After a few days of planning, myself and some friends decided to undertake the challenging task of skiing up to a remote hut in the mountains to spend the night. This was going to be an excellent opportunity for some stunning shots of the mountains, as well as priceless memories of friendships. I knew I wanted to bring my Leica camera to achieve the highest quality I could, and my Gearing tripod seemed like the perfect accompaniment. With the Gearing tripod being such a multipurpose tool, I was able to bring my ski poles and camera tripod all in one go, as well as a toolkit in case I needed to adjust mine or my companions’ ski bindings. I felt extremely secure using the poles, given that they are made of eight layers of carbon fibre, with super strong spikes. These proved themselves the right choice after we took a wrong turn and had to make our way up some terrifying mountain faces, as well as cross some freezing rivers. In difficult situations like this, it was a comfort knowing that I could use all of my body weight on these poles and they would support me.
We had chosen our tour date purposefully as this was supposed to be the best weather for the foreseeable future. However, it appeared that the weather up the mountains was just as unpredictable as life can be, and after a few hours of touring, we were tired, hungry and dehydrated. In mere minutes we found ourselves enveloped in clouds and then in the midst of a terrifying blizzard. Our bearings disintegrated in front of us, and suddenly the prospect of finding the hut with no directions became quite terrifying, and quite real.
After a series of misdirections, a chance meeting with some fellow ski tourers led us onto the right path. Just over 5 hours later, we arrived at the hut. The weather did not allow for any spectacular scenic shots from our home for the night, but the trekking poles strength and stability more than made up for the lack of photography opportunities offered. Just before bed, the weather cleared and I grabbed my iPhone holder and tripod to snap a quick shot.
I awoke the next morning and leapt out of bed to check the weather conditions, eager to get out with my Gearing tripod. Sadly, the weather had turned once more and appeared to be worsening. Finishing the last of our water, we put our touring boots on, grabbed our skis and headed back down the mountain, thankfully able to find the path down. Once again the strength of the Gearing poles proved the safest choice in our descent back down to civilisation. Although the tripod didn't get the use that it deserved, the trekking poles defended their status as an invaluable piece of kit.
