Mountain Photo 2015 - Trail Magazine

Flippin chuffed to have a photo shortlisted for Trail Magazine UK Mountain Photo 2015, voting ends soon, so if you like it please give it  a vote http://www.lfto.com/photocomp   

Markha Valley trek, Ladakh - Wed 5th August

Back in Leh out from Markha Valley after 'Deliverance' style epic 30k, 14hr trek from Nyimaling Plain to Hemis. Markha Trail desimated following prolonged storms causing severe flooding and damage to road and trail infastructure. The road from Shang to Hemis is impassable, washed out in several places, bridges were still standing up to Wed 5th Aug as we came out, but the halfway bridge crossing to true left bank had a gaping hole on the right hand bastion so that may be gone by Thus 6th August. Our escape back to Leh was only possible due to superhuman efforts of our Nepali guides. Heading down from the Gongmaru La Pass 5287m we had to 'Canyon' most of the mid to lower section from Lartsa to Shang. Sections had to be rapelled over waterfalls, and the majority of river crossings had to be roped. On one section of missing road below Shang we had to run a 60m rope to protect the traverse over the torrent. I believe their is a group of trekkers still camped at Shang waiting to get out when the river levels lower, thou if storms continue they may have to wait their a while. No WiFi coms from Leh at present, maybe out for 4/5 days, so posting this from Agra India. Anyway, off to the Penguin Cafe for a pizza and a bottle of weak Kingfisher. Helen had to summon up supreme courage to make it back to Leh, what a trooper!

Glyderau Traverse - Sunday 8th Feb

I'm as guilty as most for not putting the dam camera away and just living the moment.

For a few days in the 2^nd week of Feb this year, winter conditions came good in North Wales, that is came good from a photographers point of view, cloud inversions and clear skies. 

On Sunday 8^th we managed to grab one of those days, when you just don’t want to descend. A digital witness, I hung around for hours just soaking up the day through the viewfinder. Having just taken one picture, 10 mins later a slight shift in position had the camera out again..

 Getting home, sifting through the hundreds of images only half a dozen stand out. The mountain conditions we had that day raised the bar, nature was doing it all for me, all I had to do was click away. I was after and the day demanded something better than a chocolate box shot. I wanted a pic to sum up the crunch of the crampon, the sharpness of cold air, the ring of an axe on stone. Some days you feel you get close with a photo but seriously nahh…nowhere near.