Alpine Dispatches #3

The longest day. When we decided on tackling the Aigiulle Du Chardonnet we knew is was going to be an epic climb but we probably underestimated what a long and exhausting day it would be.

Bivi on the Tour Glacier Morraine

Plan A was to stay in the Albert Premier hut, however being Friday it was fully booked so we headed up, carrying the tent and provisions for a bivi on the moraine next to the Tour Glacier. The forecast for Saturday was for the bad weather to lift giving a clear day but with strong winds on the tops. Biviing on the Friday night saw the tail end of the storms with strong winds, thunder and snow until about midnight.

01:00am was the set off time so reassured by the improving forecast we set off across the glacier in pitch black with the thick low cloud preventing any ambient visibility. This made navigation somewhat tricky and we ended up skirting around a far wider loop than necessary ending up near the Petite Forche before realising we were at the base of the wrong mountain. A quick correction of the compass bearing and we made it to the start point of the Chardonnett. On the walk in we met up with Matt and Jack, two guys from the Lakes heading to the same objective. Although climbing independently we consulted each other at several points through the day and it was reassuring to know there was another similar team to ourselves on the mountain.

Heading up the steep slopes of the Chardonnet in the dark

The route runs up a complex series of slopes and ice fields to gain the Forbes Arete that runs up to the summit. We were the first on the mountain and the fresh snow had covered any previous tracks. The combination of steep ice with a fresh covering of snow made the going tough. On the steep face the darkness and cloud suddly become our friend as the view of the drop below us would have been terrifying.

The Forbes Arete, Aiguille du Chardonnet

At about 05:00am we got the Forbes Arette. The ridge is a mix of snow and rocky outcrops that either have to be climbed over or skirted around. In places it is a true knife edge, having to delicately put one foot in front of the other as though walking a tightrope with a 2000ft drop on either side. The rock was tricky in places with some awkward moves, made all the more interesting having to do them with gloves and crampons on.

Dicey traverse on the Forbes Arete

By this point the sun had risen and the cloud had cleared as hoped, we were pleased to have persevered through the night to get up on the mountain. Continuing on up the summit ridge finally making the top at around 09:30.

Ollie on the Summit

Feeling exhausted the summit was a bit of a non-event. We were keen to crack on with the descent so after a quick swig of water and an energy gel we set off. We made four 50m abseils down an icy couloir to a hanging snow field then a further four 50m abs to get back on to the snow slopes leading down to the glacier. After a long haul across the glacier we made it back to the bivi at 15:00.

If only the day was over at that point! We were both exhausted but very aware the last lift down the valley was in an hours time. We packed up as quick as possible then ran for the lift. With full packs, mountain boots and having been on the go since 01:00 in the morning this absolutely broke us. We got to the lift station just as it ground to a halt, missing it by two minutes. We now faced the prospect of a two hour walk back down to the car in the valley. With no choice we got on with it, finally getting back and collapsing in the car park after an 18 hour day.

Aiguille du Chardonnet from our bivi

Definitely one of the longest days I’ve ever had in the mountains. We still had time to squeeze in a quick pint before crashing for the night. Having been fearful for our lives all day with a constant fear of danger it was now that the accident occurred. Stumbling with lack of energy Ollie tripped over his flip flop entering the pub which resulted in a nasty stubbed toe. He maybe should have kept the mountain boots on a bit longer!

I’m now writing this over a well earned carafe of wine watching the Wimbledon final. Tomorrow we head back up for more punishment maybe in the form of the Aiguille Verte.

Until the next post… common Murray! 


Cancel that he's just lost....

Alpine Dispatches ♯2

Dent du Geant (the big rock spire on the left!)

1^st major objective ticked! At 10.30 Wednesday morning we summited the Dent du Geant, at 4013m one of the finest rock spires in the Alps.

Being a long and committing route meant a 04:00am start. It was a fantastic night though with clear sky and a full moon illuminating the glacier and Mont Blanc in the background.

Mont Blanc by moonlight

The route involves a glacier approach from the Torino hut then steep rock and ice to gain the main rock face running up a prominent pillar of rock to the summit. Despite the presence of fixed lines one the main face we free climbed the majority of the route, no mean feat at 4000m!

Approach gully to the main face

The main face of le Dent

The climbing was truly amazing both in the quality of the rock and exposed position on such a high face. After some tricky moves towards the top and several pitches thinking, “surely this must be the last pitch” we made it. We were truly exhausted but stoked to have got up there. I’m always amazed the length people go to for religion. On the summit there is a brass staue of the Madonna. Al, a British guide who summited just after us, advised that the statue does however make for an excellent belay anchor!

The summit (and the Madonna belay!)

The hairiest bit of the route was still to come. As always the summit is only half way. The descent involves a 150m abseil from the summit down the south west face much of which is severely overhanging. The first ab was fine, the second was scary! I went first descending into the mist not able to see the bottom of the ropes. When the knots in the end did appear, about 10m away, I was still hanging well out from the rock face just above the next ab station. Wriggling my body to get some momentum I managed to swing in towards the rock just enough to get a toe on and push out as had as I could. This swung me about 15m away from the face into thin air but on swing back I was able to grab some tat and clip in, safe! The rest of the descent went fine and exhausted we made it back to the hut a few hours later. A true alpine adventure and one of the finest climbs I’ve ever done.

Yesterday we had a ‘rest day’. The forecast was mixed so we decided to stay in the valley, recover a bit, and try some sport climbing. We found a fantastic, easy route that runs up the rock slabs at the end on the Mer du Glace, just up from the village of Le Praz.

Recommended by good friend Mr Peter Blades, he suggested taking a baguette and bottle of vin rouge to enjoy the easy pace and good lunch spot that the route offers. Unfortunately the impending afternoon thunderstorm meant we had to get a wriggle on to complete the 500m, 19 pitch route before getting zapped by lightening on the exposed slopes. Moving roped together rather than belaying and pitching it meant we topped out after only an hour from the start, surely a record! Perfect timing as the rain started just as we started the long (wet) walk back down to the valley.

Over a pint later yesterday afternoon we planned out the remainder of the trip. The weather seems to be a mixed bag so we may have to change this but as of today the plan is as follows.

Tonight we had up the Tour glacier to attempt the Aiguille du Chardonnet via the Forbes Arête. Unfortunately the Albert Premier Hut is fully booked so we will have to bivi somewhere. A cold night but it will mean getting a head start on the route for the following day.

Following that we’ll get back down for a night in the valley before heading up to the Couvercle hut where we’ll base ourselves for a few days to try a variety of routes such as the traverse of Les Courtes, Les Droite and maybe even the mighty Aiguille Verte.

Fingers crossed for good weather!

Alpine Dispatches # 1

We made it, after a long slog through the night. So good to be here again though it was only February when I last made it out.

When we arrived it was hot, really hot and really humid. We felt somewhat jet lagged after the drive (lack of sleep rather than time difference), so Saturday was spent touring the climbing shops in Cham feeling like zombies. We did manage to muster the energy to find some bouldering close to the Col du… Great fun in the evening sunshine.

The campsite in Argentiere is also the nursery slope in the winter so is not the most level. Fortunately we got one of the few terraces on the site with plenty of room to set up the Parawing. This shelter was a godsend when the rain started on Sunday.

Sunday was spent on the Mer du Glace practicing belays, ice axe and crampon work etc. with the threat of thunderstorms fast approaching and a series of metal ladders to climb to get back to the lift station we made a hasty retreat early afternoon. It was a worthwhile outing though to sort the gear out and our technique!

Rain, rain a bit of snow and more rain. The following day saw a continuation of the bad weather. We sat at the Grand Montets lift station pondering whether to brave the conditions to attempt the Petit Aiguille Verte. Seeing another team going for it convinced us and before long we were on at the top lift station. As we stepped out into the driving snow there was a huge crack of thunder an all it suddenly seemed like a bad idea. A French Guide telling us we were crazy as he was backing off further reinforced this!

We waited 15 minutes whilst slowly gearing up. The snow seemed to be easing and there was no more thunder so we decided to start up the slopes, reassured by the easy retreat if it did come in again. Fortunately the snow stopped and the skys started to clear. By the time we reached the start of the ridge we passed three guided team that had all backed off due to the storm. They all seemed slightly frustrated with their decision given the improving situation.

So onward along the ridge with no one else in front reaching the summit in good time. The lift station had only open a few days previously and the weather had been too bad for anyone to go up before today. This meant (we think) that we were the first team to summit the Petit Aiguille Verte this season.

The weather came in again on the decent and by the time we got down we were soaked through. The weather in the valley was no better so kit drying was not an option.

Fortunately today the weather has improved and the sun has appeared again. Basecamp now looks like a Chinese laundry and were enjoying the heat on a terrace of a café in Argentiere . The plan tonight is to head to the Torino hut to attempt the Dent du Geant tomorrow. The weather is forecast to hold for this then turn again Thursday/Friday. 

Mountain Biking Photography

This week I had the opportunity to shoot the Bristol Bikefest event at Ashton Court.  The format is a 12hr race completing laps around the 9.5km course either as part of a team or as an epic solo effort.

This was a great chance to really get to grips with shooting some fast action and put the off camera flash (OCF) to the test. I thought i'd provide a bit of 'how-to' behind these images though it's a bit more of 'how I do' rather than trying to advise on the right and wrongs of mountain bike photography.

The course has some great single track sections so after a bit of hiking around i found some good berms that i could set up for a shot.

The good thing about shooting an event as opposed to a few mates is that you have a steady stream of riders flying past. This provides plenty of opportunity to tweak settings, adjust angles etc to get the shots just right. It also provides a range of characters some of which relish the site of a photographer at the next bend and do their best to pose for the shot!

I used off camera flash (OCF) for 90% of the shots. Off camera means literally that, the flash is mounted on a tripod in a separate position from the camera providing a better angle between the camera and light source. Using flash rather than just the ambient light means you can control the intensity of the light on the rider and make them 'pop' from the background. It also enables you to freeze the action using the flash rather than the shutter speed. Combined with some panning of the camera it creates the blurred background and a reasonably crisp rider.

The trick is getting the right balance between the ambient light, the flash and the amount of movement (both rider and camera panning). To do this I always work in the manual setting. Shutter speed I dial in between 1/10th and 1/120th second. This allows a bit of ambient light and is slow enough to blur the background. The aperture is set between f4 and f8. The balance here is between allowing enough of the flash light in (setting the flash to a lower power requires a larger aperture) and getting depth of field to help ensure the rider is in focus.

To use the OCF I have a basic wireless trigger. You can spend a few hundred pounds on the flash trigger benchmark, the Pocketwizzard, however for the moment my basic ones work fine. Being a basic trigger there is no transmission of TTL metering info so the flash needs to be set to manual. You have to play around a bit with the flash power and the aperture to get the exposure right but in essence having a lower power is better purely for the recharge time. I typically set mine to 1/2 or 1/4 power. 

When shooting action a common approach is to set the camera shutter to the highest frame rate per second  then hold down the shutter button ensuring that every fraction of a second action is captured. When using OCF that approach doesn't work as the flash will trigger on the first frame and the subsequent frames will be dark. Therefore you need to plan when you want to capture the moment as you only get one chance at it. This is when having a constant stream of riders helps!

Aside from settings the other consideration is lens choice, composition and viewpoint. For most of these shots i used a 17mm lens (on full frame). The wide angle distortion adds to the dramatic effect and makes it easier to capture the complete scene. Using such a wide angle lens does mean you have to get very close to the action, scarily close at times! If you are getting this close take care not to get in the way of the riders and make sure they can see you are there. No rider will appreciate you popping out from behind a tree while they are flying down a single track! 

A different lens option is to go for a telephoto, this keeps you at a safer distance if nothing else! Using OCF you can still set this up next to the action then take the photo from 100 yards away to achieve the same benefit from the flash.

The view point also makes a big difference and can really make a shot stand out against others. Shooting in a wood provides plenty of opportunity to climb trees to get above the action. This was slightly precarious at times but shooting from above does help to get a different perspective.

Its also worth mentioning that i rarely look through the view finder when shooting with a wide angle lens, preferring instead to shoot at arms length. Trying to keep the camera close to your head significantly restricts the camera position. You certainly wouldn't want your head as close the action as my camera was at times! It takes a few shots to experiment with the composition but generally works well.

The Bikefest event was fantastic with a great setup and atmosphere. Mountain bikers are a laid back bunch even when in full race mode so make for great subjects. I have stacks of images from the event so if anyone racing is reading this let me know your race number and i'll see if i've got a photo of you in action. 

As i mentioned this is just my take on mountain bike photography, i'd love to hear any other tips tricks or comments.

Brecon Beacons - Wild Camping

When my sister Zoe and her good friend Kate asked if i'd take them on a training weekend to add to their preparations for the Pyrenees i jumped at the chance. I seem to spend most of my effort in planning trips away trying to convince others to go with me, so it was a refreshing change to have two enthusiastic companions for a weekend.

They are planning a four day hike along the Freedom Trail in the Pyrenees this summer, camping each night and carrying all they need for the duration. As such i thought an overnighter would be a good way to test out new gear, get a feel for what gear IS required and also put some miles in to get the legs in shape.

We planned a route starting from the south of the Pen y Fan range taking in all the main peaks then dropping down to the east and biviing next to Talybont Reservoir. Day 2 would be a much shorter day skirting over the ridges to the south east before returning to the car near Pontsticill.

First on the agenda though was the kit sorting! I gave the usual speech about cutting off toothbrush handles and that taking a pillow would be somewhat of a luxury but it was clearly falling on deaf ears. So with some general advice onboard we headed off. In fairness they did a good job at keeping pack weights pretty reasonable and they definitely looked more like Gold Duke of Edinburgh standard than Bronze!

A Day of Contrast

With any climbing plans rained off for the weekend and looking for any excuse to get out of doing DIY, I decided to try and photograph some of the local scenery.

Over the last week the sunshine and showers have been creating some fantastic light with dramatic storm clouds illuminated by bright blue sky and sunlight. Timing is everything when the weather is like this so driving through the torrential rain i was pleased on arrival at the first spot that the sun reappeared.

My first thought was to try and capture the fantastic yellow fields of rapeseed. The recent rain has really brought this out over the last week or so. Heading south of Bristol i found a field i had spotted a few days ago nestled in a valley near Keynsham. Walking down the side of the field the smell was amazing and with the showers having just passed the air was clear and crisp. It's not often i find myself inhaling hard due to the fresh smell of the countryside rather than puffing and panting up a hill!

         

When the sun burst through the yellow of the field came to life, a true spring landscape. There was plenty of wildlife around as well but i wasn't quick enough with the camera for most of it, expect for the shot of the... Kestrel?

Next spot on the list was the severn crossing. I've seen plenty of great photos of the bridge but it has never been the type of landscape that has appealed enough for me to go and photograph it. However with the storm clouds moving in i thought there could be opportunity for a dramatic shot.

Again shortly after pulling up the rain stopped. Not for long though, I had to spend the next hour ducking in and out of the shelter of the bridge to avoid the rain. The dark sky, muddy brown water and the grey concrete definitely lent itself to a monochrome image, a contrast in all respects from my earlier scene.

I'm still learning the finer details of long exposure, this was 25 seconds that was enough to convey the movement in the cloud and smooth the choppy water. When i've saved a few pennies i'll get a proper ND filter to really slow things down.

I proved to be an interesting outing all round. Yesterday definitely reinforced the view that to get dramatic landscapes it definitely helps to be out in dramatic weather which normally means dodging showers. Grab a waterproof and go for it!

Mounting and Framing

The stock levels are building for the exhibition in May. I have spent the evening framing, sticking on labels and practicing my rubbish handwriting for writing the image names on the mounts. Preparing for an exhibition is a lot of work!

If anyone is in the area, my next exhibition will be part of the Emsworth Arts Trail, in the village of Woodmancote, PO108RD. This runs over two weekends 5th-7th May and 12th-13th May. Pop in and say hello!