Green Crag and the river Duddon

[canisp]

Hill done, Green Crag
OS Map No 96
Started Grid Ref 235996
Distance walked 11 km’s
Height Gain 400 metre’s
9 November 2009

Leaving the car i followed the landrover track through the forest past Birks to Grid Ref 213990, where a muddy path doubled back to cross a stream at GR 214986. The going underfoot was rough and wet and i didn’t come across the path shown on the map, but no matter 30 minutes later i was on the summit. Green Crag is a rugged and shapely little peak with very open views, Harter Fell being the only hill close by.

Harter Fell from 227986

Green Crag from 213987

Below Green Crag

Looking to the summit of Green Crag

Harter Fell from the summit of Green Crag

Harter Fell from the summit of Green Crag

A Sunlit Larch

A Sunlit Larch

A Sunlit Larch

The Crinkle Crags in shadow

After leaving the summit i headed north to another top at GR 200988 then ENE to pick up the path into the forest and a stroll back to the car. Before driving home i spent some time taking photo’s around Birks Bridge at GR 234994 and Seathwaite GR 230963, these two areas are worth a visit after heavy rain having some small scenic waterfalls.

Autumn colours

The river Duddon from Birks Bridge

The river Duddon near Birks Bridge

The river Duddon near Birks Bridge

The river Duddon near Birks Bridge

Tarn Beck near Seathwaite at GR 230963

Tarn Beck near Seathwaite at GR 230963

Tarn Beck near Seathwaite at GR 230963

[mountain coward]

We did Green Crag with Crook Crags from Eskdale - probably a bit drier that way - great route - looks really hard scrambling but is really easy!

Your pics are superb - especially the waterfall ones! Is your camera manual presumably (like mine)? If so, what shutter speed did you use and did you have to use a tripod? I usually freeze the water in my waterfalls with a super-fast shutter speed but have noticed that most people use the opposite effect to probably better effect...

[canisp]

We did Green Crag with Crook Crags from Eskdale - probably a bit drier that way - great route - looks really hard scrambling but is really easy!

I was in two minds to do it from Eskdale but wanted to photograph the Duddon River, next time i’ll go from Eskdale and up by Birker Force.

Is your camera manual presumably (like mine)?

My camera is a compact digital, i can alter some settings but i have no control over the shutter speed.

If so, what shutter speed did you use and did you have to use a tripod?

To get the time lapse effect, first i fixed the camera onto the tripod, then took about 40 consecutive shots , being very careful not to jolt the tripod or camera. Back home on the computer using Gimp2 (a photo editing program) i stacked 33 of the shots together and faded each out to show only 3% visibility. When the 33 shots are combined they give the results shown, so in reality each (time lapse) photo in the report is a composite of 33 photo’s, each with a shutter speed of about 1/100 sec.

[mountain coward]

Ah - Photoshop-type trickery! Sounds very technical and complicated. I'll stick to asking photographers what shutter speeds they use until I get to one with a manual camera so they can advise me and then I can have a go. I really think I'd need to either have a tripod or a convenient rock to keep the camera still though... at present I don't have a tripod and, if I had, I can't see me carrying one about up the hills. Superb effect anyway, however it was done!

You were right to go to Duddon for the river and falls - the Esk is lovely but doesn't have features like those falls anywhere really...

[HighlandSC]

All those type of water shots look smart - but I do prefer the fast shutter speed type ones - where the water/water drops look real (like the last 2 in this report). I find the other ones look like a river of smoke or something - doesn't look like water to me anyway, but it's a nice visual effect for sure.

MC - I've got one of these which are pretty good in almost any situation:
http://joby.com/gorillapod

[mountain coward]

Can't actually open/see those links/attachments I'm afraid (although I'm at work so that might be something to do with it - I'll have a look at home...

Just putting one of my fast shutter waterfall shots on here for comparison (hope you don't mind Canisp) but I am wanting to take some like Canisp's sometime...

[HighlandSC]

Seems you suffer the same as I do at work -lots of stuff blocked!

You should be able to see these ones (sorry canisp, a proper thread hijack here!)

[mountain coward]

That looks great - presumably it doesn't weigh much - how much are they? Looking at it, if I left it on a rock without a camera attached, people would probably shrink back in horror thinking it's some kind of horrible insect or a weird spider or something...

I swear that middle pic of it is taken in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan...

Canisp's thread being hi-jacked at least guarantees him lots of hits while we discuss things!

[canisp]

Just putting one of my fast shutter waterfall shots on here for comparison (hope you don't mind Canisp)

Of course i don’t mind, great shot the more the better. Ps where are the Abhainn Uamha falls

but I am wanting to take some like Canisp's sometime...

Time lapse shots can be done without a tripod (but not hand held) but are so much easier with one. With your camera set on shutter speed mode (and it helps to have the ISO on its lowest setting), take some shots, start with a fast shutter speed then decrease the shutter speed after each one. If possible get some neutral density filters, using these will increase the shutter speeds needed further, it’s just a matter of practising and finding what works and which results you like.

You should be able to see these ones (sorry canisp, a proper thread hijack here!)

No worries, i’m always interested in anything related to walking or photography. I should really get one of those as my tripod weighs 30 ounces.

[mountain coward]

Okay thanks for the info - what's a neutral density filter? The only filter I have at the moment is a Skylight (UV) filter but I'm thinking maybe a 'Grey Grad' filter may be useful. Just another 'frozen' waterfall shot then - both waterfalls are on Mull - the earlier one under Ben More and this one is on the west coast. The Eas Fors are a series of falls and are quirky as the names means waterfall waterfall (first is Gaelic, second is Norse)... the other falls in the series are much prettier but I don't have them on work's PC...

[canisp]

Another great shot perhaps we should have a waterfall thread

what's a neutral density filter?

The filter reduces the amount of light entering the lens, so the shutter speed would be increased to compensate.

This link explains it better than i can.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_density_filter

[mountain coward]

Thanks for that Canisp... I'm not surprised you didn't want to explain it yourself after reading that! Very technical it got... I'm not sure how often I'd need one as I always seem to be viewing waterfalls in pretty poor light anyway - either due to the cr*ppy weather I get outdoors generally or because they're in woodland or something but I'll bear it in mind.

Maybe we should start a waterfall thread - I've certainly got some better photos than the last one at home!