WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Hiding

A small weather window of light winds and bright, sunny intervals in Strathspey today. It's been very wet and dreary recently. 

A brilliant afternoon with the mountain hares. Jessie out on a Mountain Hare photography workshop was extremely pleased with some fine photos of these beautiful creatures. Being flexible with weather is always good, for both parties.

The hares posing nicely for us. The grouse were in abundance,  the stags roaring down in the corries, Autumn colours getting beautiful by the day and Pink footed Geese flying overhead.

I've had to cancel 2 days of  guiding in Torridon on Friday and Saturday. One of those rare occasions in September when very high winds & extremely heavy rain put pay to any idea of walking the great ridges in Torridon. Throw in a chance of lightning. 

No thank you.

My group happy to reschedule. 

If you want a low level, waterfall walk - I'm free ;)

Be careful out there.

Spotted

Looking lovely in the sun

A good stretch 

Red Grouse looking fine in Autumn colours 

Cairngorms clearing 

Northern Corries 

I run my wildlife photography workshops right through the year. Mountain Hare and Ptarmigan are my specialities. Check out my website for details. 

Gary Hodgson Photography

Autumn coming along 

Clouds dispersing from the high Cairngorms 

Autumn 

Fly Aragic

BEN NEVIS GUIDING, CHARITY EVENTS

Night time guiding on Ben Nevis 

Last weekend I was over in the west, guiding on Ben Nevis for a couple of charity events.

On Saturday I was guiding/marshaling with several other ML's on an event with 105 participants going up The Ben for a charity gig. A big effort for many folk who hadn't stepped on foot of a mountain before. Huge amount of money raised for Marie Curie. It was a fine day with some great views.

Very busy, as per usual. 

Working for Eighpointtwo Adventures.

A fine start to the day

Halfway

Sweeping up at the back

Busy, as per usual 

Some sun

I had a lovely feedback on my Facebook page from one of Saturday's participant's:

Gary on part of our marie curie group walk up Ben Nevis yesterday. it was a challenge for me and by the time I met Gary on the way down I was physically and mentally drained (don't get me wrong it was still an amazing experience). Gary stuck with me and my mum the rest of the way down listening to me rabble on all these stories to keep myself moving and sharing stories of his own experiences. I knew I was one of the last from the 105 to make it back down but Gary never made me feel like being slow was an issue. He showed me the safest ways to come down some of the bits I was worried about and was just in general a truly phenomenal guy. Please contact him if you need a guide especially if your worried about being slow or new etc as you won't be disappointed with Gary. Thank you again for yesterday Gary you really kept me going it means alot x

Crowded summit 

Best views not on the trig point of course 

Heading down with the crew

Basecamp

On Sunday I was back up the Ben, a much smaller group of 23 who were up for a Ben challenge of  capturing sunrise on the summit.  With only a few hours kip I was off again at 2.50am..We made the summit for 7.10am, perfect timing for sunrise on the UKs highest mountain. Unfortunately there was thick cloud and drizzle blocking the sun but it did rise up from the horizon,  like every other sunrise.

Working for Eliteadventures.

I now rarely do the Pony Path on the Ben in the summer months. It's nice to guide it just once or twice per year nowadays. Makes me see what I'm missing.  Ahh, the sights, smells and noises of a day on the Ben. Perfume, deodorant, sweat, music blasting away, flip- flops, combat keks, jeans, pac-a-macs. Love it! 🤣.

2.50am, on The Ben again

The bright lights of Ben Nevis

Clag, drizzle and cold - usual Ben summit weather

Tired and down and sleep!

Last week in the Cairngorms I had clients on a wildlife photography 2 day trip. Better weather, some sunshine and light winds made for some great photography situations. Day 1 we were up in the high Cairngorms and had some great sightings of Ptarmigan - a flock of 4 and later in the day a flock of 6.

Beautiful colours

A flock of 6 here

Rock Ptarmigan - it's in the name

Plenty of Pipits about

The previous day we were out with the beautiful hares. I seem to have found a new wee Mountain Hare. He's very still and cautious. No twitching, no movement of ears, no scratching - nothing. But he is relaxed and spending an hour in close quarters is lovely.

 

Backlit, didn't work

Late afternoon sunshine

FINAL DAY IN THE ALPS

 

Castor, Pollux & Brighthorn 

My final day in the Alps this Summer. It's been an absolute blast to be out here again in 2022. 2 years of pandemic restrictions and Brexit voters making life difficult for us UK International Mountain Leaders to gain a permit for work, it was simply great to be out guiding here again. Yesterday I finished my 64th Walkers Haute Route with my group of 8 folk. The final day into Zermatt goes  along the Europaweg from Randa to Zermatt.

Europaweg foot bridge

Good fun

Mystical cloud 

Mettal Horn

This roller coaster walk which traverses high above the Mattertal is always fun and fabulous scenery. If you ever tire of walking along these narrow ledges, around huge couloirs, exciting tunnels and exposed mountain sides then you need to hang up your boots.

Thanks to a fun group of 8 folk who all compled the180km and 12000m of ascent amongst some of the finest scenery in the Alps.

I was guiding for Mont Blanc Treks, always a pleasure and the best company I've worked for in The Alps.

Narrow ledges 

Sunshine

Great geology 

Nearing Taschalp

Matterhorn and Zermatt,  journeys end

Today I spent my final day this season in The Alps with a trip up high. It's been brilliant to be out here again guiding groups of fun folk in the beautiful Alpine scenery.

I grabbed a quick day out from Zermatt for some photography.  The cloud dispersed this morning and some wonderful views of the big mountains around Zermatt. 

It was a fun Summer of 2022.

Castor, Pollux & Brighthorn 

Good to see fresh snow on the Matterhorn 

Cloudscapes around Zinal Rothorn 

Rifelberg

Dom & Tashorn

Good clarity 

Another wee lake

Autumn colours 

Zermatt and Weisshorn 

Thank you Switzerland!

Proper photos later.