Since I'm spending a significant amount of time in the mountains, this seemed like the next logical step: literally learning the ropes of high alpine mountaineering. In other words: learning how to safely cross and ascent glaciated peaks.
So I did a 3 days course in the Ortles mountain range in Italy including the ascent of the Cevedale (3778m) on the last day. I wasn't sure if I should bring my camera since there's a lot of gear to carry (not only weight but also space in the backpack) and I'm doing it to learn and not to photograph. In the end, I couldn't resist bringing it anyway though, thinking that if there's no time for shooting, I just leave it in my bag - and that's what I actually did most of the time. But since we stayed on a mountain hut and sometimes had to wait around a bit, I could still take some shots on the trip every now and then.
Literally learning the ropes
Monte Cevedale
A glacier we didn't cross because there were too many crevasses
The glacier we did most exercises on with Monte Zebru in the background
Starting our hike during sunrise
The view from the Cevedale
Photography aside, the ascent of the Cevedale was one of the most energizing things I did this year. Thinking back to the feeling of having it made up (and down) safely still gets me goosebumps. I definitely have a lot of respect in regard to ascents like this and I'll take it rather slow next year - however, the first (guided) tour is already planned.
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