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It's 2026, the start of a fresh new year and I was eager to get the year off in a positive manner to set the tune for the months to follow. I hope you all had a great Christmas and at the very least had time off to relax and unwind from the normal routine. Roisin, Rhua and I had a lovely Christmas, mostly relaxing and staying cosey, watching movies, having a few drinks, I was building an advanced technic set from a company called CADA of the Mercedes AMG ONE, that kept me busy every day and night and has been great fun and good to keep the mind active. However I'm sure you will agree that even indulging in life's pleasures of food and relaxation can get a little boring after a while and the gradual craving for a nature fix beckons.
There were no photo shoots over the Christmas period for me, it was quite cloudy as usual and no major aurora or other astronomical events so the cameras, drones and telescopes all got a break too. The weather was uneventful until it suddenly wasn't. A cold spell was showing on the models for the new year and if GFS was correct it would last at least five days, the position of low pressure and high pressure resulted in days of a Nly flow and proper deep cold air straight from the Arctic. At first it looked to just bring mainly dry weather with frosts, then the temperatures gradually would get colder with local severe frosts then the models began to show three days of Wintry showers which would bring the first snow of the year, I was determined to get out to document those no matter what happened.
To be honest I wasn't expecting much so expectations were low but I reckoned the situation would improve when showers increased on the days ahead so the hills should get a decent covering at least. There was only one downside, there was little to no proper instability over the sea, this meant showers would be blowing inland from the north Atlantic then dying quickly, they would be low topped and weak so any snow would be light in nature, we would need a lot of these to get a layer and there really wasn't many on radar on the first night. This didn't put us off, seeing any snow would be nice so Roisin and I planned to head out the next day for a look. January 2nd 2026 was our first snow day, to be honest it was just a dusting and even the high ground was patchy, we hit the road anyway and decided to visit Gortin Glen Forest outside Omagh as this place always produces the goods.
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Even as we drove along the Omagh road we could tell the snow was melting on the hills in the bright Winter sunshine within the course of an hour however we pressed on into the forest and climbed to higher ground. We got lucky, the tall trees had blocked the sunshine and it was in these shadowed areas where snow remained and it was very cold. We got out to enjoy it and have a walk through some of the trails. It was actually beautiful with a couple of cm's of snow to enjoy, Rhua got out too, she's very old now, almost 100 years of age in Human terms so we wanted her to see snow again as this might be her last Winter to enjoy the white gold. Here's Roisin enjoying the snow in the forest, I was just using my phone for these ground images.
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I sent the drone up through the forest on its first flight of 2026, once it cleared the tree tops and reached a decent elevation I flipped the camera to face down. The view was wonderful, the taller trees were catching the low sun which had warm colours while the lower snow in the shadows had that cold white-blue look, complimenting these colour tones were trees covered in what looked like icing sugar. I was happy enough with this as my first image of the year, we decided to head home before sunset however I knew that far more snow showers were expected overnight and that another day of chasing was being planned, but where to go?
That evening and night I alternated between building the CADA set, checking radar and various models. I planned on getting up earlier the next morning and spend an entire day hunting for cool snow scenes, however I was stuck on where to go, I decided to give my usual places a miss, Mullaghmore, Eagle Rock, Moneyneany areas as I had filmed these before Christmas in snow (November) and really wanted something different. I was craving a new location or different foreground, a challenge, something to get excited about, I was contemplating going back to Gortin Glen Forest then try the lakes there when suddenly I got a message from Omagh photographer Paul Martin. He simply said he was planning on trying the famous giant on Mullaghcarn, he had wanted to film this giant in the snow for years and tomorrow he decided he was going to tick it off his bucket list.
I began to digest what Paul was saying, I liked the sound of that, I had never been to that giant in my life, it's considered an iconic location in the Sperrins and it ticked all my boxes as something different and challenging and new to get the year off to a great start. I told Paul that if the overnight snow showers were heavy enough then I would join him, but we definitely needed enough snow on the giant and the summit to make the journey worthwhile. We left it at that, it was kind of up in the air, no definitive plans were made yet, however at midnight I knew I was going in the morning and I also knew Paul would be too, it was just happening.
I only half slept that night in anticipation of the adventure to come, I was getting drips of adrenaline all night long which meant something was happening, I still wasn't even sure if Paul was going or not yet. I got up at 07.00 and checked radar, there had been many snow showers during the early hours passing down the west side of N. Ireland over the Omagh area. I checked messenger and Paul was already online, he was getting decent snow showers and was committed to going and I said I would join him, now it was happening for real. We agreed to meet in Omagh at 09.00, perhaps slightly earlier. The thing is this wasn't a simple case of driving out and getting images, we had to hike up a mountain. We would begin at Gortin Glen Forest Park, however there would be a barrier blocking the drive up which meant walking the entire way to the top, in snow, exposed to the elements, carrying camera gear and supplies. A 7.6km round trip, half of it up hill. Roisin and I had been walking a lot over the holidays and I had been doing bits and pieces of my own parkour exercises anyway so I knew I would be fine, however it's different in snow, at altitude, in wind chill, with no shelter and carrying gear so we knew what we were getting ourselves into. To be honest I was absolutely buzzing at the prospect of the adventure.
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I left Cookstown at 08.00, it was a beautiful dawn morning of blue light and passing snow showers, the sun hadn't risen yet. The fun began on the Omagh road, even though the main road had been salted it was still slippery, perhaps not enough early morning traffic to compact it and mix it up, it felt like the road had frozen over and fresh snow was falling on top of that, the van was ready -2C. I slid occasionally, I maintained a speed between 40mph and 45mph which seemed to work and avoided any harsh breaking or acceleration and kept the steering smooth.
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Half way out and not far from An Creagan I pulled in to check out this isolated snow shower approaching from the north. The sun was still below the horizon however the tops of this shower were catching first light. I was also doing a vlog, I wanted to document this entire adventure for the memories. I noticed though once the sun did rise the snow on the hills looked patchy again and I could swear some of it was melting already, I began to fear we could be going up that mountain and getting no snow scenes, that would be the worse case scenario, we absolutely needed some covering of snow to make this shoot work, I wasted no time and pressed on and met Paul in Omagh.
We got into Paul's van and he drove us to the forest, both of us were pumped for the adventure, usually when Paul and I meet up for a shoot something cool happens so we hoped this day would be no different. Any concerns we had about snow were gone when we arrived at the base of Gortin Glen Forest, there was snow everywhere, that meant there definitely had to be snow on the mountain top too. We kept our gear to a minimum, drone bag, ruck sack with flask of hot water, tea bags, a few snacks, cold water, and a few accessories for the drones and immediately we began the walk following the purple trail.
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The entire walk through the forest was like Narnia, not a breath of wind, still, quiet, cold, crisp powdery snow under foot. Overnight snow had accumulated on the tree branches and just sat on them perfectly, varying from cm's to several inches thick, walking along these wooden foot bridges and under hanging white trees was like a scene from Canada. We made brief stops along the way to take images with the phones and for me to update my vlog.
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Half way up we stopped to take a break, we had a good pace going, a second wind, legs and muscles warmed up and working well, we felt in the flow, we were actually warm but it was a false kind of warm because we were moving. We were also getting a cold sweat from wearing layers which meant once we stopped we could get very cold quickly so our breaks were very short. Paul checked radar and saw a big snow shower heading our way and it wasn't long before the first snow flakes began to fall. Within minutes the snow had intensified into a Winter wonderland.
Big flakes falling putting down a new layer fast burying our tracks, a proper snow fall, it was pure magical, no sound, muffled silence, almost afraid to speak to ruin the majesty, breathing quietly, speaking in whispers. All we could hear was the sound of a distant river and not much else. This was the view of the trail looking back down from where we had come. We where in our element loving this, looking overhead big snow flakes fell from the sky like giant Bees buzzing around us.
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Facing the other direction uphill, we had another 1km to 1.5km uphill to walk in this, we wanted an adventure and we sure got one. We continued hiking for another 500m when the shower cleared however Paul noticed something which concerned us. The summit and the tops of other hills in the area all had low cloud blowing across their tops, it never seemed to leave while the air was clear around, this meant there was a prospect it could be cloudy and grey at the giant and it might not even clear at all which reduced the photo potential, if that was the case then we would just deal with it however we remained positive, surely it would clear at some stage and once it did we would get the drones in the air to take advantage of any blue skies. However it also meant a lot of waiting around and not moving which meant getting very cold!
Our ascent was under grey skies and low cold cloud with snow mizzle, we finally made it close to the top, we where approximately 300m away from the Giant however he was invisible in the grey cloud, we where so high we where inside the cap cloud so it was like being in a cold fog. There was a well placed summer seat so we took the gear off when suddenly I saw the giant for the first time, like an apparition in the darkness, a phantom on the mountain, it was actually quite surreal. I said ''Paul, I see the giant!!, get the drones up'', the visibility opened and closed like a blanket, we got the drones powered up and flew the remaining short distance to the giant, for all we knew this could be our only chance of getting footage, we were determined not to come home empty handed.
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The drone flew across a bleak grey-white world of cold then suddenly the giant came into view, it was Darach himself, guarding over the Sperrins, it was almost like he was waiting for us. I was grateful to have a drone for this as I was certain the weather was going to close in before we walked the final 300m. Paul was in the air too somewhere in the area, we occasionally gave read outs of our heights and distance, each of us was in a world of our own.
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Mission accomplished! I had got drone images and footage of the giant in snow, a first for us both, the light was eerie and moody, I wanted blue skies and sunshine however I would take whatever I could get at this stage.
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I hope you can see how cold it was from this image, visibility was so low we couldn't see any of the surrounding countryside
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Then the cloud thinned for a brief moment bringing improved visibility, if you follow the bending trail downhill you will see one dark tree on it's own on the left, that's where Paul and I stood. We had got footage but we decided once we landed we would hike the final 300m to meet the giant up close and personal and that would be our mission completed. Then things took a turn for the worse with a little drama, the sky suddenly closed in with the rapid approach of a snow shower, it turned dark and grey and the first snow flakes began to fall, the drone was suddenly out there in it and I began flying back but couldn't see where I was going, I pressed RTH and let the drone come back, then that's when the drone began playing up, it didn't come back to the home point at all and was going elsewhere, technically a fly away which has never happened to me before so I cancelled RTH and tried to fly it back, but the drone wouldn't respond to my commands, in insight the vision sensors may have been confused by the falling snow, the drone was in a full blown snow shower at this time and was behaving strange and confused.
It then began auto landing away out there in the snow, I could barely see it, I had to keep powering up on the sticks to keep it in the air while it fought against me to land, I didn't want it landing in the deep snow up there and get soaked and potentially destroyed. This battle went on for several minutes as the snow storm got worse, I had no choice but to run after the drone while keeping it throttled up and Paul ran to help too. We got to it but it wouldn't land on my hand and wouldn't even power off, Paul done something on the screen and it powered down, what a drama. By this time my hands were absolutely freezing, I had no gloves on and messing with the controller and trying to hold onto the drone with my bare hands in that snow storm had got to me, my hands were red and in pain and I could barely pack the drone into the bag.
We took shelter behind that single tree to get out of the wind, snow blew passed us in dramatic fashion, not quite a blizzard but enough to not make you want to me standing out in it exposed on a mountain, so we waited and waited. More walkers began to arrive around this time and the place got busy, this seemed to be a popular spot and the walkers didn't seem to mind being in the snow. I continued vlogging but even holding the phone was killing my exposed hands and my gloves were useless as they were just woolen mittens which were already wet and freezing when my hands were inside them. Paul and I said if we can get this snow shower to pass over and get clear skies then this would be our chance to get the giant with blue skies, that would be our photogenic goals achieved, I couldn't wait to get another go at it.
Then the storm passed and sunshine and blue skies appeared, like magic, this was what we had been waiting for. Paul got his drone in the air and began filming, then I powered up mine, took off, more trouble, my drone kept auto landing over and over, I couldn't even cancel it on the screen, I couldn't work out what was wrong, I feared melted snow had got inside the controller and damaged it, I was getting no footage at all and meanwhile the conditions were perfection, I felt so frustrated, all this effort hiking up here and now this happens, I really wanted the giant in the snow with blue skies, it almost brought a tear to me eye. My brain was a mess trying to problem solve, I turned the RC and drone off and on again, no difference, it kept auto landing when I took off each time, I turned off all sensors, no difference, I spent an entire battery hovering and landing over and over and I could see the grey skies and snow showers where getting close again, my window of blue skies and sunshine was over, I had missed it. I reset the RC back to factory settings, no luck either, then I calmed down and studied the controller, then I saw it. The RTH button was stuck!, it was pressed into the housing of the RC and didn't come back up again, that's why the drone was auto landing all the time, it was just doing what the button was telling it to do, Paul and I worked at it and finally got the button loose again and my drone was fixed!, to say I was delight was an understatement.
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My fingers were destroyed in all this cold and standing around had really chilled me, anyway our world was once again dark grey with blowing snow and a nasty wind had picked up. We decided we would walk the rest of the way and get close to the giant then I would try another flight later. The final 300m was uphill, the last 100m very steep which can take your breath away, we were no longer warm so it was harder and you could really feel each step in your chest. We where now standing inside that low cloud at the summit and it was like a different world, the wind chill was brutal. My thermal trousers and jacket did a great job however it was my exposed hands which had now failed me, they were raw red, sore with pain, occasionally loosing any sensation at all.
I tried to vlog and take images with the phone but that simple act was agony, struggling to hold the phone, or even press record on the screen, hands trembling, I even dropped the phone in the snow. I was just operating by sheer will at this point, all this sounds over the top I know as if we where on Everest but when the cold gets into you at altitude and the wind chill is relentless and feels like -5c or lower and your skin has got exposed to too much cold then you really feel it no matter where you are, the core temp drops and doing simple things becomes a major deal. Despite all this struggling I pressed on and through a veil of discomfort I still took in my surroundings and could appreciate being here, I managed to take this image of Paul. This was another world, every second was torture and felt like minutes, we had to use our time wisely and get images before our bodies took too much.
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The snow varied from 2 inches to more than 6 inches and it looked deeper again in the drifts. The entire snow covering the wild grass and giant was sculpted by the wind, a testament to how windy it was here. I even saw what looked like rime ice on the fence posts and wire, I just couldn't take any more images, my hands had failed. Paul and I took shelter behind the giant's legs, we celebrated, we had done it, but it was time to get away from here so we began hiking down again.
I was glad to get moving and literally within 100m I was feeling better again, being out of that cloud was making life better, my body warmed up, my spirits rose and I began shaking my hands to get feeling, I could feel blood flowing back into the extremities again and after 200m and just a little drop in altitude I felt almost warm again. That's how nasty it was at the summit only a short distance away, it's shocking what a 100m difference can make, it really made me appreciate those hardy people who climb mountains in snow, total respect. Paul and I arrived back at the Summer seat again 300m from the giant and now we were in great form. Paul had some stew to warm up and I poured myself a hot mug of decaf tea, that hot drink was like nectar. I said to Paul that if there was any justice the sky would clear again and I would get my flight with blue skies, I only had two swallows of tea when it happened, it was my time to make up for the earlier drama.
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The sky completely cleared, the sun came out and lit up the snow brilliant white with deep blue background skies, I couldn't believe it. I powered up the DJI Mavic 3 Classic, and now it was free from any issues, my old friend was back in form, I flew straight out to get footage and images, every second counted in the sunshine. Total success, this image was hard earned! I had to fly the drone very low close to the ground and tilt the camera up to get the giant isolated against the sky, no one was around at this time.
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His long hair reminded me somewhat of the Predator, you can see the effect of the wind on the snow below. The giant is large in person, perhaps the size of a two story house.
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A group of walkers arrived, this giant is a rite of passage, anyone who makes it here takes an image of him and takes a selfie to document the memory
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Deep crop, you call tell by the hair blowing back how windy it was, actually amazed how well the drone performed in this wind
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Final image and farewell Darach. We were delighted, we done what we had set out to do and put up with harsh weather to get the conditions we wanted, this had turned into an all day mission and we couldn't have been happier with how it had went. We had one more warm brew then began the descent down the mountain, this time much easier and faster going downhill.
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Once back in the forest we where in the Winter wonderland again, we were enjoying ourselves so much we didn't want to go home yet so we spent time in the trails taking images and doing another flight. Paul and I engrossed in our drones from inside the forest.
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The view from the drone above the forest, we decided we would get back to the van then pull up somewhere along the road and wait for golden hour sunset light to end the day. Once back at the van and factoring in our detours we calculated we had walked 8km in the snow.
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Still inside the forest but parked further along the road, we waited for the light to improve, I finished my vlog and outside the temperature was dropping like a stone, even the drone batteries were not charging properly and giving false read outs on the percentage remaining. Another snow shower passed through and the sun came out, perhaps five minutes from setting, we sent both our drones above the trees for a look, final flight of the day. With the camera panned down the view was gorgeous, the low warm light of the sun was kissing the tree tops, warm colours against the stark white cold.
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The Sperrins at their best, what a beautiful landscape, of course these were shaped by glaciers in ancient times
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My favourite overhead image of the day, strong golden hour light on the trees and a new snow shower was moving in, you can see flurries of snow below the camera, nature's art.
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Snow getting heavier and blowing past the camera, drone getting engulfed in snow and the sun setting from view. What a day, we had been hiking all day and exposed to the elements from sunrise to sunset, explored new places, got new images we had never gotten before, great exercise and fresh air, this was an adventure we will look back on in years to come with pride.
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The following day brought more snow, this time to low levels, we had a nice layer in Cookstown, we had no big plans today so Roisin, Rhua and I just went out for a walk in the local area. This was the grounds around Springhill House in Moneymore, phone shots, beautiful scenes with the colours in the trees, including red berries among the snow.
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After this we did a drive to Glenshane Pass and Dungiven, they had a nice snowfall, quite substantial, and beautiful to look at. Cloud cover had cast the area in grey light so I did no photography so we just drove around admiring the scenes and having a good time. The east had got it much better, really deep snow from Portglenone to Ballymena and the Glens Of Antrim, there was even thundersnow this evening which wasn't forecast. In total we got five days of snow on the ground combined with ice so it turned out a nice little cold spell and a wonderful way to see in the new year.
Full vlog of our hike to the giant in the Sperrins with phone footage and drone footage, I hope you enjoy re-living the adventure with us through this video. 2026 has got off to a good start, let's hope this sets the stage for an active year ahead. Thanks very much for reading.
Martin McKenna
