Tag Archives: Climbing
Photographing Climbing in the Italian Dolomites
My connection to the climbing world is strong and influential to where I am today.
In the fall of 1987 I went climbing for the first time, by winter I was obsessed. A short time later I picked up a camera to begin photographing this image rich sport, then in 1998 I became a fulltime, professional photographer shooting primarily climbing. As the years progressed I became a “We” and we (with Janine) moved into different outdoor subject matter, typically the same subjects we were most interested in at the time. But climbing has always remained close, and so it is a treat to take on a job that allows me to return to my roots.
A good friend here in the Italian Dolomites is professional climber and UIAGM Mountain Guide Kurt Astner. In recent years, Kurt has been busy freeing old aid lines as well as putting up some routes of his own on the dizzying steep walls of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo’s Cima Ovest and Cima Grande. During the summer of 2010 he established an all new route, Pressknödel (7c), with fellow UIAGM Mountain Guide and professional climber Christoph Hainz. In addition to this route, he repeated a former aid line recently freed by a Czech team, now Super Erectissima, 8a+.
Kurt asked me to join him on the two routes so we could make some images, but poor August weather continually delayed the work. We even managed to get up on the routes in preparation for the photo work only to have thick cloud cover, rain and ice force us down. Finally in late August, the high class climbing magazine Vertical became involved, renewing our motivation with a deadline for a story on Kurt.
On September 4 we were able to photograph both routes. Yet still some rain came down, we were pelted by ice and the clouds tortured us at sunset. Together with Stephan Steinkeller we managed a long and productive day, climbing the first part of the Cassin Route before traversing into Pressknödel to rig and get me in place. After these photos, we rappelled the route and ran for Super Erectissima. The sun was sinking into big black clouds sitting on the horizon. Kurt climbed the lower pitches, fixed a rope, and I quickly jumared the overhanging face. Literally in the final moments of daylight, we made the last images.
Climbing: A Photographer’s Perspective
If you have ever wondered what it’s like to be a climbing photographer, and especially to work in a vertical, or in this case overhanging world, here is my perspective from this photoshoot. Note the exposure in positioning, the timing of images to the body position and how still I must remain so as not to swing around. First you’ll see Kurt climbing, then the logistics of moving about on a steep wall. Making climbing images requires a massive amount of work and comfort in this world, it helps to be a real climber, and it especially helps to have a great climber to work with.
- Kurt Astner at the base of the Cima Grande
- Kurt Astner climbing Pressknödel 7c. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner climbing Pressknödel 7c. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner lowering off Pressknödel 7c, Tre Cime di Lavaredo
- Stephan lassoing Kurt to reel him into the wall
- Kurt Astner climbing Super Erectissima 8a+. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner climbing Super Erectissima 8a+. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites. The last image in the last light.
For the whole story of free climbing at the Dolomite’s Tre Cime di Lavaredo by Kurt Astner, watch for Vertical Magazine’s full feature in an upcoming issue.
Posted in Climbing, Dolomites, Photography
Also tagged Adventure Sports, Dolomites, Mountain Sports, Photography, Rock Climbing
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Photo of the Day: The Evolution Traverse
Sunset while on the summit of Mt. Mendel
With 21 years of climbing memories in my head, there is one experience that truly stands out; Climbing the Sierra Nevada’s Evolution Traverse in 2002.
For me, the photo I have chosen is all about beauty, all about a great experience with a good friend, and all about being in the mountains doing what I love.
Late one fall day, David Melkonian and I set off to traverse Peter Croft’s long, long ridge traverse. How long in distance I don’t even remember, how long in hours I do – 17 in our case. Our 3pm alpine start guaranteed we wouldn’t get far before darkness, so we carried a light sleeping bag each and hoped for warm nighttime temps on the 13,406 foot Mt. Mendel summit. As the sun went down, the sky erupted in color and golden light. Dave and I were able to enjoy the solitude and beauty from the top of one of the Sierra’s best viewpoints. Moments later we were huddled in our sleeping bags anxiously awaiting the sun’s return.
The next day is a blurred memory of focused movement traversing miles of granite. The ridge is a defined line drawn out ahead of the climber, always forcing more effort until the last summit and the long descent to the Evolution Basin far below. We were successful in finishing the route, soloing all but the chossey rappel from Darwin’s summit and one tricky spot getting to Mendel’s summit.
In the end we were spent. We slept another night out beneath the stars, but this time in the dry grass of Evolution Basin. I remember laying in my sleeping bag with aching hands, hungry, exhausted but not wanting to sleep, only to take it all in, knowing I had just gone through a great experience.
Posted in Climbing, Photo of the Week, Photography
Also tagged Photography, Sierra Nevada
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Learning from Loss
The loss of friends carries a message. Death has the ability to teach us to live.
In the last months I have seen death in the mountains. I have been both witness to it as well as removed, watching from afar as its effect sweeps through a community of friends and family.
I have sifted through others thoughtful words after the loss of Shane McConkey, Jonny Copp, Micah Dash, Wade Johnson and two men whom we watched taken in an avalanche. There is always consistency; life is to be lived, and if in so doing one is lost, at least life was had. As a mountain person, I understand the risk inherent in the opportunity to feel tremendous joy for living within so much beauty. Loss can strengthen love by serving as a reminder the importance of appreciating the present, both for people and experiences. Jeremy Collin’s eloquent letter to Jonny Copp is a perfect summary of what I feel.
Each day I must go through our photography. In it we have a collection of memories. The nature of the way Janine and I work is to document what we do. At an early point in our careers, we made the decision that our work is less about “photo shoots” and more about shooting photos, of our lives as people who greatly enjoy being in the mountains with each other and all of our amazing friends. In our own work I see why we do what we do, it gives us life, strengthens our love, builds our characters and teaches us about the natural world and our place within it.
And so I have looked through some of our work and identified those photos that are of experiences that have made us better as people, images of perfect moments that have shaped who we are. Ironically, the most memorable, are from climbing in the mountains. Climbing can be frightening, dangerous, and difficult. But because of this, the rewards are some of the greatest . We can all identify with the emotions coming from friends of people lost. To carry on the lessons is how we can enrich others as well as ourselves, and turn something so tragic into something life giving.
Below are a few images that come from experiences that gave us life.
2001, our first climbing trip to the Swiss Alps. Too poor to stay in huts, we had to camp on the glacier. Our stay included a 3 day storm so fierce we couldn't leave the tent. The early days of our relationship with each other and with each other in the mountains.
Swiss Alps, 2001, my first alpine route in Europe. We would spend the next 6 summers climbing in the Alps before moving over to Europe.
Janine and I on the summit, a rare day of being the only people on a Swiss mountain.
Climbing Mont Blanc with friends John and Julie Stamstad. John had raced, and finished 11th in the 100 mile/27,000 foot elevation gain Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc only a few days before. We arrived at the summit for sunrise.
My closest friend Mark Leffler racing to our belay in a lightening storm on California's Mt. Russell. We thought we were done for as lightening was making all our gear hum and our hair tingle.
Janine took this picture of me as we waited for Mark, previous photo, to settle into the belay. This is a look of true concern. Moments later we were rappeling.
In 2002 I did the Sierra Nevada's longest route, the Evolution Traverse with Dave Melkonian. We started in the late afternoon and bivvied on the nearly 14,000 foot summit of Mt. Mendel. This remains one of the finest trips I have done in my 23 years of climbing, not just for the route, but for the company.
Janine and I did a long enchainment in the Swiss Alps in 2003. Beginning at about 2 a.m., we arrived to an alpine ridge for sunrise and one of our greatest days together.
Continued from the previous photo, our ridge traverse in the Alps went up and over numerous peaks and always on a ridegline. It is a magical position to spend a day.
Together with friends we started the Aiguille d'Entreves Traverse above Chamonix. The weather turned from blue sky to storm very quickly. Our friends opted to turn back and descend, Janine and I continued.
Posted in Climbing, Friends, Personal Story, Photography
Also tagged Grieving, Inspiration, Mountain Sports
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