Flying over the Patagonian Ice Cap
Hello Friends,
I’ve just arrived in Punta Arenas without my camping gear, tripod and spare clothes courtesy of British Airways.
The trip down from Santiago to Punta Arenas was spectacular. The day was clear and I could see the mountains of Fitzroy and Cerro Torre peaking up from the massive patagonian ice sheet. But the most spectacular view was that of Torres del Paine. The pilot made a bee line for the place and banked the plane so I was looking directly down onto Glacier Grey and the towers.
How I wished I had taken a small camera with me on the plane. And I guess this just goes to cement the idea that a camera should be portable, convenient and with you at all times.
Perhaps next time.
Hi Bruce,
Sorry to hear about your BA mishaps. That’s pretty devastating. Perhaps you can alter the trip around and trek to some harder to reach places with the time you would have spent with the camera on a tripod in the wee hours.
Then again, I keep reading that being forced into something simpler can make you more creative, so who knows, maybe you can strap your camera around you and go climbing with it or something else where a tripod would have been too much to carry.
I think a little compact is a very worthy investment. They can be very freeing in some ways – size and weight are no longer a problem, and the biggest thing I find is that there is none of the “too much hassle getting it out of the bag” issue when something pops up in front of you. I think they’re a lot better suited to photos of the little things, like what you had for lunch or the crazy bridge at Las Torres, that are always the grout between the bricks that make up a trip.
I remember seeing the mountains and glaciers out of the plane from Santiago to Punta Arenas, it’s the perfect appetiser for the trip ahead!
Hope it turns out well.
Comment by Niall Connaughton — 1 April, 2008 @ 11:40 am
Hi Niall,
Lovely to hear from you. I managed to get my bag – it was in Punta Arenas lying in some backwater office at the airport. It was strange being ushered to come over the checkin desk conveyor to the back of the airport to pick up my bag. You wouldn´t be allowed to do that in the UK that´s for sure.
Yes, a wee snapper is what I´m after now. I think a Canon G9 will suffice for those shots.
I´m at Pehoe now with a nice group of photo enthusiasts and I have to say that I´ve been remembering you all from last November. It was a great trip.
I will have to e-mail Dave about the Chocolate Mousse, as he really liked it. Just to tease him a bit.
Anyway, thanks for the correspondence. Hope your photos from the trip worked out well Niall. Are you happy with them?
Take care,
Bruce
Comment by Bruce Percy — 1 April, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
What a nightmare, I hope you get your kit sent on quickly. Did you travel through T5 in London? If you’re coming back that way take as much as you can in hand luggage. Good luck.
Comment by cheesy_puffs — 1 April, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
Hi Craig,
Great handle there. I like it!
Got my bag matey. Phew…..
I´m at Lago Pehoe in Torres del Paine with a small group of photo enthusiasts (who also love Chocolate Mousse as well as it happens).
Anyway, take care (ATB re pending No.2).
B.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 1 April, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
Hi Bruce,
Good to hear you got your bag! Maybe you can fly back in to Paris and take a couple of trains from there back home. I’m sure all your film will go as hand luggage ;)
I’m actually meeting up with Dave tonight for a beer, so I’ll mention the chocolate mousse. I had actually forgotten about it, but I do remember eating a lot of dessert there.
As for the photos, they have turned out quite nicely. I’m still going through them all, but have made a fair bit of progress. I actually entered 3 of them into the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award – one of Pehoe, one of Lago Grey from our adventures during dinner and a B&W one from Laguna de los Tres. I’m not expecting anything to come from it, and it cost £20 to enter but I figured what the hell. I should get a free ticket or a copy of the book or something, I say!
I’m still working towards building a site with all the photos (well, not all of them) and my thoughts on the whole thing. It’s taking ages, but it’s what I wanted to do since before I even left for the trip, so I don’t want to break down and throw them on flickr.
Niall
Comment by Niall Connaughton — 3 April, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Hi Niall,
Good to hear you have entered your photos into a competition and one as prestigous as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.
Boris, our driver from last year says there are three Puma’s at Laguna Armaga just now. We’re going to be there tomorrow, so I hope we spot them.
Boris has his diary marked down with the date when we all saw the Puma last year – apparently it is November 22. I think he must have a diary. He says it’s my presence that made all the difference (he knows how to butter someone up!).
Take Care & let me know the outcome of your competition entries.
Bruce
Comment by Bruce Percy — 3 April, 2008 @ 11:51 am
It was the day we were driving back from our late evening romping all over the shore of Lago Grey – one of those photos is one of the ones I’m entering. I remember I was dozing in the car and was woken up by the fuss in time to see him in front of us on the road. I also remember Boris driving across the bridge at Las Torres later that night.
Get him to say lovely jubly for me!
Niall
PS: I’m impressed with your level of internet access! I basically gave up until getting back to Natales.
Comment by Niall Connaughton — 3 April, 2008 @ 1:31 pm
Hi Bruce,
Glad you got your bags OK. Look forward to seeing some shots of those Pumas!
Callum
PS As mentioned a long time ago, I have finally registered the antithesis of the TheLightAndTheLand! watch this space!
Comment by CalMac — 4 April, 2008 @ 11:13 am