I had booked to do a winter expedition of Stok Kangri in February of this year. Stok Kangri is a 6000m non technical climbing peak which is mostly attempted in the summer months but in winter due to the level of snow and harsh weather, it becomes a different challenge altogether. I had booked via White Magic Adventure. This is professional company and the guides and support staff are very professional in their approach. In this 8 day expedition, there were 10 of us who signed up for such a venture. However 3 people decided to descend down after 5 days and the remaining 7 decided to ascend the peak.
Tag: travel
Review of Gorayya Homestay in Dehradun
I had taken decision to relocate to Dehradun and I feel it is a good choice made. This decision was made after doing some research online and also after spending a week in Dehradun in early January of this year. Once everything was decided to make my base in Dehradun, I had arrived here on the 28th of March from Noida and we needed a good place to stay. I had checked out a few options and had finally decided on Gorayya Homestay. This is a private homestay and it was a bit on the high side but worth it. We stayed here for 3 nights.
Trek and Mountain Monthly Competition
I have a good collection of images from the Himalayas so based on this I had decided to contribute one of my mountain images to the readers’ photos section of “Trek and Mountain” magazine. Each month, the magazine runs a monthly competition where the best images are published in the magazine and the winning image getting a small prize. For this I had entered the night shot of the Kang Yatse Peaks in Ladakh with milky way in the background.
Photographing the Peak District
Peak District is another place that I have visited multiple times and is a good place to photograph landscapes and wildlife. Wildlife can include red deer, various birds and other small mammals. I have not yet explored most of Peak District but I intend to do so in the future. It is spread across six counties: Derbyshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, South Yourkshire and West Yorkshire. Not only for photographers, but is good for day hikes, mountain biking and also for running or jogging across its landscape. I myself have done some long hikes in the peak district which involved 7 to 8 hours of walking. There are shorter hikes as well that one can do. However here I am sharing a short selection of photographs of the Peak District taken during 2018.
Dorset Landscapes
Dorset is a nice place to visit and it is a good place for the landscape photographer. In 2017, I had made three trips to Dorset mainly in the summer months. There are various locations to visit here. The places I had visited on my frequent visits were Corfe Castle, Swanage beach and pier, the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, Kimmeridge bay and Portland. Here is a small collection of my best photos from the area from long exposures to sunsets however there is alot more to explore and I feel my favourite destination is Durdle Door in Lulworth and it gives plenty of landscape opportunites during the different seasons.
Perchrock Lighthouse Long Exposures
I had visited Perch Rock Lighthouse in November which is in New Brighton in Merseyside. I had arrived mid afternoon by train and it was a 10 minute walk from the station to the lighthouse. On arriving at the beach, I setup my DSLR and tripod and I took a couple of test shots from different angles and locations just to see what framing looks good and what framing does not look good.
Photographing Seals at Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point is a nature reserve in Blakeney village in the county of Norfolk. During the summer, many common seals assemble at Blakeney Point to give birth to seal pups. I had planned this trip a few months back and decided to visit in July. At the Blakeney Point, there are not only common seals but also Grey Seals and various seabirds such as Sandwich Terns and Oyster Catchers.
Mountains and Monasteries of Leh
Leh, Ladakh is one of the most scenic and photogenic places in India. Leh was the ancient capital of Ladakh and now in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Leh has a lot heritage sites and monasteries and is mainly dominated by Buddhism. The best time to visit Leh would be between April to September. I have myself visited Leh 4 times. It is not only a place where people go for treks and expeditions but also a great place for sightseeing and interacting with locals. One word of advice when visiting Leh is to rest on the day of arrival since Leh is 3500m above sea level. One can get high altitude sickness so it is best to acclimatize slowly at this altitude.