Ladybower, Peak district National Park

Yesterday, me and my wife, took the bus to Ladybower reservoir to spend few hours enjoying the autume colours. As you might know by now, Ladybower is located just 10min from us by bus into the Peak District National Park.
Since it is close to us, we try to come out there at least few times per month. Yesterday we wanted to see the small beech forest on the east side of the reservoir, and unfortunately it was probably the last minute to see it in the autumn colors. As it tends to be a bit colder there compared to Sheffield the autume comes a bit faster. Anyhow the day offered lovely weather with sunshine and 10C.

Photo equipment i used: Nikon D3s, D90, nikon 10-24mm f 3,5-4,5 and 24-70mm f2,8 lenses.
Click on a picture to enlarge them!

Old big beech tree

I love the colours in this

Part of the beech forest

Beech forest and ladybower

Ladybower

Fall colours

Ladybower with Great Tor and Bamford edge in the background 

More fall colours

Peak District National Park, Around Ladybower.

Last Saturday Me and my wife took the opportunity to go to Ladybower, which is situated inside the Peak district National Park. We had decided the day before that we would walk a route that we've gone before, (Winhill) and because it goes up on the moors and you have incredible views in every direction, we could not complain.
The hike to the top of Winhill starts really steep and goes through a fine batch of mixed forest including larch, spruce, pine and hardwood forest. And beside the track down in a deep ravine a little stream is running. The walk to the top usually take a 0.5 to 1 h. And once up, it feels as if the heart would jump out of your chest;))

Stream in the ravine

Track up to Winhill



But at the top, you can take a breather for a while and admire the views in all directions, Ladybower is located in the border between the White Peak which is more populated and has more culture landscape, while the Dark Peak has the highest peaks, and now we're not talking about some very high peaks but Kinder Scout is the highest in the Peak district measuring 636 meters above sea level.
It is also in the Dark Peak area, heather blooms in August and it will be really nice when it's purple everywhere. Sorry I missed it this year  :(

Near Winhill, ladybower in the background

White peak, from winhill

Winhill top, and dark peak with Kinder plateau in the background to right.

From here it was downhill all the way to Ladybower. After a while, we was back to the forest, and here we stopped for a while to take pictures of fungus and I experimented with slow shutter speed in the forest, like the effect of it but still have to practice a little more :)
The last hour of the hike we went along lady bower reservoir and in the end will lead you to a place where they have a water intake that looks a little scary, I do not then go down there;)

Photo equipment i used on this walk: Camera nikon 3D,s and 24-70mm f2,8 lens, tripod and a soft graduated filter for the sky.



 



Ångra ändringarna

A little walk at Lady Bower

Today I took the bus to Lady Bower, it's been a while I was there last. The goal was to take pictures of the beech forest, but once in place it looked so dull and dark so I tried to find something else to shoot instead. So I put on the macro lens and started looking for insects, but it was not so easy to find them either, found some bug.
 I dont know but today it was hard to find motivation and imagination was not the best either. : (
Then I went down to River Dervent because there I have seen a small waterfall, which I thought might be able to get a good picture off.
But it was not so good that either, the waterfall was very bright, compared with the rest of the surrounding environment. So I tried with gradient filters but it still was a bit over exposed. But so it can be when taking pictures in the middle of the day.
Now I had been out for 4 hours and the bus would come soon so I went to Lady Bower inn and took me a beer before I went home. But in between I walked through a field of flowers and there i tried to find some butterflies, find one that i had to chase after, because every time i came close it flew away.
After i while a came close enough, it was not the brightst colored butterfly i have seen but still nice :) :)

Click on the picture to enlarge them!!

Monster

Nice patterns

Some kind of fungal

The Water fall

The Butterfly

 

Hiking in Edale, Part 2

Then it was time for the three remaining days. Third day's adventures, we would visit a village called Castleton and there eat some lunch. And after that go to winnats pass, which looks pretty nice with the high cliffs and the green grass.The weather did not seem so promising, it was pretty much fog on the peaks. We started walking at 10  from the hostel towards Mam Tor and then over the ridge, from here we had a view of Castleton which was only a few kilometers away now. We continued walking down the valley and crossed a few mines and caves that you could visit, but that is for another time. In castleton we ate lunch and drank a beer / ale to it. After that it was time for winnats pass and it did probably not disappoint  anyone. from there we went an another route to the hostel,  the fog was now close at higher elevations where we went but it was easy walking on big paths so it was no problems. That day, we went for about 2o km we would just go 14 km :)Fourth day: we would take a little bit easier walking towards Lady Bower reservoir, round it, and then back. Although it was 20 km to go,  this trek was the easiest so far, because it was pretty flat and easy to walk especially around the lake. And now it was even sunny and warm. This hike went through a lot of different woods ranging from pine, spruce, beech, larch, birch which I like.Fifth day: So would my wife's colleagues be picked up by a taxi at 16  so we took the opportunity to go a little less round to Edale direction but on the mountain, the plan was that we would just  take it easy up on some rocky edge. But while we sat there on the cliff and sunbathing for a while,  a few of us started a plan to continue walking around some more. :) Said and done 5 people wanted to go a little more so they went and the others stayed behind to sunbathe. We would then meet down in Edale for a last beer and further travel to the hostel. It was pleasant five days with great company, and we were lucky with the weather also, they had promised much rain and wind a few days before, but luckily it turned for the better.

Ångra ändringarna

Edale and kinder plateau

Mam Tor

Kinder Plateau

Kinder Plateau,  Grindslow knoll

The beginnig at Winnats pass

In the middle of Winnats pass

Foggy

The sun warming up the moor

Green moss

Flower field

Lady Bower

Beech forest at Lady Bower

Nice colours on the tree trunk

Foggy Back Tor