button to main menu  Otley's Guide 1823 (5th edn 1834)

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Page 50:-
  views
The desire of an extensive prospect being the principal motive for ascending a mountain, it is a question frequently asked, 'which is the best time of day for going up Skiddaw?' It is not easy to give a precise answer to this question; the morning is commonly recommended, and generally, the sooner you are there after the sun has fully illumined the mountains the better; whether in an early morning, or on a dispersion of the clouds in any other part of the day.
  mist
During a clear cold night, the vapour is copiously precipitated from the higher into the lower parts of the atmosphere; so that very early in the morning, the summits of the mountains, gilded by the sun, appear in great magnificence; and the contrast of light and shade upon their sides is very interesting. But, at such times, a haziness often prevails in the vallies; which, as the air becomes warmed by the sun, again ascends; and at the same time receives an augmentation by the vapour rising from the ground; the tremulous motion of which may sometimes be perceived, as it exudes from the surface of the earth in places exposed to the most direct action of solar rays.
  clouds
After a succession of dry and hot days the air is seldom favourable for a prospect; but between showers, or when clouds prevail - provided they are above the altitude of the mountains - the view is often extended to a great distance. When the atmosphere is loaded with clouds, the middle of the
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