Running Costa Brava Trail Running Tours

May 15, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

We were lucky enough to be the photographers for a recent trip along Catalunya’s Costa Brava – a trail running tour. Or, to be more precise, a tour of the finest gastronomic delights along a magical section of Mediterranean coastline. One guest put it this way, “The running has been pretty easy, it’s the eating that requires endurance”.

The trip was hosted by Pablo Rodríguez and his wife Cristina Moret through their Running Costa Brava Trail Running Tour Service. Pablo is originally from Costa Rica and fell in love with both the region of Catalunya, and a local – it all shows as his enthusiasm to show off the food, culture and especially the running is contagious. The man literally vibrates with excitement to run, run, run. Given that his overnights are at 4 or 5 star hotels and guests dine at Michelin starred restaurants – you will indeed want to run to connect them as fast as possible.

Running Costa Brava caters to most any budget or desired trip, from 5 star everything to trips less luxurious – you can hike, run, kayak, bike, whatever you choose. Along the way we did a little of it all, and Pablo loves throwing in surprises, some of which were genuine, “You’ve got to be kidding… we get to do that!” What ‘that’ is you’ll have to find out for yourself.

Catalunya is an autonomous region where they speak not Spanish, but Catalan. Everywhere we went we all managed to meet extraordinarily kind people who were equally as passionate to show us their home, landscape and culture. For those who love to eat this is the place, for the Costa Brava is home to seventeen Michelin starred restaurants. To be a restaurant in Catalunya means you must be good, really good, even down to the smallest family run restaurants. I thought Italy was serious about food, but in Catalunya it is taken to an all new level. The ingredients are always the best, much like all the ingredients of the region and Running Costa Brava itself – they are the best we’ve had.

For full info, visit: Running Costa Brava

: Pablo out for dawn patrol in Dalí’s hometwon of Cadaqués

: Girona’s walking district

: The fish market twins

: Running by the Monastery de Sant Pere de Rodes

: We thought we’d be running to get here, we were wrong, happily so

: Good form, great idea

: Breakfast is served

: Traditional method of drinking wine, disasters likely

: Pablo and Cristina running through Begur

: A quick lunch during the day’s run at the Perafita Winery

: Pablo at the Cap de Creus

: One of the Catalunyan customs, a Castello

: Love comes in many forms

: Running sights along the Costa Brava

: Another lunch stop, another 1000 year old home

PatitucciPhoto Mountain Sport Photography Workshop

April 29, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

From the 2012 PatitucciPhoto workshop

For the second year, we will be presenting a Mountain Sport Photography Workshop in Grindelwald, Switzerland. The dates are September 13 – 15, 2013 and is hosted through Switzerland’s Viewfinder Center for Photography.

For complete information, and to register, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5718843214/Patitucci2013/54813199218

2012 workshop – not a bad place to make some photos for a few days

Last year’s program was a huge success and offered the attendees a tremendous opportunity to see one of the Alp’s most beautiful locations while learning photography skills from our 15 years experience working as professionals. This year’s program is much the same as 2012.

Develop image making skills
Working with weather, people and light
Learn the tricks of how to make the best images
Business discussion; stock photography, pricing and marketing
Digital workflow

This is not a workshop for beginners but for people familiar with technical skills and image production. The program is suited for photographers seeking information about becoming a professional and/or beginning to license and sell their work.

From one of 2012′s guests, “Great workshop – one of the best photographic experiences I’ve had. So much to learn; composition, timing, workflow and even business insight. Personally, it meant a huge step forward in my photographic skills. And on top it was a fun weekend – great guys to work with!” Johannes Bertsch, Graphic Designer

Photo by guest Johannes Bertsch from the 2012 workshop

The three day program includes a multimedia show of our history as professionals, four photo sessions, lecture & digital workflow time, and lots of great Swiss food and laughs with new friends, all with the famous Eiger North Wall as a backdrop.

2012 Workshop image

The workshop is supported by the very brands we rely on for our own work.

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Gauligletscher Ski Tour

April 18, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

We just came out of our final ski tour of the year – the gran finale to what was a great winter in the Swiss Alps.

Together with our friend and Mountain Guide Alberto De Giuli, we headed into the relatively wild Gauligletscher and the Gaulihütte where we spent a few days ski touring. Just before setting off, spring temperatures soared into the shorts and flip flop variety making it hard to imagine we’d be skiing. Even at 3000 meters and above, there was no escaping the searing temps. As a result, we were forced into 4am starts from the hut so as to insure a safe mid day return and afternoons spent hiding from the sun’s intensity.

This was a fun trip, more about further exploring our backyard mountains and getting into one of the more remote areas of the Alps. But of course we took some snaps and wanted to share… Enjoy! And if you are a ski tourer and looking for different destination, this is your spot – 5 star terrain and hut.

Early morning light reflected off the Gauligletscher surface which has been barely freezing at night and leaving a fragile layer of thin ice from the previous day’s warming cycle.

Day 2 was a 5 hour climb of the Rosenhorn, 3690 meters, with stunning views west to the 4000 meter peaks Finsteraarhorn, Lauteraarhorn and Schreckhorn – some of the prize peaks of the Berner Oberland.

Alberto De Giuli skiing off the summit of the Rosenhorn with distracting views of the Schreckhorn, Mönch and Eiger. 1100 meters of this lay ahead.

It’s never fun to wake up at 3:30, but it’s always worth it.

View of skiers on a glacier

Janine climbing the ladders at the Obri Bächlilicken to access a pass and long glacier descent.

Alberto, Janine and Dan – for us calling the season finished – for Alberto, he’s off to the next ski tour… many weeks remain in the Alps.

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Assos Bonka Jacket

April 12, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

And the Gear Review Winter Rap Up final is…

Assos iJ.bonKa.6 Jacket

I have no idea what the name means, but the jacket made my would be miserably frigid winter days actually quite pleasant. With about 2000 winter kilometers on the bike in this jacket, I have come to know it well. Features include the usual Assos unparalleled quality, performance fit, and a few little design features thrown in that make it all add up to a perfect winter cycling jacket.

When talking about Assos products, inevitably the subject of price comes up. Yes, Assos quality comes at a high cost, but so too does the product. With the exception of some gloves, Assos won’t manufacture in Asia. Production is kept in Europe, much of which is done by little, old, Italian women in Switzerland. Just the way cyclists like to imagine and romanticize about, yet rarely understand the cost involved.

Little things, like a built in neck gaitor make a huge difference

What do you get? Real engineering as a result of very real “real world” testing. Assos does not fit like clothing, it fits like cycling clothing – there is a difference. Clothing is designed for standing up and walking around, Assos is designed for being in a hunched over position on a bike. Try it on and stand up straight and you’ll immediately notice something isn’t right. The shoulders will be tight and the front panels will be short, but bend over into an on the bike position and everything falls right into place, suddenly you have clothing designed for one thing, and for any real cyclist, it feels exactly right.

So what about the iJ.Bonka.6 ? – which I’ll now call the Bonka… Beyond the perfect fit is the mix of materials that offer complete wind proofing while retaining a fully breathable fabric. Beneath the jacket, and throughout an enormous temperature range (-2 to 5 celsius), I only wore a thin synthetic baselayer, I regulated my temperature by unzipping and always stayed dry. Pleasantly, I found at the tops of climbs, when I would normally be soaked, I was still dry and didn’t suffer a teeth chattering descent. I simply zipped up, put on the neck and head gasket, and down I went.

Best of all, I got out and rode when I otherwise may have been discouraged by the temperatures.

For all things Assos, head over to their website.

Goal Zero Guide 10 Adventure Kit

April 11, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

And the Gear Review Winter Rap Up number 3 is…

Goal Zero Adventure 10 Kit

There is one clear reason why I am able to be in and work in the mountains 300+ days a year, without stress, – the Smartphone. In Switzerland and the Alps, there is high speed 3G most everywhere, the Alps are an extension of my office. But, I need power. As a result of all this, technology is part of our gear quiver.

Over the winter we had an assignment in Kosovo for one week of backcountry skiing. I decided to finally get a little solar set up to keep us up and running. Goal Zero is the brand I kept hearing about and a friend’s PR Firm here in Switzerland works with them. I mentioned my needs and an Adventure 10 showed up on my doorstep.

A solar kit provides the obvious, but the Goal Zero system offers me something I never knew I needed, yet use more than anything. A rechargeable battery I can carry with me to recharge my phone or iPad. It isn’t just the solar system I use, but so too the battery all by itself. It can be charged either through the solar panel or a USB wall charger – then taken along to top off my phone should I need it, which for a two day mountain trip I often do. And, being regular rechargeable AA’s, I can carry additional AA’s to charge all sorts of things, or feed charged AA’s into the USB power pack.

The Goal Zero Adventure 10 battery in relation to an iPhone 5

The solar panel itself charges the battery to 100% in a few hours, and we found it isn’t much slower in cloudy conditions as long as some sun is getting through. The whole set up is super compact and light enough to carry. On a full charge, the battery will power up my iPhone about two full times, an iPad much less, to about 50% from dead. The AA’s can be pulled from the power pack for use in a Bluetooth keyboard, a flash, a GPS or any other AA powered unit. All this is ideal for the traveling photographer, writer, or anyone needing their devices while off the grid.

Goal Zero’s products are superb, the company is almost Apple-esque when you look at what is offered, from modular accessories to massive power units. Simple, efficient, high quality and extremely well thought out designs for a huge range of needs. This fall when we head back to Nepal on a climbing expedition, without a doubt a larger Goal Zero unit will be along for power.

Visit Goal Zero for complete info.

Outdoor Research Centrifuge Jacket

April 10, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

Gear Review Winter Rap Up number 2 is the Outdoor Research Centrifuge Jacket

The Outdoor Research Centrifuge Jacket

Last fall we started shooting some work for Outdoor Research and as usual, some gear spun out of the shoot and into my hands. More than any other piece of clothing I used this winter, none was so perfect as the Centrifuge Jacket. Designed primarily for high output activity, it has a cozy and soft wind & water resistant front to block the cold. But while the front keeps the chill off, the back lets go of all your moisture buildup through a breathable light fleece which I found stayed dry even with a pack on going hard. Finally, there is a perfectly fitted hood with high face cover made of a breathable fabric for the coldest days. I found I could skin wearing the jacket over a light baselayer even on the cold days (-10 celsius). Once on top I would typically be dry enough to throw on a puffy vest and either a full puffy or ski jacket and off I’d go. What makes the piece so good is the multiple material design, and it’s meant for aerobic activity, as a result you don’t overheat and get soaked, and your overall layering system is simplified. It’s the ‘go to’ jacket for most everything.

The jacket is cut and fitted for athletes, designed by real mountain athletes and UIAGM Mountain Guides – and it shows. I wore the jacket on about 80 ski tours over the winter, traveled, and lived in it – it looks like new and will be put to use this summer for alpine climbing and mountain running. Outdoor Research is a brand doing everything right at the moment and has been very exciting to be involved with.

Visit the Outdoor Research site for full info.

Suunto Ambit

April 9, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

Ueli Steck ski mountaineering training on the Faulhorn with the Eiger Nordwand behind

As we transition from one season to the next, I thought to write up a few gear reviews of products we used all winter and found to be perfect.

Possibly the most important thing about Gear Reviews is knowing who is doing the review. Do they have any idea what they are talking about? Are they being paid to promote the gear? Who am I to talk gear and why should you listen to me?

My resume… 25 years of fulltime work in the outdoor industry as both a professional photographer and athlete. I am in the mountains 320+ days a year, on bikes, backcountry skiing, climbing and running. I live and work in the mountains, the Swiss Alps, and I am in outdoor gear every day. Yes, we work for many brands and get most everything for free, but we get a lot of gear from all different brands. In the next few posts I will only promote what I have found to be exceptional. Also, I’m an uphill kind of guy…

Ueli Steck’s Choice for Training

This winter was the first in our new home of Interlaken, Switzerland. The town is loaded with people who charge hard. None more so than alpinist Ueli Steck, who has become a friend and training partner. We trained together over the winter by ski mountaineering on a local big peak. Ueli is famous for his training methods and is on a very strict and carefully designed program by a coaching team. The entire process is measured through Ueli’s Suunto Ambit watch, from which data is transfered each day for records and monitoring.

I asked Ueli about the Ambit as I saw him using it so often. The battery life, ease of use, customization, and precise measuring were clearly all big factors in his use of the watch. Yes, he is sponsored by Suunto, but Ueli will only use what works, and works perfectly.

When an Ambit landed in my own lap – I put it to use on ski tours.

Suunto Customization

First up, the fact that you can customize the interface is huge – and you do so using not the watch, but plugging it into the computer and free Suunto Moveslink App, then working on it through a browser – it’s a no brainer. Suunto also offers users the ability to create custom Apps for the system, so you may browse what is already available for your activities and needs and then download the app into your own device.

Users are able to activate different sport settings and then customize the screen for each. I have a Ski Mountaineering/Backcountry Ski, Running and a general “Mountain” category. For each sport I have completely customized screens on the watch which I can work through for the data I want.

For Ski Mountaineering I am mostly concerned about heart rate and rate of ascent, similar for running, but for my general Mountain sport I am after speed, distance and altitude. The watch comes loaded with many sports and you can add to or delete and customize as necessary.

Suunto Design and Accuracy

Next, the watch is dead accurate – I have done ski tours using the GPS, zoomed in on the computer at home and seen where I wandered off the skin track to shoot photos or visit trees. Meanwhile the battery surprised me by lasting two full days on a ski tour where it ran most all day, both days. Suunto claims 15 hours on a full charge while GPS tracking, my experience would support this. Finally, it is not a big, ugly brick on your wrist, but a nicely designed watch with a very pleasing face that you’ll likely not wear just for sport but for every day use.

Suunto and Strava

For Strava people there is one extra step to get your data uploaded. I discovered Strava does not recognize the Suunto – so I upload my Suunto to Movescount, then simply export it as a .gpx file to my computer. Back to Strava and an Upload New Activity from computer. All data is imported without issues. For non-Strava users, the Movescount site itself is an elegant and clean interface that serves as a training and record keeping database.

Full info about the Suunto Ambit can be found at Suunto’s Website

PatitucciPhoto Spring News

March 28, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

The European winter of 2013 seems to never end – even with spring officially upon us, the days are cold, snowy, and the forecast often without much sun. For some projects, this has been perfect, for others, well…. we could use some real spring.

With an unusually heavy assignment workload, there has been little in terms of stock shooting the last months. What this means for us is less time documenting our lives and more time producing photoshoots. It turns out that this is a kind of blessing, when we go ski touring, we just go ski touring – photos are a bonus.

Mountain Sport Photo Workshop

For the coming fall, we have scheduled another Mountain Sport Photo Workshop with View Finder Center for Photography, complete info at PatitucciPhoto Mountain Sport Workshop

Recent Photoshoots

Road biking editorial assignment in Tuscany

Winter road biking commercial assignment, Switzerland

Winter running commercial shoot, Switzerland

Ueli Steck training for the Himalaya, Switzerland

Ski lifestyle commercial photoshoot, Switzerland

Recent Published Work

Trail Runner Magazine April 2013

Britain’s Mountain Bike Rider Magazine featuring our Swiss CrissCross story

Smartwool Spring 2013 Workbook

Holland’s 360 Magazine. The Berner Oberland! Right in our new backyard, super excited to get out and explore

Behind the Scenes

Truly ‘Behind’ the scenes

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Assos Cycling Photography

March 18, 2013 by PatitucciPhoto

Sponsor Yourself

I never thought much about the Assos tagline – but when I heard the philosophy from their marketing team it all made sense, and it actually led to where we are today… shooting photos for one of the major cycling brands.

In 2006, I bought my first pair of Assos shorts, spendy for sure, but I quickly understood that this stuff was in a league all its own and worth every penny. Shortly thereafter I had a small wardrobe, all Assos, everything else had been gotten rid of. Over the years I collected more – I was sponsoring myself with the best gear I knew.

For last year’s Swiss CrissCross project, Assos was the logical company to approach – a Swiss company for a Swiss project – and both myself and my riding partner & friend Alain Rumpf use it head to toe anyway. Assos was the brand we would want to support. In the end it worked, Assos got on board for our ride.

On day three of the CrissCross, Janine made the image that Assos would fall in love with. She wanted to shoot us crossing the Lukmanier Pass, but little did she know we had stopped for a coffee. While scouting, she discovered a tunnel with all the elements of a strong image, so she waited over an hour, huddled in the cold and dank. Suddenly a water truck passed through washing the roads and adding a reflective sheen, her good image just got great – but where were we? With the roads rapidly drying we arrived and Janine’s effort paid off. Later, Assos would feature the image on their 2013 catalog cover and it would spark a discussion about getting more of our work to them.

Janine’s tunnel shot of Alain and Dan during the Swiss CrissCross

Our talks became a reality, for 2013 we have a year long job – to photograph their gear in many different ways. But in typical Dan & Janine fashion, there is a twist – she is to be the photographer, and I am to be the model. Her perseverance to get the tunnel shot has now gotten her more work, while my passionate, lifelong dedication to being a cyclist has gotten me the job of being her rider for the images. A dream job for sure, but ironically, all what we would be doing anyway – me riding bikes in Assos kit, and us making photos.