Yesterday on Schiehallion, today on Creagh Meagaidh

[simato73]

Light winds and a temperature inversion on both days

[simato73]

Pano of the cloud inversion from Creagh Meagaidh.

The highest mountain in the distance is Ben Nevis, about 40 km distant.
In the full resolution version the summit cairn is clearly visible.

[Jakov Minić]

Simone, thank you so much for getting up there and making these photos for me because I never see myself doing it! 
Spectacular!

[Frank Fremerey]

I love the scale pieces.

I do not have to go there but you transport the effort to get there very well.

[Mongo]

thank you Simato for taking Mongo on a journey to another world he could never make himself. We often live vicariously through the lens and images of other photographers.

Mongo particularly likes #3. It is like the subject is emerging from the vortex of another mysterious world.

TFS these images.

[simato73]

Simone, thank you so much for getting up there and making these photos for me because I never see myself doing it! 
Spectacular!

You are a young fit man, I am sure you could do it.
Thanks for the comment though.

[simato73]

I love the scale pieces.

I do not have to go there but you transport the effort to get there very well.

Thanks Frank.
Conjugating mountaineering and photography is my ideal goal, although it is difficult to do it well.
You may get a taste if you do the hike up Ben Lawers (weather permitting).

[simato73]

thank you Simato for taking Mongo on a journey to another world he could never make himself. We often live vicariously through the lens and images of other photographers.

Mongo particularly likes #3. It is like the subject is emerging from the vortex of another mysterious world.

TFS these images.

I also do dream looking at other people's images, especially when I know I won't be able to visit the place. For me it happens mostly about natural places in far off places.

Regarding hiking, anyone in relatively good health and the desire to do so could do it; there are plenty of places in the world to do it if you feel that Scotland is too far.
I find hiking a very good way to reset, it wipes away my worries and stress.

[BW]

Lovely pano from the highlands! You certainly have some impressive mountains

[Anthony]

Beautiful, these images really take me there in my imagination.

[simato73]

Thank you both, Børge and Anthony.

[Jørgen Ramskov]

These are great. I particularly like #3 and the pano, wonderful.

[simato73]

These are great. I particularly like #3 and the pano, wonderful.

Thanks, they are my favourites too.

[Lars Hansen]

Great shots of a fascinating landscape! It seems you've used the 18-55 zoom .. or 18-135 .. for these shots - it's pretty good. 

[simato73]

Great shots of a fascinating landscape! It seems you've used the 18-55 zoom .. or 18-135 .. for these shots - it's pretty good.

Thank you Lars.
I take the 18-135 hiking, for several reasons:

1) weather resistance. Important in the mountains in the UK, part of the hike can often be in rain/snow conditions. I want the camera always out ready to shoot.
2) minimize lens changes. Same reasons as above, plus speed constraints, as I normally hike with non-photographers and "steal" shots as we go
3) IQ penalty is not that great because I tend to operate at fairly closed down apertures. For the type of photography I do in those conditions shallow DOF is not that important