In a year where I have been learning to battle the inner negative rhetoric. To have more belief in myself, and more self-confidence. To now suggest that you can’t do everything you want, or rather you can but some of those things won’t end well ergo you can’t or at least shouldn’t, seems contrary to all that I have been learning.

Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Bingley, West Yorkshire, stands a testament to human ingenuity and engineering prowess: the Five Rise Locks. Recently celebrating its 250th birthday, this testament to British engineering continues to captivate visitors with its impressive design and functionality.

There's something magical about the way nature glows during the golden hour - that fleeting time just before sunset or after sunrise when the light is soft, warm, and imbues everything with a golden hue. For landscape photographers, it's a coveted time to capture stunning images that showcase the beauty of the natural world. However, taking advantage of the golden hour requires a careful balance of technique, timing, and creativity.

The next twenty mins were probably some of the most peaceful I can remember. Watching the light slowly move over Ranrapalca, illuminating it’s East and North Faces with not another soul in sight, witnessing the dance between light and shadow on the glacier below me and slowly losing my fingers and nose to the cold will be something that will stay with me for a very long time.

When I wasn’t breaking through the crust and sinking to my knees, I was attempting to maintain enough traction to make it to the next rock outcrop. This carried on for another 20 minutes or so until we found a steep gully to climb which brought us up to the ridge and on to a beautiful scramble towards the summit as Dawn was breaking.

I had already sampled the kitchen of the hostel and decided that weight loss would be sufficiently achieved from time at altitude. There was, therefore, no need to run the dysentery gauntlet by cooking in the accommodation.

It was as I sunk up to my knees in the snow for the third time that I realised I may have messed up. Sure enough, I got to the lakes with time to spare before sunset, however the frozen, snow covered water was unlikely to thaw in the hour I had to spare.

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I drove to meet a friend for lunch. The boy I had met was a memory I had of me aged 19. For the first time since I was this boy, I had somehow been able to find the mental space and distance to understand what he was struggling with.