This week has been all about prep. Trying to assemble a kit for some mountain bike photography followed by an alpine stint of a few days to a week or more ... I just have no idea how long this alpine trip might take. We're completely at the mercy of the weather on this one. And I have no idea where I am going. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this I will have some more detail. But for now, the location of my alpine adventure is a strict secret.
All I know is that I have to be able to climb in crampons. The advice I got from the Bivouac team when I bought a set of crampons was perfect: "The key to using crampons is to never relax ... not ever," he said without a smile. "You're a crab, walk like a crab. Don't relax. Not ever."
It's probably the bit that few people realise is that behind these images there is often a lot of planning. I'd estimate that for each day of shooting I'd spend a day of planning and then about a day of editing. That's a lot of time tied to the phone and the Mac when I originally signed up for the sunshine hours! So a week of mountain biking and alpine photography has taken its toll. But I'm about to step through that door to the outside world and I'm excited.
For this next trip to be successful we need a lot of elements to come together. We need the weather, the season, the light, the people and the timing to be perfect. If we get that then I'll be a happy man in a few weeks' time. If not, you know I'll still be stoking, but have an unticked box next to one epic adventure a long way from the coast.
See you at the beach ... Derek
PS There's every chance we may not make it back out in time for a preview of our adventure for next week's edition, so if you see a story next Tuesday about some of the greatest photographers I've ever had the pleasure of working with then you'll know I'm still in the hills.
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