falls near to Boot Mill. Pictures to follow I’m sure.

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