Entry

After a while away from the Blog I will continue to show more images. I've just been too busy.

This photo has been taken at the entry to the Weitental valley which is located near Tux in Tyrol, Austria. Actually you have to hike upwards about one hour from the village of Hintertux to reach this spot. In the background you can see the waterfalls named Schleierfall. There's little water now because of the cold season. In summer there's much more water pouring down.

To get into the valley one has to follow the path through the gates and walk up a steep and narrow path on the right side of the waterfall. You can see the path on the upper part of the image where the hills form a "V".

Now in November there should be much more snow already. But this year it is a really warm fall season and we had 5 degree Celsius up to 3000m altitude! So you won't see much snow in this image, although there is some on the way leading up. Especially in the shadowy parts where there's no sun all day. The valley itself is covered on snow.

I followed the path up but I used my crampons to pass the snow and ice. When you have to pass a slope with a lot of inclination which is covered by frozen snow you know what I mean. It also feels much safer.

When I returned I rested at a bench right besides the wooden gates you see in the picture. Then I noticed this would make a great image and took this shot. It really works for me because of the combination of unusual angle and light contrasts. I also like how the waterfall is in the lower part of the image and so it's not the main focus. You also can see the primary colors for this season in the Alps: brown, blue and white. Soon it will all be covered in bright white!

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Dreaming

A nice image, made while we rested on a short hiking tour in Salzburg in June. It was our last day of a three-day weekend when we walked a easy tour before driving home. This is on a summit at 2000m altitude which is easily accessible by cable car and then a 1-hour walk. So, actually we haven't been that tired, but it was relaxing to sit and watch.

After eating our picknick I noticed the colorful meadow which would make a perfect addition to Sylvia's boots and the mountains. In the next minute you could watch me lying on the ground and pointing the lens towards the shoes. Must have been funny to watch for the other people ;-)

It's a classical motif to integrate your hiking boots into a landscape shot. Look at any magazine or hotel brochure in the Alps. So it was fun to try it by my own. Although I think it is still work to make a series with models and pros. It was more fun for me.

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Pond with a view

What I really like about hiking is the hidden treasures you can find. Whenever I walk though nature in our Alps I always end up seeing something unexpected. Like this little pond in the Tuxer Alps, Tyrol. My way led up a grassy hill and I almost missed this water beauty. It must have been melted snow that built this pond. Although it was August there was plenty of snow in the heights, so no wonder there were brooks and ponds around. A year later I passed the same spot and there were no ponds anymore.

The photo is nice because it shows a reflection in the pond which is a good motif for itself. Combined with the mountains in the background it makes for an idyllic and wonderful alpine pasture. And besides, my wife Sylvia was skiing on that snowy slopes in the background while I was hiking and taking this photo.

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Follow the Light

What a glorious day out this was! Hiking with my snowshoes into this beautiful valley and enjoying the bright sun, fresh cold air and the quiet alpine scenery.

It's the Langental valley in the Sellrain mountain range, Tyrol, Austria. A small side valley seldom visited, in winter only back country skiers will walk here. That's because it is not accessible easily when all is covered with thick layers of snow. I guess I was one of the few people walking there in winter time.

After a two-hour walk upwards I stopped and walked back, but I could easily have walked for many hours more. The weather was gorgeous, although a chilly wind blew. Sometimes I had to stop and turn away from the gust blowing snow crystals in my face.

On my way back I walked past this wooden cross and then turned around to see my back view. I always do this to see if there's a good view backwards. Many people just walk ahead and never turn back - a mistake in my opinion. I then took this photo and I deliberately positioned the sun right into the picture. Often this doesn't work and just results in a great white spot or lots of lens flare, but this time it was perfect. The suns circle makes such a great motif.

I thoroughly enjoyed this day and I will recommend snowshoeing to everybody who loves nature. Unfortunately it's planned to build a reservoir and dam in that valley starting from 2011. It's sad, because another beautiful place is sacrificed for human needs.

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Winter Glory

This is the alpine peak Spitzmauer with a height of 2445m. It is in the Stodertal valley in Austria, a well known area for hiking in summer and skiing in winter. We are often there, especially in winter when Sylvia wants to ski. Because I don't ski I always walk around and take some pictures. As you can guess I already have dozens of images of the motifs there, but there's always something new to discover. For instance I like the Spitzmauer because it is such a distinctive mountain, you can recognize it from any angle.

When I took this particular image it was a cold winter day this January. After some days of bad weather the sun finally came through and the light was gorgeous. I also was lucky because most of the time clouds are around the summit. The look of the snow and rocks is great and the contrast to the blue sky works very well. It's one of the best photos I took of this mountain.

If you're ever in Austria you should visit this valley, you can do any sorts of summer or winter sports and the scenery is great.

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(Copyright Notice: All pictures and text are copyrighted by the blog's author. You may not download the images and use it except with written permission.)