Happy Hour

Finally we’ve been enjoying some stunning weather, after what felt like weeks and weeks on end of snow storms. Some of my regular readers may remember I’m a sucker for sunset photography. So with the shortest day of the year three weeks ago, my time was running out for realistic attempts. Last winter was my first go at capturing Mont Blanc, and I wasn’t happy with the result with a particular viewpoint I had in mind. But the trouble is, sunset is well after 5pm now here in Méribel, which is also after last lift up the mountain.

I was hoping for luck and good fortune, especially because my viewpoint was right next to a Security hut occupied by plenty of pisteurs. It’s their responsibility to close the mountain safely, i.e make sure there’s no-one left up there. But the above shot of Mont Blanc, taken at 16.45pm, just doesn’t cut the mustard colour wise. One by one the pisteurs came across and spoke to me, I explained what I was after, and we all instantly bonded with mutual respect of the love of the mountains. Mind you, I’m sure my red ESF ski instructors uniform helped as well. They all soon whizzed off home after radioing down to their base about me still up on the mountain, and left me stood next to Canon. Within minutes it all got frantic with the colours.

This next shot, although a different composition, was taken only 21 minutes later at 17.06pm. Landscape photographers call this period of sunset ‘the happy hour’, you better believe it. What a magical experience all by myself in total silence, granted getting freezing cold, but very special all the same looking across to the highest mountain in the Alps, in the middle of the biggest ski area in the world. I was given strict instructions which piste to ski back down to Méribel, and by what time, in order to avoid the battalion of piste bashers on their way up.

Even skiing down during ‘Happy Hour’ was stunning. I stopped again a few times to take it all in. The above viewpoint is looking down the valley with the top of the Olympic chairlift on the left. And then just a few moments later the lighting behind the Saulire peak completely changed.

Although compositionally these last two shots are weak, it gives you an idea of the colours experienced during ‘Happy hour’. But you know what? Again I wasn’t happy with the results, I needed another attempt from a much better viewpoint. So Plan B was hatched with the forecast being just as good the next day. This time I headed much higher up, very high in fact, which worried me about any pisteurs generosity about allowing to stay so late on the mountain. I found my spot, off-piste just below a ridge out of sight from any pistes miles above Méribel Mottaret. I set up my equipment, with Canon feeling happy perched on his stable tripod. But then at about 16.55pm, just as ‘Happy Hour’ was starting, I heard a swoosh of snow and a pisteur said hello to me before he spoke in his radio. How the hell did he find me just like that? We started chatting about the view and the colours for photography. He was very excited about our environment, he then continued talking about the full moon earlier on in the day and also how they had spotted a herd of Bouquetin (Ibex) through their network of binoculars. Ah, binoculars, didn’t think about that. Anyway, he wished me luck, then dropped off over the ridge to ski back home off piste!?!

So there I was all by myself, getting cold, but happy looking across to the Dents de Burgin and Saulire in the fading light with a much better viewpoint of Mont Blanc behind. Again the speed at which the light transforms is pretty quick. There was only seven minutes difference between the main photo at the top of this post, and this final sunset shot.

What a way to spend your time? Although that was a bit of a long chapter on where I live and work, it hasn’t been all play this week. I’ve had the pleasure of skiing with a couple of Russian lads, a Russian mother also a lawyer, and four scuba divers from London.

I had a couple of morning sessions with Nick, Jo, Catherine and Leo. We spoke about the benefits of being balanced correctly on our skis, and how to accurately and simply steer our skis. It was a really fun couple of sessions with them, but quite how we got onto doing tricks with our skis I’ll never know.

One of the tricks was trying to jump into our skis together at the same time. It’s soo cool when it works, and not when it doesn’t.

But Nick seemed to have fun trying with the others in hysterics.

They all improved very quickly during the sessions, and benefitted from the amazing weather and snow conditions. It’s a skiers dream at the moment.

Also this week I skied with a professional photographer called Polly Baldwin from Dynamic Pictures. My wife’s Christmas present to me was to have a session with Polly, and for me to be in front of a camera lens for once, instead of behind it. More news on that at a later date. On Saturday I head over to Val d’Isere to catch up with friends and colleagues for a week which I’m really looking forward to. Don’t forget to look out for your next ‘Happy Hour’ where ever you are. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Martin