Cotton grass in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales (Jake Graham Photography)
We climbed away from the haggard forest and the deep-set country lanes, between grazing sheep and bounding rabbits, and on. Cotton grass began to appear; at first one or two shoots, but by the time we reached the lower crags of Fan y Big the ridgeline was awash with white. As pure as the foam of an Arctic wave, the cotton heads lit up the Beacons, monotone yet magnificent.
We sat – with our toes overhanging – on a diving board of sandstone. We were at the apex.
Fan y Big summit, Brecon Beacons, Wales (Jake Graham Photography)
From the Craig Cwmoergwm spine we moved south, beyond tottering cairns and peat bogs the colour of the night. The Neuadd Reservoir deep in the valley had run dry.
Stopping to rest on our descent into the Caerfanell basin, Jake fell asleep amidst a bed of grassy tussocks. I tried, but was kept from my slumber by the chirrups of the skylarks overhead.
Cwm Cynwyn valley, Brecon Beacons, Wales (Jake Graham Photography)
Beautiful, and scary looking of you sitting on the edge of the sandstone. oh my I would have fainted .. Great pictures though… Awesome…
Take care and happy blogging to ya, from Laura
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Thank you, Laura. It certainly wouldn’t have been a good time to faint! Happy blogging o you too 🙂
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What torture! Kept from sleep by skylarks! Where I used often to hike in California was a rock like the one in your photo. I climbed up to it one windy day and there were ravens having the BEST time taking turns surfing on the thermals coming off the afternoon heated rock. I sat down a dozen feet away from them and watched while a storm came in from the ocean.
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Yes, I could certainly think of worse ways to be kept from sleep! Your story of the ravens sounds like bliss. I want to be there now.
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Me too… Funny, I almost just wrote, “I’d give my soul to be there” then I realized that IS my soul. 🙂
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Yes, it is!
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Just lovely. 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Love the photos and write-up; is this a taster from you soon to be released book? I have a photo of myself sitting on a very similar type of ledge, with feet hanging over the edge of ‘The Terrible Hollow’ in the Victorian Alpine National Park, and I straight away could imagine how it would have felt to be right there in your photo. Thanks for sharing, and reviving a fond memory of mine! 🙂 Leah
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Perhaps the writing style is a taster, but it’s not an extract. ‘The Terrible Hallow’ sounds like an aptly named ledge. I be you got a thrill standing on the edge of that! Thanks for the recollection Lean 🙂
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Is the book any closer? 🙂 Leah
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I’m set to receive the final copy-edit today. I will go through the changes, send the manuscript back to the publishers and then it’s time for formatting. I’m learning a lot about the self-publishing world, Leah, namely that everything takes much longer than initially presumed. Thank you so much for your interest 🙂
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I am indeed looking forward to your book being finished, as you must be! I await the ‘post’ that heralds its launch 🙂 Leah
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You are very brave. Thanks for risking it all for an incredible photograph.
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I’m not sure brave is the right word
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I went to the same area of the Brecon Beacons for the very first time only a month ago. As it was getting late, we decided to give Fan Y Big a miss (after climbing three other peaks) in order to get back to our car (and campsite) before dark… I’ve since come to regret this, having seen the terrifying ledge that overhangs the world below. But then, it only means I’ll have to revisit one day. 😉
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Hello Olly, I am so glad you have had your first sample of the Brecon Beacons. Like you said, missing Fan y Big only means you’ll have to return in the future. There are some spectacular waterfalls in the south too and the Black Mountains to the west are wonderful. I could go on…
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We managed to see a few of the waterfalls a couple of days later (again, another reason to revisit and see them all) but the Black Mountains are also on the cards for another day (or weekend).
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Great! It Sounds like you got around a bit. Yes, certainly another excuse to return 🙂
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