Patagonia Slideshow: Cerro Torre

 
The legendary Cerro Torre in argentinian Patagonia

The legendary Cerro Torre in argentinian Patagonia

El Chalten, Argentina is the jumping off point for two of Patagonia's biggest and most famous mountains: Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. A quaint little adventure town, El Chalten has more backpacker hostels than houses, only a few paved streets and no less than 4 outdoor gear shops and 2 microbreweries. Think Mos Eisley from Star Wars; this is a jumping off point for adventurers and climbers from all over the world. It's my kind of place.

Cerro Torre map.

As Stacey and I arrived, our rented VW van (a.k.a. Home) conveniently broke down. There's really no place I'd rather be stuck for a few days. The weather forecast was for a night of calm before the next storm rolled in, so we packed up the tent and stove and headed up the nine kilometer trail to Lago Torre at the base of Cerro Torre.

Any concern about Stacey being six months pregnant dissolved as we started the trek. What a trooper! It was a blast climbing alongside waterfalls, under high alpine forest with fresh spring leaves, through a burned section of woods and finally into the high alpine ice and snow below Cerro Torre.

If the surrounding peaks look like Patagonia's teeth, Cerro Torre is the fang. Standing at it's base you have no doubt why mountaineers believed it unclimbable for so long. The sheer granite walls rise thousands of feet only to be capped by a crazy ice mushroom formed from the relentless southern winds. One thing is for sure: it is spectacularly beautiful.

We had an incredible time. The mountain gave us a rare calm night up there. The lake reflected, the stars put on a show, clouds came in the morning, we met a Magelanic Woodpecker in the woods and got out right before the next storm rolled in. Perfect. 

PATAGONIA SLIDESHOW: 1) TIERRA DEL FUEGO TO TORRES DEL PAINE

 
I've seen a lot of gorgeous mountains, but Torres Del Paine? It's something special... (self portrait @ dawn)

I've seen a lot of gorgeous mountains, but Torres Del Paine? It's something special... (self portrait @ dawn)

This first week here has been absolutely incredible. We flew into Punta Arenas with John & Yva, got our TDI VW vans, built makeshift mattress platforms out of plywood and plastic soda crates. To test the system out we hopped a ferry and road tripped south to see a new King Penguin colony on Tierra Del Fuego before heading north through Puerto Natales to the mind bending mountains, lakes and skies of Torres Del Paine (Pine-nee) National Park. We are in some very wild country here. Data is limited and I'll have few opportunities to write and upload. I'm putting a slideshow of a few favorite moments below and will try to do more of the same as access allows.

This is an incredible adventure in the early spring of these southern wilds. It's often cold and extremely windy. Sometimes it's tough to get out of the van at 5:30 for sunrise. But the hot coffee Stacey brews for me when I return is so amazing; it's those little things that I love most in life... Stacey is enjoying this trip to the hilt. We're a couple of days from the 3rd trimester and she's the worlds greatest trooper. Maybe a little slower than normal on the hikes (or a lot slower), but a total rockstar with nary a complaint despite sleeping in crazy mountains with sub-polar-freezing winds roaring outside our dusty uninsulated van.

I have nearly 200GB of panoramics and photos to edit just from this first week. We plan to move slowly northeast from Chile into Argentina to see the legendary mountains of Cerro Fitzroy, Cerro Torre and the towns and glaciers around them. Then we'll likely head back to Torres Del Paine to see baby Guanacos as they are born before heading home in 3 weeks. 

Did I ever mention that I love this stuff...???

ON THE PLANE TO PATAGONIA

 
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I'm writing this with Stacey beside me on the first of three long flights that will take us from fall color in the Northwest to spring flowers in Punta Arenas near the southern tip of Chile. The Sub-antarctic! Several rows behind are our friends the incomparable photographers John Eastcott and Yva Momatiuk who have travelled these southern granite mountains and glaciers many times over the past 3 decades. If you haven't explored their website's galleries and read Yva's stories from the road, then you really should. Over the years John and Yva have evolved from friends to mentors and then become family to Stacey and I.

This adventure is exciting for a number of reasons. Of course it is a photographic journey I've dreamed of for years, but it is also a very special family trip. Stacey and I are bringing a new little life along inside of her. We are expecting our first child in February. A boy. 

Stacey and I can't think of a better way to season our new little guy for his arrival than by living for a month in rented vans driving through some of the planet's most spectacular mountains, lakes, and glaciers with his Uncle John and Auntie Yva. So... with our doctor's "arched-eyebrow-blessing" we are off. These four duffles are in the hold. My brand new F-stop Sukha bag is overhead with the D810, D750 and a lot of glass. Tripods, cookstoves and warm clothes are in the hold. I'll share as much as data connections in the wild allow.

Let the Adventure begin...

EUROPE 2015 SLIDESHOW PART II: ITALY (Stromboli & Amalfi)

 

I'm writing this from a cozy rooftop Airbnb flat across the street from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Italy is in the rear view mirror.

What a fabulous time Stacey and I had there. The beauty, the craziness, the food... Pizza in Naples, adventures on busses on insanely narrow mountain roads, climbing Stromboli, the shellfish linguine in Amalfi, hydrofoils and hiking the Sentieri Degli Dei (Pathway to the Gods). Looking back -- the past week feels like a lifetime; it will take more than 1000 words to tell the tale. Instead I'll leave you with these snapshots while we explore France...

-Hudson

MY GEAR FOR EUROPE

Yep, this is taken in my new studio with the big epson in the background.

Stacey and I are gearing up for a Europe trip to Turkey, Greece, Italy and France next week while working on a book about the art of travel photography. It’s always a balance between traveling light and comfortably and having the gear you really need get the images you envision. For this trip I’m limiting myself to a 10kg carryon and 20kg checked bag. Here’s the list of what makes the cut.

CAMERA:

LENSES:

SUPPORTS:

BAG:

STACEY’S GEAR:

Sony A7s with Sony 24-70mm F4 

Stacey will be shooting video and stills with this little lowlight monster. I may play with it in some dark situations as well... :-)

 

-Hudson

 

TO THE EDGE: A MOUNT SAINT HELENS SLIDESHOW

 

What a trip! A couple of weeks ago I skied Mount Saint Helens with Stacey and my friend Andy Adkins. Andy and I bivyed overnight at the crater rim. Not only did we create a bunch of great photos and video, but we also had a really fantastic time.

Like any mountain expedition, we had surprises. Knowing there was little snow this year, we were still shocked at how little there was down low. Temperatures at the rim were a lot colder than forecast and haze from Siberian wildfires obscured the Milky Way, but gave us a crazy light-show all it's own.

At the top is a 26 image slideshow of the trip. I've briefly captioned each slide to tell the story. Hope you enjoy the adventure.

If you haven't already, I hope that you'll sign up for my free newsletter with tales of adventures, prints, workshops, tips, tricks and all things photographic.

Special thanks go out to Outdoor Research, Black Rapid, and F-Stop for helping us make this trip possible with their amazing gear and support. These guys make incredible gear that shines in demanding expedition use. Also thanks to Andy and Stacey for the shots with me in there...

-Hudson

OUT ADVENTURING: DEATH VALLEY AND MOUNT SAINT HELENS

 

Nikon D800 multi-frame panoramic merger from Mount Saint Helens' crater rim.

This past few days I was hoping to be up on Mount Saint Helens camping, skiing and doing some panoramic work . However, after an entire winter of spring like weather, the cascades are finally getting some colder storms. I am so excited to test out my new F-stop Satori EXP bag on an overnight ski trip that I've had it packed for over a week now as you can see below...

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Gear for a multi-day ski touring adventure. Click to see bigger.

I've been wandering in the mountains long enough to respect their moods, so... I'm pivoting and taking off with Stacey for Death Valley today. A non-profit client is hosting an event down there and asked us to come photograph it. I love Death Valley in the Spring.

We'll be back Monday. If the mountains are in a better mood, then I'll be headed up Saint Helens on Tuesday. Fingers crossed...

-Hudson 

Death Valley's Racetrack Playa

Death Valley's Racetrack Playa

AN AMERICAN ASCENT: BEHIND THE SCENES

 

Aaron Devine Protects the film crew: 24mm f9 for 1/640 at ISO100 (Click to enlarge)

Legendary NOLS instructor Aaron Devine and “rope gun" Mahdu Chikkaraju setting up a complex anchor system to protect those of us on camera as we flirted with the edge to film an action sequence in Distill Productions' new film An American Ascent which documents Expedition Denali: the first all African American team to take on North America’s highest peak (aka Mount McKinley).

The film will be screened this Saturday at 4pm at the Reading Theatre in San Diego as part of the  San Diego Black Film Festival. Here’s a link to more information and the Trailer! If you are down there I’d love to see you at it, and I hope you’ll help spread the word. 

-Hudson