Shot for the Day (12 October 2016)

October 12, 2016 | Zapfly

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On my last trip to Peru, a few years ago, I was trekking in the Andes surrounding Cusco in the south central mountains of the country. The area is awash with Inca ruins, including Machu Picchu. I hired a motorbike for the day and drove around the city, hoping to find something interesting, when I stumbled across this place. I have no idea where it was but there were no tourists there, just a few llamas.

The shot below was taken on a trek around Huaraz, north from Lima in the Andes, close to Chimbote. I was pretty high when I took this shot, around 4500m above sea level. Both shots were taken on my Noblex 612 film camera.

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Shot for the Day (14 June 2015)

June 14, 2015 | Zapfly

A few years ago, I went to the Dolomites, the Italian part of the Alps, to do some via ferrata and trekking. We had just descended form a glacier and were traversing along the mountain line, before dropping down into the valley below. Even though it was mid summer, there was still snow on the ground in places.

If I recall correctly, I think we were around 3000m altitude. We stayed in a large refugio a did day long treks. One key memory I have of this trip was that I did not know any of the group and spent much of the days lost in deep thought. Where better to have an euphony?

Shot for the Day (8 June 2015)

June 8, 2015June 7, 2015 | Zapfly

Back in 2003, after completing a 4 month stint as expedition photographer for Raleigh International in Coyhaique, capital of Region XI in Chile, a few colleagues decided that the best way to end the experience was be to trek Torres del Paine, situated at the southern tip of Chile.

Amongst this ensemble, only three of us were foolhardy enough to attempt the full loop and circumnavigate the entire range. It was April, the very end of the season and all the refugios were being closed down for Winter. Consequently, we had to carry all of our food with us for the multi-day trek ahead.

Temperatures varied from a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius during the day to a chilly minus 20 degrees Celsius at night. We restricted our gear as best we could but our packs stilled weight in at just under 35kg each.

The effort, however, was more than worth it, as we were constantly treated to such beautiful vistas as the one above, with not a soul for miles to break the tranquility. In the end, it took Tom, Bill and I just under 8 days to complete the trek. I eagerly hope to return and do it once again in the future.