Amidst the grim winter weather here in the Peak we get an occasional burst of brilliance – a shaft of sunlight blasting through the clear air it’s looks nothing if not magical. The trick, as ever, is to be in the right place at the right time and this weekend the right place was Stanage and the right time was the evening ‘golden hour’.

The overnight rain had left the Eastern Peaks soaked on Saturday morning. That said, the stiff breeze worked a miracle such that by early afternoon there was just enough dry rock in the Plantation to make it worth hanging around. The friction was amazing – until the snow storms started to roll in that is! Those that stayed around and managed to ignore the biting cold were treated to some cracking conditions once the snow clouds had gone. There was probably less than a couple of dozen climbers on the whole of Stanage which just added to the moment. The last hour before dark was the stuff of dreams…

Rob Napier, ably spotted by Tom Pape, shuffing through the Plantation pack looking hard for The Joker (Font 8a)

Stanage Popular End – for once almost totally deserted…

My favourite lone tree – I couldn’t resist stopping for just one more shot before heading (late) back into Sheff…