Chilly River

What's this? Almost two years without a peep and now a picture of a frozen river?

Yep.

The Daugava river in fact, in Riga. Just the day before it had pretty much started to thaw, but the temperature fell overnight and refroze sections of it, trapping bits of ice that had broken off further upstream and were busy trying to escape to the sea.

More soon ... maybe. Perhaps don't hold your breath.

Lake Nakuru - Back to Nairobi

As we head for 'home' the sun sets and talk is of everything we've seen.

It's a pretty long day out from Nairobi to Lake Nakuru, but well worth it.

Reminiscing

It's my birthday! Yep, another year older.

I'll return to the photos from Kenya in my next post, but to mark this occasion I would like to look back and show you some of my favourite photos from before 2003 - these are some of the shots that made me realise how much I enjoyed photography.

So, here they are, in no particular order apart from how I discovered them while browsing my collection. As always, click a photo for a larger version.

August 1997, Gloucestershire, UK

The best sunset shot I've ever taken.

I think everyone has a favourite sunset photo, because everyone takes photos of nice sunsets and they are relatively hard to mess up if you leave the camera to itself. However, this picture reflects the sky that evening exactly - it amazed me then and it amazes me every time I look at the photo now, and, although I've lost touch with them since, I wonder if the people with me there remember it too.

2001, Zakynthos, Greece

Smugglers Cove.

This shot, taken from a viewpoint on the cliff-top, shows the ship that washed up on the beach in 1980.

The real name of this beach is Navagio, but it is called Sugglers Cove by many as the ship, the MV Panagiotis, was allegedly carrying cigarettes illegally between Turkey and Italy.

August 1999, Cornwall, UK

A view over Land's End.

This shot was taken looking directly down over the edge of England's most westerly point.

I've been back since, and never been allowed to get anywhere near this close to the cliff.

Late 1997, Norfolk, UK

Wells-Next-the-Sea

It's not perfect (the prints are unevenly spaced and broken by another set in the mid-distance) but I always liked this one. I don't remember it being particularly early in the day, but the time of year meant the beach wasn't used much.

The scanning process has also added quite a lot of vignetting to the bottom of the photo - I don't think it was there in the original, but it adds to the atmosphere of the shot.

2002, Austria

The view from Zwölferkogel

During a walking holiday staying in Saalbach-Hinterglemm we attempted and achieved the top of Zwölferkogel.

The view on a clear day such as this is amazing - overlooking Hinterglemm, Wiesenegg and finally Saalbach where we started the journey.

Spring 1997, British Columbia

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park

This park is a couple of hours east of Vancouver. Park up and walk along forest paths to get to the falls themselves.

Even though this photo is so simple it has always been amongst my favourites - the way it splits the scene into three both vertically and horizontally just appealed for some reason. This was taken long before I knew about the rule of thirds, but now I do I can see why the photo is successful.

In case you're wondering why I picked 2003 - this was when I got my first digital camera, so all my photos from before then have to be scanned in before I can upload them, so it seemed a good cut-off point.

The photos from before 2001 were taken with a simple point-and-shoot zoom camera, which goes to show you don't need to spend thousands on equipment.

I hope you enjoyed me wondering through the past for a while.

Lake Nakuru - Views and Baboons

After taking our fill of flamingoes and pelicans at the Lake Nakuru shore, we head away from the water a little, with a drive across the plain and up to Baboon Cliff.

It's a dusty road, and almost completely devoid of baboons, but the view from the top shows us the lake shore we have just driven along.

 

Fortunately, we catch up with some baboons later, and one is kind enough to pose.

Last of the Cooks

I can't let June go without at least one post. Hopefully I'll get round to posting all my new stuff again in July, but for now I'd like to show you another couple of photos from the few days my wife and I spent on the Cook Islands.

The first photo below is my favourite, and epitomises the relaxing time we had between a 24 flight from the UK and starting our tour of New Zealand. The second photo is a view from the small villa we were staying in and shows just how close we were to the sea - I can certainly recommend Crown Beach Resort as a honeymoon location.

 

Nikon D70, 18-70mm lens

Holiday Inspiration

Gah! I've been suffering a terrible lack of inspiration lately - I even sat down to write something last night, chose a nice photo that should have been easy, and spent a few minutes just staring at the empty Title field.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed shortly. However I can't leave my Photo Blog again without posting something relevant, so here is a photo from one of my favourite holiday locations of recent years - Raratonga in the Cook Islands. More to come soon.

Nikon D70, 18-70mm kit lens

More Manx

Some more shots from last weekend's trip to the Isle of Man - from which I still haven't fully recovered after the long wet ride home.

Here are two shots from different areas of the island - firstly a view of part of the wall surrounding Peel Castle in the west, and secondly a shot of the old fog horn attached to the lighthouse at the Point of Ayre in the north.

 

Here's another link to a page that contains a map of the island so you can see where these places are in relation to each other.

Isle of Man Weekend

Last weekend a friend and I went to the Isle of Man to ride the famous TT course - a 37 mile road circuit taking in some of the best, and fastest (there is no speed restriction outside of towns) roads in the country.

After the awful weather we have been having here for the last couple of months we were a little worried about our prospects, but we were incredibly lucky, with sunshine for both days (until arriving back in England that is).

I haven't had a chance to go through my photos properly yet, and only had my phone with me to take shots with, but here is the first - my Suzuki GSX-R600 on the mountain road, with a view towards Ramsey.

Shipwreck

A shipwreck, seen from Land's End in Cornwall. I could be wrong, but I think this is the RMS Mulheim, which ran aground in March 2003.

This is the only decent shot I got at Land's End from our recent visit due to bad weather (the only outdoors shot anyway - some from the Doctor Who exhibition coming soon). A shame as we quite fancied a stroll along the cliff side path.

Nikon 18-200mm at 170mm, f/9, 1/125sec

The Lizard Lifeboat Station

A couple of shots of the lifeboat station at Lizard head - built in 1914 according to the sign above the door.

With it's lighthouse, famous pasties and at least two tea rooms claiming to serve the most southerly afternoon tea in the UK, this spot is a magnet for the tourists. Even when the weather is bad it is fairly busy here. This particular day was very windy and overcast, but we were fortunate that it was still clear enough for a fantastic view.

 

Nikon 12-24mm
14mm, f/18, 1/125sec                                      22mm, f/13, 1/125sec

Inhospitable

A shot of the cliffs at The Lizard. Converted to black and white it really gives a sense of how overcast and windy the weather was that day - there weren't many other walkers about to enjoy the views with us.

Nikon 12-24mm at 12mm, f14, 1/500sec

Isolation

A bench sits alone, facing out to sea at The Lizard, the most southerly point in the UK.

Nikon 18-200mm VR at 105mm, f10, 1/250sec

New look

I've had a couple of comments on the site redesign - thanks to Neil and Asian Butterfly.

I'd been thinking about trying to make things look cleaner for a while when I saw the latest Buzz post on how to add a header picture to a standard blog. I tried it and kind of went a little crazy. A few hours later and the old three column template (adapted from 'Minima Dark') has been changed back into a two column template with colours and a style I really like.

Just in case you are wondering about the photo used in the header, its a view from the ferry between Wellington and Picton in New Zealand, on an overcast, rainy day in November 2005. Here's another couple from the same day - both taken with my old D70 and the 18-70mm kit lens I had back then.

Kitesurfing

The stretch of coast between Hayle and Gwithian in Cornwall is popular for water sports, especially when its a little windy. The day I was there two weeks ago it was more than a little windy and the kitesurfers were out in force, with the view over to Godrevy lighthouse full of power kites.

Towans and dynamite

In the late 19th Century an explosives factory (the National Explosives Works) was built in the stretch of dune land - called the Towans - near Hayle in Cornwall. The factory survived until 1919, but explosives were still stored in the area until 1960, in various 'huts' dotted throughout the dunes.

Now those huts are ruins, and when walking the Towans between Hayle and Gwithian it is quite common to spot a few roofless concrete structures poking up between the dune grass.

Both pictures taken with the Nikon 12-24mm wide angle lens.

Morning Calm

A scene from my walk to work in the morning - taken with my Nokia. I really need to be carrying my proper camera more often - these pictures could be soooo much better!

This was taken from almost the same spot as this (the tree in the background is the one in this picture), this and this - a very productive corner indeed.

Base Camp

Day 12. Today we attempt to reach Everest Base Camp.

There's a lot of walking to fit in today, so its an early start - we are woken at five to be ready to head out by six o'clock. After a meagre breakfast (appetite is still not what it should be) and attempts by everyone to thaw some drinking water near the stove, we're ready.

We head out into the slowly lightening day and begin the three hour walk to the final settlement on the trek, Gorak Shep, at about 5200 meters. The sun won't make it high enough for us to benefit from its warmth for over an hour, meaning that all the water we thawed just freezes again - I get brain freeze each time I try to take a sip (check out the link - apparently your brain doesn't actually freeze!). Just after nine we finish the climb to Gorak Shep - time for an early lunch.

At ten thirty we leave for the three hour walk to base camp. The climb is not great - about another two hundred meters - but the walk is difficult: the path continually climbs then falls, air is thin, energy is scarce due to lack of food, and because the route has only been open a few days the trail hasn't yet been worn into a proper path and in many places is simply loose stone which could slip us over at any moment.

At about half way, we can see base camp in the distance. Its at this point that I start wondering whether to continue. I'm fairly sure I can get there, but I'm not so certain about getting back. Its time for a chocolatey treat. Fortunately I stocked up on Snickers at Gorak Shep - they might have been expensive, but they were well worth it.

Reaching base camp itself is quite an emotional moment - I made it(!), but I am still wondering about the walk back. There is absolutely nothing here either - its too early in the year for any expeditions to have come this far and the only things around us are mountains, glaciers, another couple of walking groups, and a crashed helicopter. Its very tranquil and, contrary to belief not covered in litter - although that may be because there are no camps here yet.

Everest itself is barely visible from here - behind the helicopter we can see the glacier up which those attempting the summit will climb, then, peeking out between the sides of Nuptse and Khumbutse we can see only a small portion of the highest mountain in the world.

The views are amazing though - the weather has still held for us and the sky is amazingly blue this high up. We stop for as long as we can in the cold, which gives us enough time for some group photos to prove we made it, followed by another Snickers - energy for the walk back.

 

Another three hour walk brings us back to Gorak Shep (another Snickers is consumed on the way - all in all a three-snickers day). Tomorrow we are supposed to be having another early start for a walk up Kala Patthar before breakfast - I know it would offer much better views of Everest, but I might just have a lie-in.

Dingboche to Lobuche

Today - day 11 - is another long-ish walk with an ascent of between five and six hundred meters (depending on how high Dingboche really is). This may be a problem - no one seems to have really come up with a hard-and-fast set of recommendations on the rate of ascent at all altitudes, but above 4000 meters some would say you should only climb two or three hundred meters before stopping for a night to allow the body to adapt ... altitude sickness might become an issue again today.

The day starts with an undulating walk with a slight upwards trend towards Duglha, which is really just a place to stop and have a cuppa while you take stock of the seemingly massive four hundred meter climb just in front of you.

When tea is finished we head out, and not a lot is said for the next hour or so, as breath is in short supply. Finally we make it to the top and the views are amazing. The first photo below is looking back the way we came towards Cholatse and Tawoche Peaks.

Moving on we're heading downwards for a while, walking carefully in single file along a narrow path which has been created through the snow by other people on the same route. Crossing the bottom of the valley (second photo) we are met by one of our guides, who has been ahead to the lodge already and come back again with a large thermos of tea and a bag full of cups. Most welcome!

Another short walk sees us in Lobuche at 4930 meters - a tiny settlement at the base of the Lobuche East - where we're spending the night.

 

The afternoon is spent reading a book I find laying around in the lodge - The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman. I had never heard of this book before, but its got an introduction by Bill Bryson and sounds amusing. It turns out to be one of the few books I have ever laughed aloud over, and is a brilliantly amusing tale of an ill-fated expedition to climb the highest mountain in the world.

Later on, the clouds clear and the lack of a sunset the previous evening is suddenly rendered unimportant - we get a spectacular show. Both photos below are taken from just outside our lodge - the first is a shot across the valley, with the sun shining on a peak that might be Pokalde, while the second is looking on the other direction at Nuptse - as well as catching the top, the sun is also reflecting off haze at the base of the peak, making it seem as if the valleys are on fire.

 

The food at the lodge is fantastic - tasty and in huge portions. Unfortunately, due to the altitude causing a complete loss of appetite I can't even get half way through my bolognese and have to send the majority back uneaten.

We also receive some good news this evening - the trail to Everest Base Camp is open. Apparently the first set of trekkers got there a couple of days ago. Our good fortune with the warm weather has extended this far. Tomorrow we head for Base Camp!

Altitude Acclimatization, part 2

Whatever the actual altitude in Dingboche, we're now above the tree line and, although its still clear during the days, its cold out of the sun, and last night the temperature dropped to minus eight (Celsius).

Because the air is so thin and cold, we lose a lot of moisture through breathing and so need to drink extra fluids. This results in me waking up several times a night with a dehydration headache and needing to drink. The low temperature causes an issue when I find my water starting to freeze by the morning. The altitude is also playing havoc with my appetite and its very difficult to eat much at mealtimes.

Today - day 10 - is another rest day. We have climbed around a thousand meters since Namche and we need to give ourselves time to get used to the extra height before heading further. We go for a walk up a few hundreds meters in the morning, passing several stupas on the way and take it easy in the afternoon.

The afternoon looks promising for another good sunset, but the clouds come back in at the last moment. The clouds look more ominous today, and our guide says the weather is going to change for the worse, but hopefully not for a couple of days.

 

Above 4000 Meters

From Dewoche where we spent last night we now have what looks on the map to be the longest day of the walk upwards towards base camp - not only are we climbing another several hundred meters, but we also covering over ten kilometres.

The scenery however is absolutely stunning and simply takes the breath away (OK, so the altitude doesn't help either). For me it no longer matters that base camp may be unreachable, the sheer scale of this place and the sense of wonder I get looking around is enough and I think I could now go home happy. There is one rest stop in the afternoon - no tea houses or any other sign of civilization nearby, just a breather - where the whole group seems to break apart for once, and I think everyone is just trying to take in everything around them.

We reach Dingboche mid-afternoon. There seems to be some confusion about how high we now are - the map says 4260 meters, our guide says 4350, the business card of the lodge says 4410 and trip notes say 4530.

Later on I'm reading in the dining room and something catches my eye through the window - looking around I literally utter the word 'wow'. Everyone else looks up to see what's happening. There's a short pause as we all take in what we're seeing, followed a few seconds later by a mad scrabble for cameras. A photo really doesn't do it justice, but here's what we saw - sunset on Ama Dablam.