Catching the Rise on the Ridge

I snowshoed up Holyburn this morning to catch the sunrise from the ridge. Only it was a bit cloudy so there was no visible sunrise. Conditions were perfect for crampons. Hard packed ice. The Caribbean brothers use to say catch you on the rise meaning see you tomorrow after the sunrise. For me New Years doesn't start at the stroke of midnight. It starts when the rising sun breaks the horizon. Snowshoeing up in the dark with a headlamp to catch the sunrise from the mountain top is somewhat inspiring. Better than getting pissed drunk at a party. This is the way up:

And this is the actual sunrise behind the clouds. It reminds me of a saying by Mother Teresa: Behind the dark clouds the sun is still shining. Indeed it is. The road up doesn't open until 7 AM.

This year we keep our eyes on the road ahead so we don't take any wrong turns.