Sunset, Plansee, Austria

Sunset, Thaneller (2,341m, Lechtal Alps), Plansee, Tirol, Austria. copyright:charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

Sunset

Sunrise.

Thaneller (2,341 m, Lechtal Alps), Plansee, Tirol, Austria. copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

Sunrise on Thaneller from Plansee

Snow Shoeing in the Tuxer Alps, Tirol, Austria

Last weekend I had a good weekend in the Tuxer Alps, snow shoeing. Saturday was a brilliantly sunny day but with a very stron Föhn wind blowing up from the south. It led to some very impressive cloud formations which were blown along at a tremendous speed. I took these shots whilst climbing the Vennspitze (2390m) which is above Paduan.

The Wildseespitze taken from the Vennspitze, Tuxer Alps, Tirol Austria copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

 

Shadows on the Vennspitze, Tuxer Alps, Tirol Austria copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

During Saturday night it started to snow which lasted well into Sunday. Changes in weather just completely change the atmosphere of a place. The last shot, taken on Sunday is looking down onto a small hamlet near Lippenhof. By the way this area is near the Brenner Pass which leads over into Italy.

Snow storm, Tuxer Alps, Tirol Austria copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

 

Lone Tree

Kemater, Stubia Alps
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

I took this a few weeks ago on a snowy day in the Stubia Alps in Austria. For me it has a Japanese quality about it – in fact I can feel a Haiku coming on.

The Kalkkögel early yesterday morning.

The Kalkkögel, Stubai Alps, Austria.
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

I took this yesterday morning. I was staying up at the Kemater Alm in the Tuxer region of the Stubai Alps in Austria. The day before had been one of snow storms, cloud and this mountain range was almost completely hidden by cloud – then yestarday it dawned fine with blue skies. The sun was rising behind the range and projecting their shadows up into the sky above them.

Totenkirchl Bones, Kaisergebirge, Tirol Austria

Totenkirchl Bones, Kaisergebrige, Tirol Austria
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

The limestone of the Totenkirchl has been weathered over millions of years and, to me, bears a strange resemblance to one of those anatomical diagrams showing hand and foot joints, or a many hundreds of meters high whale skeleton. This is appropriate because the name “Totenkirchl” roughly translates as “Church of the Dead”, at least that´s my translation.

Sunset, Stripsenjoch, Kaisergebirge, Tirol Austria

Sunset, Stripsenjoch, Kaisergebrige, Tirol Austria
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

Last Friday I walked up to the Stripsenjoch Hut in the Kaiser Mountains. The sun is sinking behind the Brandenberg Alps, more commonly known as the Rofan Mountain Massif and the Karwendel Mountain Range. Between my camera tripod and the mountains lies the Kaiser Valley and the River Inn.

The limestone Kaisergebirge and particularly the Wilder Kaiser are of seminal importance in the history of mountaineering and rock climbing. It is here that, for over one hundred years, climbers have pushed the limits of what was considered possible. And the mountain refuge hut on the Stripsenjoch ( joch = pass or col) is right next to classic rock climbing mountains like the Predigstuhl, Fleischbank und Totenkirchl.

Zillertal Alps, Austria

The Zillertal Alps, Austria
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

Another shot of the Zillertal Alps. This one was taken from the ski area above Mayerhofen looking across the valley. By and large I find alpine skiing bad news, in summer the piste areas look like building sites and with the ever increasing use of snow canons in winter, the environmental impact is getting bigger and bigger.

Morning at the Greizer Hut, Zillertal Alps, Austria

Greizer Hut, Zillertal Alps, Austria
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

I´ve just got back from four days in the Zillertal Alps in Austria. This view is from the Greizer Hut looking roughly north along the cloud shrouded Floite Valley.

Almost back in the valley, Lizumer Alps, Austria

Lizumer Alps, Tirol, Austria
copyright: charles kenwright/ http://www.openmind-images.com

The tour draws to a close, I took this shot quite low down in the valley about 45minutes from the car park at Lager Walchen. It had been a fantastic day and a satisfying end to my first snow-shoe tour of 2014. Satisfying for a couple of reasons; the first being that the weather had turned out so fine. The second being that this was only the second time that I have used snow-shoes, previously I was ski-mountaineering, and was relieved to find that I didn´t really miss the skies that much! I´ve stopped the ski-mountaineering because of old injuries that just wont lie down, and my thinking is that snow-shoes would be gentler with the bits of my undercarriage that are showing signs of wear – and I was right!!

This shot is a bit cheesy, I have to admit! But shooting in RAW always offers surprises – the exposure latitude allowed me to open up the shadows and also to get something from the sky too.