Trip Report
Best of Britain - Spot the Location Competition!
Monday January 30, 2017 1:54am
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Skeleton Ridge
Skeleton Ridge
Credit: Bald Eagle
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Warm greetings to you all on a cold, damp day in the UK

Not exactly a climbing video, although quite a few crags feature, but here's a short Showreel vid I have cobbled together which may be of interest to some of you lovely people which I'm about to submit for a drone videography competition called #400ftBritain - basically a Best of Britain from the air. It required a lot of brutal and freezing early starts, especially over the Xmas/New Year break, when more well balanced folks are fast asleep, travelling to various locations <hint> mostly in the South West and South Wales to catch the sunrise in an attempt to get the best light.

As most of the featured locations or landmarks are quite well known some UK based SuperTopoists should recognise many. However if you fancy a challenge (and the mountain shots count as 1 location) there are 17 specific locations or landmarks so see how many you can identify from this unique perspective. If there is any interest in this "Spot the Location" competition, I'll put out a list of all 17 locations and landmarks this Friday at noon. The first to get all 17 wins a virtual pat on the back and rousing chorus of "For he/she's a jolly good fellow" from me... ;-)

Anyway if interested in viewing a quick 3 minute vid featuring some of the wonders of the UK then please use the following link:

[Click to View YouTube Video]

All constructive feedback welcome, please feel free to share and hopefully it will enliven a tea or lunch break up with a brew and biscuit and brighten up a grey, damp + dismal day!

Cheers

Dave

PS Please note most the film was shot very early or late to try and avoid disturbing anyone, the climbers + walkers were spoken to in advance and were very happy to be filmed and permission was granted for the odd location which required it!

  Trip Report Views: 3,654
Bald Eagle
About the Author
Bald Eagle is a trad climber from the UK who likes to boldly go where quite a few people have been before... :-)

Comments
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 30, 2017 - 02:07am PT
Wow! Really beautiful. Well done!

My one suggestion? Music can make all the emotional impact. I don't care for digital/electronic music much. Give people who play real instruments a reason to live! Classical, Celtic, acoustic or whatever you like can provide more drama and convey more emotional content.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Jan 30, 2017 - 07:55am PT
Wow, indeed! As an avowed Luddite and anti-dronist I dare say that you deserve a lifetime exception. And as an erstwhile musician I will say that I thought the music was pretty decent, for electronic. ;-). (some Elgar would have been appropriate)

That shot of Stonehenge must have been yonks ago or am I mistaken in thinking it is off limits to the public now? And while I realize you'd be clapped in irons I was still hoping for a shot of HMS Victory. :-(

Oh, and if the national tourism board doesn't snap this up they're a bunch of tossers!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 30, 2017 - 08:03am PT
An erstwhile musician should advocate for real instruments!
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Jan 30, 2017 - 08:38am PT
I thought I did? Wasn't Elgar real? ;-)

BTW, Baldy, where was that six masted barkentine? And did I see High Tor?
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
  Jan 30, 2017 - 08:51am PT
Survival is quite correct. This music just sucks, mate, for this style of video.

I was impressed by the shots of the chalk figures very much. The mid-day sun-lighting was a good choice.

Late/early light on the rest...I'll have to look at it again. Darn!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 30, 2017 - 09:01am PT
Reilly, you are correct, points given for Elgar.

I don't presume to suggest an artist though, only to suggest "real" musicians.
Nick Danger

Ice climber
Arvada, CO
  Jan 30, 2017 - 10:49am PT
BaldEagle,
Fabulous videography, absolutely superb! As for myself, I like your taste in music, but could see (hear) any of the following working as well: Bach, Elgar, Respighi, Weather Report (older European jazz, I know), Passport (more Euro jazz), loads of Celtic music, Kraftwerk.

My best hope is that you just continue putting these little masterpieces out. Don't know what you do for your day job, but this type of videography is your true calling, mate.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 30, 2017 - 04:50pm PT
Awesome footage bump for the evening crowd.
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 01:21am PT
Wow! Really beautiful. Well done!

My one suggestion? Music can make all the emotional impact. I don't care for digital/electronic music much. Give people who play real instruments a reason to live! Classical, Celtic, acoustic or whatever you like can provide more drama and convey more emotional content.

Hi survival thanks a million for your kind words and I really appreciate the constructive feedback! I thought the music complimented the images with the gentle ambient beginning et al, but as we all now musical taste is very personal and what one person loves, another person dislikes or is just ambivalent about! Anyway thanks once again and good luck with your music! :-)
Cheers
Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 01:29am PT
Wow, indeed! As an avowed Luddite and anti-dronist I dare say that you deserve a lifetime exception. And as an erstwhile musician I will say that I thought the music was pretty decent, for electronic. ;-). (some Elgar would have been appropriate)

That shot of Stonehenge must have been yonks ago or am I mistaken in thinking it is off limits to the public now? And while I realize you'd be clapped in irons I was still hoping for a shot of HMS Victory. :-(

Oh, and if the national tourism board doesn't snap this up they're a bunch of tossers!

BTW, Baldy, where was that six masted barkentine? And did I see High Tor?


Hey Reilly many thanks for taking the time to post as ever as it is muchly appreciated and the lifetime drone exception... ;-)

The Stonehenge shot was filmed recently and they charge £15 for an adult to walk around a small circle of stones nowadays. However I was well before opening time to the public and spoke to a security guard who was pretty relaxed about it!

The six masted barkentine is <hint> one of Brunel's finest and located in Brizzle whilst you saw Haytor at dawn on Dartmoor! :-)

Cheers

Baldy


Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 01:32am PT
Survival is quite correct. This music just sucks, mate, for this style of video.

I was impressed by the shots of the chalk figures very much. The mid-day sun-lighting was a good choice.

Late/early light on the rest...I'll have to look at it again. Darn!

Hi mouse from merced and sorry you did not like the music but as mentioned a couple of posts up, musical taste is a very personal thing! No worries though and thanks for taking the time to post some feedback! Happy Tuesday to you! :-)
Cheers
Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 01:38am PT
BaldEagle,
Fabulous videography, absolutely superb! As for myself, I like your taste in music, but could see (hear) any of the following working as well: Bach, Elgar, Respighi, Weather Report (older European jazz, I know), Passport (more Euro jazz), loads of Celtic music, Kraftwerk.

My best hope is that you just continue putting these little masterpieces out. Don't know what you do for your day job, but this type of videography is your true calling, mate.

Thanks a million Nick and I really appreciate your appreciation! I'm just a humble stores manager at the School of Physics in the Uni of Bristol, one of the little cogs which make the big cogs go round!
Anyway a couple more climbing vids from last year in pre-production and plenty more projects lined up for 2017 so watch this space mate... :-)
Cheers
Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 01:39am PT
Awesome & excellent.
Cheers Tami and happy Tuesday to you! :-) Dave
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Jan 31, 2017 - 03:25am PT
I've not taken a moment but I will,
the heavy weather that clouds these shores
May be in our zone now ,

But, with Brexit, it is chaos designed to spread crisis across The world,

Pray for Eastern Europe
There, the stakes are the greatest!
The world is at such great risk
Play carefully with others,
save gold,
and only very valuable stoneS!
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
  Jan 31, 2017 - 03:23am PT
Very nice, I don't mind the music... Elgar is overated ;-) There's a few locations I don't know, but as no one else has bitten;

Glastonbury Tor,
Waterfall?
Stonehenge
The Long Man
HayTor Dartmoor
Bristol and The Avon Gorge
Llangollen Canal Viaduct?
Silbury Hill
The WhiteHorse Wilts
Wintours Leap
Cheddar Gorge
The Needles
The Old Man of Stoer

The earthwork I've seen but cant recall the location.

Fun,

Steve





duncan

climber
London, UK
  Jan 31, 2017 - 05:03am PT
Nice lunch break material!

Glastonbury Tor
Sgwd-yr-Eira waterfall - Brecon Beacons?
Pen-y-Fan - Brecon Beacons
Stonehenge
Brean Down
Cerne Giant
Hay Tor Dartmoor
Bristol and The Avon Gorge
Bristol SS Great Britain
Canal Viaduct?
Avebury
Silbury Hill
Uffington White Horse
Wintour's Leap
Cheddar Gorge
The Old Man of Stoer
The Needles Isle of Wight
Green Bridge (Pembroke)
Glastonbury Tor
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 31, 2017 - 06:49am PT
Now we're talking! Some action on this thread!

Dave, does this mean you won't be considering other music to go with your film?
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 07:47am PT
I've not taken a moment but I will,
the heavy weather that clouds these shores
May be in our zone now ,

But, with Brexit, it is chaos designed to spread crisis across The world,

Pray for Eastern Europe
There, the stakes are the greatest!
The world is at such great risk
Play carefully with others,
save gold,
and only very valuable stoneS!

Very eloquent Mr Gnome! Happy Tuesday to you! :-)
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 07:50am PT
Very nice, I don't mind the music... Elgar is overated ;-) There's a few locations I don't know, but as no one else has bitten;

Glastonbury Tor,
Waterfall?
Stonehenge
The Long Man
HayTor Dartmoor
Bristol and The Avon Gorge
Llangollen Canal Viaduct?
Silbury Hill
The WhiteHorse Wilts
Wintours Leap
Cheddar Gorge
The Needles
The Old Man of Stoer

The earthwork I've seen but cant recall the location.

Fun,

Steve

A very good effort Steve and you get 11 out of 17 including 2 half points for waterfall and the long man which are not quite right! Give that man a B!
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 07:52am PT
Nice lunch break material!

Glastonbury Tor
Sgwd-yr-Eira waterfall - Brecon Beacons?
Pen-y-Fan - Brecon Beacons
Stonehenge
Brean Down
Cerne Giant
Hay Tor Dartmoor
Bristol and The Avon Gorge
Bristol SS Great Britain
Canal Viaduct?
Avebury
Silbury Hill
Uffington White Horse
Wintour's Leap
Cheddar Gorge
The Old Man of Stoer
The Needles Isle of Wight
Green Bridge (Pembroke)
Glastonbury Tor

Wow Duncan top of the class with 16 out of 17, just missing the viaduct which is <hint> close to Bristol! Give that man an A! :-)
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Jan 31, 2017 - 07:54am PT
Now we're talking! Some action on this thread!

Dave, does this mean you won't be considering other music to go with your film?

Hi survival yup that is correct as video editing et al takes a long time and this is the final cut. Sorry but a very happy Tuesday to you! :-) Cheers Dave
steveA

Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
  Jan 31, 2017 - 07:57am PT
Very nice!

I'm a lover of classical music, but I thought this music was very appropriate for this video.
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
  Jan 31, 2017 - 08:05am PT
Loved this. I had no idea about where most of these places were, but they are lovely. I think you're the favorite to win the grand prize!

What is the man o' war in the harbor near the end?
JimT

climber
Munich
  Jan 31, 2017 - 10:13am PT
The viaduct is at Pensford.
Bet I´ve climbed on more of the places than anyone else here. We used to have Thursday night club meets at Stonehenge before they caged it off and turned it into a theme park. I remember my dad taking us there when we were kids in 1958 (we lived locally) to watch the Army putting it back up with big cranes and stuff, it looked a lot untidier before!
newport

Sport climber
UK
  Jan 31, 2017 - 10:42am PT
Another great film Dave- this one should be on the Visit Britain website. The view of Silbury Hill in particular was outstanding, and the Cerne Abbas Giant looked very pleased to see you!
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 1, 2017 - 01:18am PT
Very nice!

I'm a lover of classical music, but I thought this music was very appropriate for this video.

Thanks steve I like a bit of classical myself but thought the music chosen complimented the film, but hey ho musical taste is a very personal thing! :-) Cheers Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 1, 2017 - 01:20am PT
Loved this. I had no idea about where most of these places were, but they are lovely. I think you're the favorite to win the grand prize!

What is the man o' war in the harbor near the end?

Hi Rick and many thanks for taking the time to post some kind feedback! The boat is one of Brunel's finest, the superb SS Great Britain permanently docked in Bristol! :-) Cheers Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 1, 2017 - 01:22am PT
The viaduct is at Pensford.
Bet I´ve climbed on more of the places than anyone else here. We used to have Thursday night club meets at Stonehenge before they caged it off and turned it into a theme park. I remember my dad taking us there when we were kids in 1958 (we lived locally) to watch the Army putting it back up with big cranes and stuff, it looked a lot untidier before!

Spot on Jim you win a biscuit!
If you have climbed on Stonehenge then you have probably beaten me in the amount of places you have climbed featured on the vid. Great image by the way! :-) Cheers Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 1, 2017 - 01:24am PT
Another great film Dave- this one should be on the Visit Britain website. The view of Silbury Hill in particular was outstanding, and the Cerne Abbas Giant looked very pleased to see you!

Hey newport a maa-hoosive thanks for your kind words and indeedy the Cerne Abbas Giant was particularly proud and upstanding... ;-)
Cheers
Dave
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
  Feb 1, 2017 - 03:56am PT
OK Jim, I'll bite ;-)

I'm from the NE, (but lived in Wilstshire and Hereford for a while) so.....

Glastonbury Tor - Been there seen it done it.
Sgwd-yr-Eira waterfall - Brecon Beacons? - Nope
Pen-y-Fan - Brecon Beacons - Too many times!
Stonehenge - Lived next to it in Bulford.
Brean Down - Yep
Cerne Giant - Been there.
Hay Tor Dartmoor - Yes of course!
Bristol and The Avon Gorge - Did lots in the Avon Gorge
Bristol SS Great Britain - Visited
Canal Viaduct? - Nope
Avebury - Nope
Silbury Hill - Yep been there.
Uffington White Horse - Close to Bulford
Wintour's Leap - Yep, Done lots
Cheddar Gorge - Yep, Done less!
The Old Man of Stoer - Nope
The Needles Isle of Wight - Seen but not climbed
Green Bridge (Pembroke) Nope
Glastonbury Tor As above

I think that's about 15 of them......

Steve
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Feb 1, 2017 - 08:48am PT
Rick A, the Great Britain may sport the Nelson Chequer, albeit in white rather than yellow,
but she was a peaceable ship her whole life and the first to employ a screw, quite the
innovation in 1843!
jaaan

Trad climber
Chamonix, France
  Feb 2, 2017 - 12:59am PT
Hey Blakey,
I went to see the Cerne Abbas Giant as a kid. I remember looking at it from a distance through binoculars. There was a family picnicking right on the tip of his erection... And clearly unaware of where they were...!
Dave featured my route Isambard's Kingdom on the Green Bridge on one of his videos. A wild location, for sure!
Hereford eh?
monti

Mountain climber
Basel, Switzerland
  Feb 1, 2017 - 10:38pm PT
Thanks for this great video BE, I really enjoyed it. Like a short holiday on the way home from work.
What's the prize for recognizing Stonehenge? That's 1/17, it has to be worth something?
I look forward to more of the kind.
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 3, 2017 - 12:23am PT
OK Jim, I'll bite ;-)

I'm from the NE, (but lived in Wilstshire and Hereford for a while) so.....

Glastonbury Tor - Been there seen it done it.
Sgwd-yr-Eira waterfall - Brecon Beacons? - Nope
Pen-y-Fan - Brecon Beacons - Too many times!
Stonehenge - Lived next to it in Bulford.
Brean Down - Yep
Cerne Giant - Been there.
Hay Tor Dartmoor - Yes of course!
Bristol and The Avon Gorge - Did lots in the Avon Gorge
Bristol SS Great Britain - Visited
Canal Viaduct? - Nope
Avebury - Nope
Silbury Hill - Yep been there.
Uffington White Horse - Close to Bulford
Wintour's Leap - Yep, Done lots
Cheddar Gorge - Yep, Done less!
The Old Man of Stoer - Nope
The Needles Isle of Wight - Seen but not climbed
Green Bridge (Pembroke) Nope
Glastonbury Tor As above

I think that's about 15 of them......

Steve

Hey Steve top effort so have a virtual high 5 from me! :-) Cheers Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 3, 2017 - 12:28am PT
Hey Blakey,
I went to see the Cerne Abbas Giant as a kid. I remember looking at it from a distance through binoculars. There was a family picnicking right on the tip of his erection... And clearly unaware of where they were...!
Dave featured my route Isambard's Kingdom on the Green Bridge on one of his videos. A wild location, for sure!
Hereford eh?

Ha ha jaaan/jon I would have paid good money to film the family having a picnic on the tip of the Giant's todger! Yep the Green Bridge of Wales features near the end of this vid and it is probably the most spectacular natural sea arch in the UK... :-) Cheers Dave
Bald Eagle

Trad climber
Author's Reply  Feb 3, 2017 - 12:30am PT
Thanks for this great video BE, I really enjoyed it. Like a short holiday on the way home from work.
What's the prize for recognizing Stonehenge? That's 1/17, it has to be worth something?
I look forward to more of the kind.

Thanks a million monti and very well done on recognising Stonehenge and getting 1 out of 17! Have a virtual hob nob biscuit from me and I'll post a full list later today if I get a chance... :-)
Cheers
Dave
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