Posts Tagged ‘National Park’

The Beauty of the Pyrenees – Western Europe’s Last Mountain Paradise

28

Aug

2012

I recently returned from a wonderful 8-day backpacking trip into the Spanish Pyrenees, one of western Europe’s last mountain paradises and let me tell you, it was fantastic. My focus of this trip was to cover as much miles as possible in the heart of the Aigüestortes and Estany Sant Maurici National Park and the surrounding Saboredo basin, above Port de la Ratera. The landscapes I encountered reminded me much of those of the Eastern Sierra, although not as high or filled with meadows full of wildflowers but compared to the Alps, it was quiet, relaxing and very much enjoyable throughout.

My trip started out with a flight from Munich to Barcelona, two backpacks and a 17-hour layover in Barcelona to catch the bus to Lleida the next morning — a day which turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year. When I set foot into the bus that should bring me to the drop-off at the foot of the steep and winding road to Espot, the city just outside the eastern entrance to the park; the thermometer showed a cozy 45 degrees Celsius (113F).

Els Encantats Rising Through the Fog at Sunrise

Arriving just after 9 in the evening, I settled to spend the first night in one of the campgrounds around Espot. I chose to set my tent at Camping La Mola which turned out to be an affordable deluxe camping experience. Little did I know when I approached the friendly staff that the campground not only offered bathrooms and showers often time not found as nice in hotels; it comes with pool, tennis court, soccer field and a small store that made a backpacker’s heart open up. I especially enjoyed the selection of fruits, Salchichón and the fresh bread, which provided a great energy kick for the trails to tackle later on.

An Evening On The Porch, D'Amitges, Pyrenees

The National Park Aigüestortes y Sant Maurici itself is a mere two hours of very moderate GR11 trail walking (The long distance trail which crosses the Pyrenees east to west from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.) nested above Espot. From the entrance to the park to my first night high in the mountains in 2012, however, it was another four and a half hour hike in the cruel heat of a cloudless day up steep switchbacks and over loose rock trails up to the Refugi D’Amitges, enjoying the views over the Sant Maurici valley and lake on the way and replenishing energy with a trail snack at the Fountain of the Marmots. Camping and off-trail hiking is not permitted and fined immediately (as I was told) within the National Park and the surrounding zone of protection, so the refuges provide shelter and a place to sleep for the night. Reservations have to be made beforehand as the 70 bunk-bed capacity fills quickly over the summer months.

Exploring the area around the refuge, I quickly realized why “Aigüestortes” translates to “winding waters” — dozens of lakes and tarns fill the gaps between the granite boulders and reflect the towering peaks while little streams meander through the meadows and rush down the cliffs.

Light Guardian, Pyrenees, Spain

I was blessed with beautiful weather throughout the trip with temperatures ranging from low 70’s (~24C) in the afternoon to 36 degrees (2C) at night at elevations of 2,400m to 2,700m (roughly 8k to 9k ft.); which made hiking a very enjoyable undertaking.

More images from the trip will have to wait for my return, as I am getting ready for a road trip with Aperture Academy instructor Brian Rueb; which will lead us to the Cinque Terre region and Venice in Italy, the Austrian and German Alps and possibly a few other places. So stay tuned and happy shooting!

Refugi D'Amitges

Plus One Collection Print Sale

14

Feb

2012

Some great news to share today.

Ivan Makarov, a great photographer from the Bay area and avid Google+ user, recently spread the idea of creating a book for charity. The odds were discussed in various hang-outs and posts and 520 photographers from around the globe contributed images to this great project, showing the influence, value and overall great community aspects of the social media world. The Plus One Collection was born.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, countless hours of work by Ivan and 15 other volunteers working on this project and the Limited Edition of the Plus One Collection is available for order online at http://plusonecollection.com/purchase/purchase-print-book/.

193 images made their way into the final print version and I’m more than happy to announce that my image “Granite Reflections” is amongst the ones selected. Grab your limited edition till Feb-20-2012! Remember, all net profit will be donated to the charity Kiva! (Standard edition book, e-book and app will be out soon, too.)

Granite Reflections, Yosemite

That being said, I’d like to announce a special print sale of my Yosemite National Park images, “Granite Reflections” (the one in the book) and “High Sierra Santuary”. All orders 8×12 and larger will receive 25% off. The discount runs till Feb-21-2012. Contact me directly at david (at) davidrichterphotography (dot) com to discuss your options. The discount is good for all options, print only, framed prints, canvas and metal.

A great opportunity to save some cash for the Plus One Collection book! 😉

High Sierra Sanctuary, Yosemite

Prices for Yosemite images, print only.

8 x 12 (Regular: $60) NOW $45
12x 18 (Regular: $100) NOW $75
16x 24 (Regular: $160) NOW $120
20x 30 (Regular: $220) NOW ONLY $165!!!

All other images are currently 10% off from the regular pricing until the point the shopping cart system is up and running. Now it’s the time to grab ’em!

Happy V Day, by the way!

David

My favorites of 2010 – Happy New Year everyone!

02

Jan

2011

Whoa, it seems like yesterday that I wished a Happy New Year… wait. It was yesterday. Ugh, never mind. So many things happened in 2010, the year flew by like monarch butterflies over the state of California and I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in the field, photographing in the jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring locations in the western US, namely Yosemite National Park, Arches and Canyonlands NP in Utah, the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and a few lesser known places on the way, but see for yourself.

Without further blah blah, here are my favorite 5 images of the last year.


1. “Granite Reflections” – Yosemite National Park, California

The Death Hike, Cathedral Peak, Yosemite -- Granite Reflections

Cathedral Peak majestically towers over Upper Cathedral Lake high in the Sierra and a lesser visited area in the Yosemite National Park, California. Read the story behind the ascent here or by clicking the image above.



2. “Defiance Falls” – Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Defiance Falls

The official name of this little known jewel in the Columbia River Gorge is Lancaster Falls, named after Samuel C. Lancaster, an engineer responsible for the construction of much of the original Columbia River Gorge Highway. (Which is an awesome drive by the way!)



3. “Captain’s Point” – Cape Kiwanda, Oregon

Captain's Point

A beautiful soft and warm evening light kisses the sandstone formations of Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon coast near Pacific City while the raging surf shapes the ever-changing cliffs.



4. “Rising Dawn” – Convict Lake, California

Early Morning Crime Scene

Stormy rain clouds are pushing over the ridge of Mt. Laurel at Convict Lake, California; lit by the rising sun over the Eastern Sierra Nevada.



5. “Firestorm” – Natural Bridges State Park, California

Firestorm

A rare colorful sunset during the late summer season in California. Usually the beaches in Northern California are covered in a thick marine layer which blankets the coast like an impenetrable coat, suffocating all chances of possible color. With a little luck and a lot of patience, the spectacular sunset eventually happened, accompanied by lit up rain showers.


Last but not least, I want to thank you all for the support throughout the year. I resolve to post more in 2011, spend even more time in the field, explore new places, offer a better experience when browsing and shopping for images on my website (reads: a major upgrade is in the works) and buy more of the Cialis and Rolex watches I am offered every day. Thanks Spammers. I love you too.

Laced In Frost (Firework Edition)

That said, enjoy “Laced in Frost”. My last image of the past year taken on December 30th; complete with hoarfrost covered branches, steam rising from the river and a little pink magic; brings 2010 to a worthy end. Here’s to a great Twenty-Eleven y’all!

David