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Canisp

Canisp


Postby maddjock » Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:02 pm

Route description: Canisp

Corbetts included on this walk: Canisp

Date walked: 26/12/2009

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 11 km

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So, with christmas officially over now that it's boxing day, and the kids well happy with their presents, I was hoping that the good weather we had up here recently would continue for at least today so I can get out up a hill. Fortunately it was to prove so. I had in mind a wee trip up to Assynt again and a jaunt up Canisp, primarily to photograph Suilven. Leaving pretty early and heading north-west, I realise a few miles from Ullapool that I was fast running out of fuel...d'oh... the only thing I had forgotten to do before the 25th was fill up the car...Passing the closed garage at Ullapool I figured I wouldnt wait for it to open as I should have more than enough fuel to make it back here after the walk.

Reaching the northern end of Loch Awe and parking up, I set out at a very late (for me) 8am. No danger of being anywhere near the summit for sunrise today.
No path to follow today as everything is under 2 feet of snow, and not the good kind... really soft, powdery sink in snow... and each step is a slog... the light is getting beautiful though as Im about a kilometre and a half in, so out with the camera for a couple of shots.

Sunrise behind Beinn an Fhuarain
sunrise.jpg


Its a struggle to keep going in this snow, it really tires you out and by the time I had reached about 1500 ft and Suilven had come into view, I was debating whether to go on or not, after all my main objective is photography over bagging.

cairn.jpg


But go on I did... the weather was indeed fantastic with not even a breath of wind. Reaching around 2100 ft, I hung about around here waiting for some really nice light...

suilven2.jpg


suilven.jpg


I had seen another walker approaching and as he raced on by me with pleasantries exhchanged, I was now making the decision to carry on or return...Only the final steep pull up to the summit to go... my decision was made when only 15 mins had passed and the walker returned on his way back down... and I had someone else's footprints to follow. Leaving the tripod where it was, I made the final ascent... Im glad I did. I spent a bit of time up here taking in some food and drink and marvelling at the beauty of Suilven before retacing my steps down. Picking up the tripod I descended a couple hundred feet and met a party of 6 also enjoying Suilven's views.
I descended further taking my time on a now easier to walk path and stopped for sunset pics. The best thing about Winter photography is definitely the light, with the sun so low in the sky all day there is no harshness about it, just a soft glowing quality to it. Also you get to see a sunrise and sunset within a few short hours...

sun going down behind Cul Mor
sunset1.jpg


I arrived back at the car, defrosted it and headed back down the road taking my time, the low fuel light having been on since Ardmair on the way up. I reached Ullapool only to find the garage still shut... ahh of course its boxing day, it wouldnt have been open today at all... so now what? I know that the car is really economical anyway so decide to make for Dingwall and hope the West End garage is open, it usually is if I recall...
no need to worry at all, I got to Dingwall with the trip computer telling me I still had plenty fuel left... in fact since I had previously filled up I had travelled just a few miles short of 500 miles on £30 of diesel... can anyone beat that?

A beautiful, though tiring winters day walk.
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Re: Canisp

Postby Darran » Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:13 pm

Great views of Suilven. We climbed Canisp / Suilven a couple of years ago finishing in Lochinver (left a car at each end), brilliant day. Would love to try that walk again in these conditions. 8)
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Re: Canisp

Postby sloosh » Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:58 pm

Brilliant pics again, maddjock. Simply superb. :) I love the way you capture the light so well (composition's not bad either :lol: ). As you mention the tripod, are those long exposures?
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Re: Canisp

Postby Paul Webster » Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:04 pm

Yes - what can I say?

Did you hands freeze off fiddling with the camera :shock: :D
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Re: Canisp

Postby cjwaugh » Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:07 pm

The pictures just keep getting better well done maddjock :)
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Re: Canisp

Postby Cuil Lodair » Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:08 pm

maddjock wrote:I got to Dingwall with the trip computer telling me I still had plenty fuel left... in fact since I had previously filled up I had travelled just a few miles short of 500 miles on £30 of diesel... can anyone beat that?


Forget about the great pictures, camera exposure settings etc., etc.,... just tell us what car you are using...!! :)
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Re: Canisp

Postby mountain coward » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:00 pm

That second to last pic is a superb composition! (the rest aren't bad pics either;-) I always think Canisp is prettier than Suilven myself - but then that's a mountain coward's viewpoint and I know probably noone else shares that view!
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Re: Canisp

Postby maddjock » Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:05 am

Darran - Would be an epic walk in these conditions, but not one I would take on... prob not doable in a short day either...

Sloosh/Paul - I think the longest exposure is 1/60 sec... I print out a lot of my pics, some of them quite large and rely on the tripod for sharpness, steadiness and ease of use. I can hook up the camera to it, compose the photo, adjust focus, exposure etc... attach a cable release and wait for the right light... using the cable release allows me to trigger the camera whilst keeping my hands warm in my pockets...

Cuil Lodair - car is a fiat punto van... 1.3 turbo diesel... extremely economical and plenty of room in the back for photography gear/camping gear... I have even managed to sleep in the back of it... :lol: and my average mileage is between 74-85mpg...! 8)

thanks once again guys for all comments... much appreciated...
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Re: Canisp

Postby maddjock » Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:08 am

Here's a link to a larger version of my favourite pic of that day...

click here

:D
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Re: Canisp

Postby Paul Webster » Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:19 am

I think the longest exposure is 1/60 sec.


I'm surprised - I thought you'd need a very small aperture (and long shutter speed) to get the depth of field you have in many of your shots, with a rock in the foreground. Sorry to become a bore, but what aperture did you use on the deep field type photos?
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Re: Canisp

Postby maddjock » Fri Jan 01, 2010 7:43 am

Paul Webster wrote:
I think the longest exposure is 1/60 sec.


I'm surprised - I thought you'd need a very small aperture (and long shutter speed) to get the depth of field you have in many of your shots, with a rock in the foreground. Sorry to become a bore, but what aperture did you use on the deep field type photos?



not a bore at all Paul... I love all things photography... just double checked my settings and shutter speed was in fact between 1 sec for the sunrise shot and 1/13, 1/20th 1/30th for the rest... all at F22 giving that great DOF...

for achieving great DOF it is worth while reading up on hyperfocal distance

I wont pretend to understand it all myself yet though.... :D
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Re: Canisp

Postby Alastair S » Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:58 pm

What great photos - and 11k in deep powder snow is no mean feat either.
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Re: Canisp

Postby Lochivraon » Sat Jan 02, 2010 6:14 pm

Wonderful photos. Thanks.
Very jealous of you getting into Assynt in this weather. I think Suilven is a nicer mountain to look at than climb.
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Re: Canisp

Postby wilkiemurray » Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:47 am

:clap: :clap: amazing pictures- hoping to head up here soon... hope I get similar weather
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