Back Breaking Image

Taken a few weeks ago and the only reason why it was not added sooner is simply that I hurt my spine getting down to this waterfall and have been recuperating ever since. Not an easy waterfall to get to unless you walk part of the Pennine Way, I chose to do it the quick way at sunset time and hurt my spine in the process of climbing down the rocky sides of the waterfall to reach the bottom.

The waterfall is fed by Cow Green Reservoir (which is part of the river Tees) in Upper Teesdale and eventully leads down to the High Force also in the Teesdale Valley.

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Another Golden Hour

Saturday began dry, windy but with lots of good cloud formations sailing across the sky. As the day progressed little had changed and I was just in the mood for a drive to Upper Teesdale and a walk down to Cauldron Snout and Falcon Clints.

The light when I arrived at the car park was superb, lots of dark clouds over the area of the sun and casting scattered light over the hills as the wind moved the clouds. Cow Green Reservoir looked the best I have seen it in a long time, with the light reflecting on the moving water and the backdrop of hills.

The climb down to the Snout was somewhat hazardous, with lots of surface water on the rocks. With the addition of the purple heather on the bankside the waterfall looked quite dazzling in the golden light before sunset. The main reason for coming here however, wasn’t for Cauldron Snout but for the view along Falcon Clints, a view which I have taken many times before but have never been happy with. Either the light has been flat or it hasn’t been time for the heather to be in bloom but this evening everything was in my favour.

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Moody Light in Upper Teesdale

Having endured all the rain over the past few week’s, Saturday began pleasant, bright and very sunny, as the day progressed the evening seemed set to have some reasonably good light. I loaded the camera gear into the car, along with my two dogs and headed towards Upper Teesdale.

I parked in the car park at High Force and quickly took the route for the South side of the River Tees, crossing over the bridge and then up to High Force itself and then onto Pasture Foot. The heather is currently in flower and several months ago I spotted a very old and zigzagging, dry stone wall. Thinking it would possibly look good with some heather and if taken with the late setting sun lighting the stone it may give the scene further contrast. However, it is strange how ones memory deceives…I  was almost certain that the area in which the stone wall was situated was also covered with heather, on my arrival I found very little heather and the light not really all that interesting.

Further hope and light was on the horizon but sinking fast. With a quickened pace I headed in the direction of Cronkley Pasture where the sinking sun was casting some dramatic light from behind dark clouds. The white farm and other buildings within the area were also looking dramatic in the half light and set against the dark cloudy sky. The Pasture was also looking good with the small hills and vegetation catching illuminating glimpses from the dying sun.

 

Click the images to view a larger.

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