Panoramic Shots

I finally have a new camera! A Sony Cybershot HX5V with built-in GPS, 10x optic pocket super-zooming capability and tadaaah—panoramic feature. For a test drive, we went to Scheveningen Beach yesterday and did some panoramic fotos.
Scheveningen Beach in Den Haag and a view to the Promenade, the middle foto taken from the pier and the third foto a gezellig view of a terrace on the beach.
I will be doing more tests with this camera soon in other places, with the weather warm—not a fan though if it gets too warm, I will be definitely taking some days to drive down to Belgium in the Walloon area or maybe head east to Germany. I’m tempted to fly down to the south of France as well but since I’m going for a long needed summer relaxation holiday with the Dutchman soon, I’ll reserve this for later.

Did you like the panoramic shots?

At any rate, I am very happy with the Sony Cybershot HX5V and the only complain we have for this is the lifespan of the battery and the sound. The battery cannot handle continuous filming and the sound quality is not as grand as our old Fuji camera. This camera seriously need a second or third battery as reserve(s) and bad news, they do not come cheap.

I’m not really hard to please with gadgets so this camera is more than enough for the pretty much not-the-gadget-girl me!
Stay tuned for more fotos of Scheveningen soon.

Visit Period: June

Mt. Rainier, Kautz Glacier

After climbing the easiest routes on Rainier, we wanted to climb something a little more challenging. So we decided to try the Kautz Glacier.

We crossed the Nisqually Glacier, then we went up a gully called "The Fan." It is full of rocks that break loose each day as it warms up.




We headed up the Wilson Glacier and found a great camp site just below the Turtle Snowfield. The rock wall would serve as a windbreak and there was running water close at hand. Unlike Camp Muir, we did not have 99 people camping right beside us. Mt. Adams in the background.





Jonathan in the kitchen area.





The main challenge of the Kautz Glacier route is a short section of 45 degree ice.










The shadow of Rainier just after sunrise. If you want to get the most out a sunrise, you need to be above 11,000' in elevation!





Jonathan finishing the fun part of the route.





Dave just above the icy section.







One of several large crevasses on the upper mountain.








Dave and Jonathan on the summit. The upper mountain was really windy and covered by a cloud cap.










Doug (holding onto his hood) and Jonathan. We took pictures and headed right back down.










Jonathan found a hidden crevasse on the way down!









Here are 3 tired and hungry climbers just a couple of hours from the car and some real food. Jonathan was able to summit an intermediate route for his first attempt on Rainier! It was fun to climb something new and challenging in this awesome part of creation.

DZnuts for the Ladies?

One discovery I have made in my attempts to battle roadbike discomforts is a product called DZnuts. This is a chamois cream that promises to "protect your junk" from chafing, irritation and infections that can occur during long distance cycling on a roadbike. This stuff is sold in most bike shops, branded as a men's product. So I present it here surrounded by lavender and a cup of herbal tea to indicate that it also works for ladies.



If you are wondering for what purpose you would possibly need something like this, then you probably do not need it. But if leaning forward on your saddle for hours rubs you the wrong way, then you know what I speak of. Oh I know it is a delicate topic, and I assure you that I blush and swoon at my own impropriety even as I write this, but somebody had to address it. So yes: DZnuts helps against that. The cream both alleviates the pain if you've already hurt yourself, and will prevent it from happening in the first place if applied before the ride. If they come up with a better product that is women-specific, that would be wonderful. Until then, DZnuts it is.

Rockies climbs..?

"Josh Wharton following a pitch in the upper gully section of Infinite Patience. Sustained grade 3 and mixed up to M5 for at least 300 m"




Photo courtesy of Gripped, Josh Wharton and Chris Alstrin




Nice write up here:



http://gripped.com//08/sections/articles/rockies-lessons-from-novice-to-intermediate/

Avalanche!

Photo courtesy of Tunc Findik and theMirror


A couple of years ago on ourfirst day of the season in Chamonix two buddies and I took the tram up to the top of the Grand Montets for some fresh air, to stretch our legs from the traveland to get a feel for the place.



Like ANY mountain environment it is a BIG place!



A few minutes later both of my friends were swept away in an slab avalanche. They took a 1/3 of a mileride and both were totally buried at some point. Thankfully both survived with only minor physical injuries. Mentally I hope that neither will ever be the same. I hope that experience haunts them both forever. Hopefully they willalways be more considerate ofthe terrain and snow conditions now. Then worry aboutwhat they want to be doing.



Thatisn't my only nightmare about snow. I intentionally try to remember them all every time I go into the mountains again. And the friends that are no longer around for a simple mistake.



Every year several people die in avalanches very close to where I live. It is a maritime snow pack here. Lots of snow here and rapidly changing conditions. But not all that different really from any other mountains I have lived in. The Rockies orSelkirks are notall that much different. Most of the year they are ourplay grounds. Part of the year they are death traps.



Knowing the difference is like playing ball at the school yard or playing ball in the middle of a busy freeway. Sounds just like alpine climbing doesn't it? Two people died over the weekend within miles of my house. Others were injured. I drove an extra hour to spent the weekend skiing in the relative comfort of a ski area and several thousand feet higher in elevation. Skiing inwhat was likelythe last big winter storm cycle of the year. Even insidea controlled and skier packed ski area the conditions were rapidly changing and iffy IMO on certain aspects at different times during the day. Pays to notice such things. No one owes you a freebie...even the ski area or their Ski Patrol.



Early in that stormwe were skiing 2 feet or more of lwt powder laid ona rain layer that had frozen solid prior to the newest snow fall. Imagine that potential on even moderate slopes. The lower you went on the mountain, the higher the moisture in the new snow pack. And the higher a chance of a dangerious slide. The elevation whereI got on the liftbecame a death zone with a bigger dump of snow in such a short time. The higher you got, the less problematic the conditions were...that day...where i was. And that wasjust a few air miles away from the fatal slides.



Miles Smart, an American Alpine guide living in Chamonix posted this on Facebook today with a good photo selection, "One of today's many avalanches. It was a good day to have a beer in the sun wearing flip flops."



You don't have to be aUIAGM mountain guide to know when it is best to stay out of the mountains or find a betterplace to enjoy them. Being in a developedAmericanski area doesn't eliminate all risk. Nothing does. And it isn't wilderness. But better to be around people for a day in thesnow than found buried in it.



Trust no one. Make your own decisions. Inthe case of snow conditions? Always error on the side of caution. It is only luck that gives you "overs" in an avalanche.



Below, is the the run out, at the scene of the crime, in . Literally a 5 minute walk or less from the lift.






Kinda looks like a gianthead stone doesn't it?

Three Nomics are buried there now. Luckily no Americans ..this time.

Nassington circular via Glenn Miller monument

A recce for the same walk tomorrow. Details then.




Surprising patches of mud on some paths. Warm, sunny - and back home to catch the Cavendish-Wiggins finale to the Tour de France!

























We heard and saw a couple of green woodpeckers on our way. The route is the same as the walk for 23 July .

Cycling and Self-Portraiture

I have long been interested in the connection between cycling and amateur self-portraiture. Anyone familiar with the world of bicyclists' image galleries is also familiar with the ubiquitous "panda shots," storefront reflections, snapshots of one's bike shadow. Taken quickly with tiny low-quality cameras, these provide spontaneous glimpses into how we move through the world, what we encounter along the way, and how we relate to our bicycles while doing so. Over the years it has become a distinct genre.




But why do it? Looking in from the outside, it is easy to interpret it as a contemporary obsession with documentation, a marking of territory, or in the case of "panda shots" (pictures of yourself taken while cycling) as a showing off of skill. And of course to some extent it is all that. But what makes it bike-specific? I have never encountered another group outside of the art world that is as prone to self-portraiture as cyclists. Joking around with bikeyface, we tried to start a trend for "walk pandas," but somehow pedestrian self-portraiture does not hold the same appeal.






Last year I wrote aboutbicycle blogs and exhibitionism - describing a culture among the blogs of beginner female cyclists where women communicate and encourage each other by showing pictures of themselves doing everyday bike-related activities. Outside of the intended audience (for example, when observed by experienced male cyclists), this is sometimes misinterpreted as exhibitionism. But for the intended audience it is in fact a "teaching by doing" sort of tool that can be more effective than any advocacy.




Still the trend for self-portraiture among cyclists is not limited to this alone. It is more widespread than that and encompasses a more diverse demographic. From racers to retrogrouches to randonneurs to pedaling fashionistas, cyclists just seem compelled to snap pictures of themselves on or next to their bikes.







It is possible that moving around by bicycle, particularly when we are new to it in adulthood, heightens our sense of self-awareness and it is this that inspires the self-portraiture. In a sense, the cyclist keeps a visual diary. And a true diary, be it written or visual, is more than just about what happens in one's environment; typically the diarist also focuses on themselves.




How well this works as an explanation, I don't know. But as a psychologist and a painter I am fascinated by the tradition of self-portraiture I've seen emerge as more and more cyclists share their images with the world. If you take pictures of yourself on or with your bike, why do you do it?

My picks for Queen’s Day in Utrecht

Sunday night and feeling a bit lethargic (in other words, lazy), we agreed not to head off to the Koninginnenacht (Queen’s Night) festivities in Utrecht. But this morning, we managed to move our bums and joined Utrecht for Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day, 30 April). This is a yearly nationwide event in celebration of the Queen’s birthday here in the Netherlands.

So what’s in store during this day? Street party, live music, stage shows, lots of drinking, dressing up in orange, spontaneous street acts and selling junk, well anything really.

Here’s my picks for Queen’s Day in Utrecht:

Little Miss Dutch Maid in the prairie.

Selling junk.

Like in most cities in the Netherlands during Queen's Day, there are designated areas and streets that one can sell their (used) wares. And well, some even offer blind date matching services.

Selling manicure services as well.

Dyed orange hair and a Netherlands flag boa are popular outfits for the day.

It was the first time in many years that it didn't rain during Queen's Day. 20C! These macho tattooed guys are definitely enjoying the day.

Street games - you hit the button and the girl in bikini goes down the tub of water.

'Zin in een vluggertje?' literally means 'Want a quickie (sex)?' but this one means a quickie chess game =)

I know, I know... I am almost 42 (in a few weeks) and I should not be wearing outfits like this. Just trying to be trendy for a day since I have no orange to wear. I don't think I will wear something like this next year.

I love this umbrella and I found a cocktail stall! Finally mojitos!

This man is just so cool. Orange bra is it.

Doing the rumba. Cuba here I come (in 2 weeks!).

Hollow Man has gone orange.

Boating is popular during Queen's Day. Unlike in Utrecht, in Amsterdam it gets hectic on the canals (read: boat traffic).

Best in channelling 'Oranje' and 'Nederland'.

'Hi, I am Miss Netherlands and we have lots of tulips!'

Best in creativity: Orange eyelashes for the win!

Live music of course. They are in every corner. Can you imagine the noise blaring from every corner, I mean everywhere? I am so getting old.

This man is brave enough to wear a (orange) ribbon on his head.

More boating fun on Utrecht's Oudegracht.

We didn’t stay long in Utrecht. Like I always say in this blog—we are getting old.

We don’t appreciate large crowds anymore. The noise is unbearable. It was nice for the first few hours though but after that I just want to escape and be back in the comforts of home. If you are young and reading this, you’ll understand when you get to our age.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Visit Period: April