P
Paul Brown
Guest
I just thought I'd share my first experience of a Brocken Spectre, something I've been hoping to see
for years...
My fiancee, Joanne, and I had driven up to Sedbergh early on Friday afternoon with a view to walking
in upper Lunesdale or the Howgills. Parking up in the town centre for a loo stop, we munched our way
through some butties in the car as the heavens opened. Fortunately it was a short-lived shower so we
pressed on towards Howgill and left the car near the small church by Chapel Beck.
We'd done The Calf once before from Sedbergh via Winder and Arant Haw, but as it had been a while
ago we felt like taking in the summit of the range once more. The sun broke through the clearing
clouds as we walked through fields and up the Bram Rigg ridge. A brief shower came and passed as we
gained height, and by the time we crested the domed summit at about 3.30pm, the sun was directly
behind us and almost disappearing behind a distant bank of grey cloud.
Faint wisps of cloud were brushing the fell tops and I excitedly said to Joanne "These are ideal
conitions for a Brocken Spectre!" The flat Bram Rigg Top proved rather undefinied and the thin cloud
was patchy. As we skirted the summit heading towards The Calf, our shadows began to lengthen towards
over the hidden Cautley Crag to the east.
We entered another pocket of hazy mist and there, up ahead, I could see a halo of colour forming in
the cloud - a glory! Moments later our shadows seemed to stretch for miles as our tiny figures stood
out on a layer of thicker cloud hundreds of yards away. There they were, our distant miniature
shadows - Brocken Spectres - surrounded by the glory. I pointed them out to Joanne and moved to the
left so our individual shadows were more defined - it was superb! It faded in and out with the
patchy cloud for a couple of minutes and then disappeared over Baugh Fell with the arrival of
clearer air from the west.
One curious thing that may well have been a trick of the eye or confusion in the excitement (as it
seemed to defy logic) was that when I moved left my Brocken Spectre seemed to move right! Anyone
else noticed this?
Paul
--
[melt the ice to reply]
for years...
My fiancee, Joanne, and I had driven up to Sedbergh early on Friday afternoon with a view to walking
in upper Lunesdale or the Howgills. Parking up in the town centre for a loo stop, we munched our way
through some butties in the car as the heavens opened. Fortunately it was a short-lived shower so we
pressed on towards Howgill and left the car near the small church by Chapel Beck.
We'd done The Calf once before from Sedbergh via Winder and Arant Haw, but as it had been a while
ago we felt like taking in the summit of the range once more. The sun broke through the clearing
clouds as we walked through fields and up the Bram Rigg ridge. A brief shower came and passed as we
gained height, and by the time we crested the domed summit at about 3.30pm, the sun was directly
behind us and almost disappearing behind a distant bank of grey cloud.
Faint wisps of cloud were brushing the fell tops and I excitedly said to Joanne "These are ideal
conitions for a Brocken Spectre!" The flat Bram Rigg Top proved rather undefinied and the thin cloud
was patchy. As we skirted the summit heading towards The Calf, our shadows began to lengthen towards
over the hidden Cautley Crag to the east.
We entered another pocket of hazy mist and there, up ahead, I could see a halo of colour forming in
the cloud - a glory! Moments later our shadows seemed to stretch for miles as our tiny figures stood
out on a layer of thicker cloud hundreds of yards away. There they were, our distant miniature
shadows - Brocken Spectres - surrounded by the glory. I pointed them out to Joanne and moved to the
left so our individual shadows were more defined - it was superb! It faded in and out with the
patchy cloud for a couple of minutes and then disappeared over Baugh Fell with the arrival of
clearer air from the west.
One curious thing that may well have been a trick of the eye or confusion in the excitement (as it
seemed to defy logic) was that when I moved left my Brocken Spectre seemed to move right! Anyone
else noticed this?
Paul
--
[melt the ice to reply]
