UKC

Getting up high can bring spectacular views of the landscape below and around us, but sometimes Mother Nature can add an extra something that really takes your breath away. Whether it's a stunning display of light, a deceiving shadowplay or a mind-bending optical illusion, mountains often combine higher altitudes with shifting atmospheric conditions to create striking visual effects.

Here are some examples of a range of phenomena that can sometimes be enjoyed during a climb, walk or camp. If you've seen anything else unusual, let us know in the forums and share your photos!

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Some pedantry follows ...

"Scientists and mountain photographers are divided as to how exactly alpenglow occurs: some believe it requires direct sunlight, others indirect - and some think it can occur in both circumstances. "

I don't think that is right -- there is disagreement in the definition of alpenglow, whether it is direct or indirect lighting, but how it occurs is understood for both definitions.

And anti-crepuscular rays can be near horizontal, and in the west, if you get up early enough

I saw an incredible brockenspectre on Skye a couple of years ago. I was belaying my partner up to the top of the innpinn on a beautiful day and then a thick wisp of cloud blew into just the right position below us. Our shadows and the summit itself were projected into a beautiful complete circular fogbow. It was absolutely stunning, a really beautiful moment.

And then some tw@ launched a drone and sent it buzzing up towards us which totally wrecked the ambience. 

Great piece Natalie, thanks for assembling all this information.

In both cases I think the key is a completely clear eastern horizon to get that delicate glow before the sun rises and the few minutes of glorious pink afterwards.

Interesting article. While mention is made of fog bows and moon bows, it does not mention moon fog bows! Here is a very poor photo of one taken in The Fannaichs. Also, I'd never seen a fata morgana in the mountains until just a few weeks ago. The photo is of Ladhar Bheinn doing one taken from The Fannaichs. Also, there was a thread on here recently about multiple sets of glory rings. Here is one in Torridon recently which clearly has three sets and one a couple of weeks ago in Glen Shiel which, to my surprise, definitely had four (though the photo is not convincing!)

Another one to look out for is Noctilucent clouds if out at night in the summer. 

And here is a circumzenithal arc,  they look like rainbow smiles in the sky, but are caused by ice crystals rather than rain.