After the snowfall we finally got a sunny day yesterday. Coupled with plunging temperatures (-15C) and squally wind. It’s a rare day when everything is perfect in the mountains in winter.
High wind meant that some lifts remained closed and during the morning going to the highest points meant going to the coldest points. The urge to ski down fast to a slighty less cold place was tempered by the fact that fast skiing meant increased wind chill. Decisions, decisions.
The views were however spectacular, none more so perhaps than the views from Sunegga to the mountains above Trift.
UnterGabelhorn (Lt), OberGabelhorn (centre), Wellenkuppe (Rt)
I finished the day by skiing down the Fluhalp piste from the top of the Rothorn – fractionally warmer than during the morning. The wind however had not abated and the combination of recent fine powdery snow and wind meant that Spindrift – plumes of wind blown snow – was periodically streaming off the high ridge. I just had to grab a couple of images of that with the G10, the second image converted to B&W additionally.
It’s my final day today and it’s snowing again!
That second image has a killer leading line Andy.
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Thanks Len. These were shot more in hope than judgement as the spindrift hit
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I’ve just been catching up on your last couple of days Andy, after a busy weekend.
Great images as usual, and even though you were ‘grounded’ by the weather a couple of days back you still managed to come up with some great shots – this post is definitely my favourite though, and the image of the sun through the spindrift expresses for me why we take part in such daft pastimes!
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Thanks Paul. Yes, it wasn’t particularly nice up high. My face went numb a couple of times! Always difficult to know whether to risk a shot when the spindrift is blasting through. I didn’t risk the Nikon, it was a grab shot with the compact and then cup the camera in gloves until the air settled down again. As the saying goes: ‘No gain without pain’, certainly some of the best images are hard won as you will know. You won’t find me on a beach!
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“….You won’t find me on a beach! ….” – Haha, good man! No gain without pain indeed 🙂
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Hi Paul. Thanks for that. We are kindred spirits I think!
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I really like the black and white version of that last photo. I think it’s really nice. Enjoy the rest of the trip.
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Thanks Ken. Yes, I thought B&W worked with that last shot, but I tried the same conversion with the other Spindrift image and it really didn’t work. Now back home, and hopefully will find time to put an image or two up tomorrow.
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Amazing images Andy. The B/W one in really neat!
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Many thanks Phillip
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Nice shots – looks cold up there!
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Thanks Peter – certainly was cold!
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Beautiful images!
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Thank you
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These are great images – that second one has absorbed quite a lot of my viewing time – so much to look at.
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Thank you. There really were some vicious blasts of wind on this particular day – a little dangerous getting the compact out but it was a scene that I really wanted so much to capture.
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