Tag: long exposure

Torres del Paine (Chile)

Hi !

I knew Parque Nacional Torres del Paine would be one of the highlight of this journey in South America. Trekking the W circuit was incredible, but left me unsatisfied of not spending more time chilling in the wonder of nature. So I came back for another three days.

Instead of going through a lengthy description, I’ll leave you with the picture I took from various viewpoint (mirador) during this second trip to the park.

Torres del Paine from Villa Rio Serrano
Torres del Paine (from Villa Rio Serrano)
Torres del Paine from Mirador Rio Serrano
Torres del Paine (from Mirador Rio Serrano)
Paine Grande from Hotel Lago Grey
Paine Grande (from Hotel Lago Grey)
Torres del Paine from Rio Serrano
Torres del Paine (from Rio Serrano)
Los Cuenos
Los Cuernos
Los Cuernos from Mirador Cuernos
Los Cuernos (from Mirador Cuernos)
Torres_del_Paine_from_Mirador_Lago_Sarmiento.jpg
Torres del Paine (from Mirador Lago Sarmiento)

I only regret not seeing the other side of this mountain. I should eventually return in a few years to try the O circuit (plus a couple other trek and some kayaking). The good part is that been familiar with this park now, it should be rather easy to plan for it.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Laguna Negra (Argentina)

Hi !

Great hikes are always about the rewarding views, quiet places you can reach and some challenges along the way. For all of the above, the trail to the Refugio Laguna Negra, at the early season (late November / early December) lived up to these expectations.

Located in the Parque Nacional de Nahuel Huapi, this is not the busiest trail and shelter around. And for that reason mostly we decided to give it a try, instead of the more common Refugio Frey trail. It starts from Colonia Suiza, a lovely former Roman Swiss settlement that is now a hippie village, busy twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays (so plan the hike to finish on either of these two days). From there, a 14km trail will take you there, starting with a 9km mostly flat section along a little river and finishing with the climb to the Laguna Negra. The climb is challenging (it is a rapid change of pace), especially when the snow is around. But the reward is reaching a quiet little lake, with just a few other hikers. All in all, a very nice 2-days walk.

However here comes the lecturing part of this post: if you are planning on making the climb when the snow is around, here is what you need to ask the Club Andino in Bariloche prior to doing the walk, because they are not really clear about it. I think that we were actually lucky to not suffer from the snow situation, as we didn’t really know what was there waiting for us.

First, check the situation about the snow for the day you are climbing. Though avalanches aren’t a big risk if you are taking the trail from Colonia Suiza, you’ll have to walk through some snow section, with the risk that the snow is actually ice (very slippery).

Second, check what will be the weather overnight. A cold and windy night may turn the snow into ice and you’ll have to wait that it start melting before leaving the shelter, or take with you the equipment to safely descend.

Third, take a sleeping bag even if you don’t plan to stay overnight. The condition may change and it may be difficult to leave the shelter on the same day. The round trip is 28km, and it can easily take 4 to 5 hours to deal with the climb and the descend, in bad conditions. The shelter offer a safety net, you should take advantage of it.

These three points should not cool you down, the hike is really worth it and just take some basic planning.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Lago Perito Moreno (Argentina)

Hi !

The Perito Moreno name can be found on many different landmark in Argentina, all  in Patagonia, one of them been the Perito Moreno Glacier, the most famous of all. The reason been that Dr. P. Moreno played an important role in setting the border between Chile and Argentina, using the Andes and its geological feature to build rules to split the land, lakes, mountains and river in two.

You will find very little reference to Dr. P. Moreno in Chile, for Chile probably did not find the rules fair, having the less habitable part of Patagonia, with the worst weather… However for most people this is the most incredible part.

Because Bariloche has a bad reputation for overlanders (cars are being robbed too often), Colonia Suiza is a nice alternative. It isn’t directly on the Lago Nahuel Huapi, but instead next to the very small (in comparison) Lago Perito Moreno. It doesn’t offer a direct view on the snow-covered mountains, but the top can be still be seen, and when the sun set, they are suddenly painted red.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River (USA)

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Hi !

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is, I must confess, quite the insane thing to witness. It doesn’t aim at competing against The Grand Canyon, but it certainly tale a story of cataclysm, massive erosion and other life threatening thing.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

The Yellowstone River (USA)

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Hi !

Yellowstone is the land of terrific volcanic activities, and then you can find the most peaceful river. Of course the events which led to such landscape where cataclysmic, but then it happen a bit more than half a million year ago.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Sunset on Yellowstone (USA)

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Hi !

There’s not much to tell about this photo, except maybe for the fact that we were monitoring the progress of a rather large bison walking its way toward us.

I eventually had to kill the beast with my bear hands, and the meat is now stewing in our RV.

Of course I’m just been delusional, when ended up jumping into the car, fearing for our life. I guess I could just make a case for how manly you feel the Wild West. But then it fades rather quickly the closer these beasts are getting to you.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Sunrise on the Grand Teton (USA)

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Hi !

After a first night in the Grand Teton National Park, 25 miles south of Yellowstone, I woke up in front of some spectacular scenery. I can’t wait now a for a hike in the canyons between these mountains.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

The Bridge over the Kwai River (Thailand)

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Hi !

Here’s a shot of the Kwai River Bridge, obviously rebuilt for those who are wondering if the movie about this bridge was a big lie, at sunset, and with a bit of fake HDR processing (using Snapseed on the iPad).

It was actually quite interesting to learn about what happened durning World War 2 since we mostly know about what occurred in Europe and Northern Africa.

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Lac d’Estaing (France)

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Hi !

A quick post to share with you the very nice place, the Lac d’Estaing in the French Pyrenees mountains, where I enjoyed a super week of holidays: lots of hiking, lots of chilling with the fresh air of these mountains, lots of fun !!!

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

Durdle Door (England)

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Hi !

Why always fly thousands of miles away when there’s something new to discover just by visiting the surrounding countries ?

Here’s a shot I took during a fantastic weekend on the Jurassic Coast, in the Dorset (England). The weather was just brilliant, with temperatures around the ones you would get in the south of France, at the same moment of the year, but some 1500 km south.

To be fair this is quite a poor long exposure, as I wasn’t properly equipped with a shutter release. So note for the future: the electronic shutter release with a timer for bulb mode is mandatory !!!

Enjoy (or not) and stay tuned !

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