A diversion for an inversion

All the weather apps were forecasting fog across the Peak District for Tuesday this week, so a friend and I headed out to explore some woodlands. However, we got a bit sidetracked on the way...!

The route we took brought us alongside an elevated ridge called Rushup Edge, and then drops down into the Hope Valley. As we approached the descent, we could see (even in the pre-dawn light) that heavy banks of fog filled the valley below, but the sky above was crystal clear.

We changed course to famous hill known as Mam Tor which is popular with photographers for just these kinds of conditions. We parked and made our way up the hill. The fog was rolling over the hills from behind Winnats Pass and was so thick even the cement works in the valley were hidden (but you can tell where it is from the plume rising above the inversion!)

We climbed to the top of Mam Tor, and then descended to a string of smaller hills known as The Great Ridge. Looking behind us, we got a great view of the Edale side of Rushup Edge, and at this point the fog was spilling over them into the Edale Valley.

(This image is hazy as we were also engulfed in the passing the fog for a few minutes!)

As the fog stopped flowing over these hills, we turned our attention back to the Great Ridge and the more classic view. As the fog ebbed and flowed it completely cut off the peaks for a few minutes before receding again.

As the Great Ridge came back into view, I took some images which played with the sinuous shape it created. I called this one "Leviathan" as it (to me) resembles a huge monster emerging from the fog.

Here's a spot of ICM.

(Or, more accurately, UCA, as I unintentionally activated the camera while shifting the tripod. I have a few of these in my collection, and always prefer the results to the intentional ones!)

Finally, the sun crossed the horizon and things got a bit harsher. One last opportunistic shot of the ridge, and then made our way off the hill.

As we faced into the sun, looking back across to Winnats Pass, there were some tantalising glimpses of the pass and surrounding hills through the glow.