Alpsteinfive

My friend Andrew Kerr finally made it up from his neck of the woods (Val-d`Illiez) to my own much cherished corner.
I don`t think he was disappointed. My own appetite for adrenalin has diminished over the years, so we settled on the east ridge of the second highest peak here, the Altmann, with rock at a comfortable (in big boots) grade three standard. We both went home happy - Andrew had barely touched a piece of loose rock all day und zwar in great surroundings, and I got my time lapse footage of the Föhn clouds doing their funky thing.
I went back to Wildhaus the following weekend, leaving home at 3.30, this time alone, and unfettered by climbing gear and tent. The amazing sunrise light on the Girenspitz was my reward. I love the north side of the Alpstein but what have I been missing all these years?

Sunrise on Moor and Girenspitz

Night Föhn clouds from camp on
Zwingli Pass

Andrew Kerr on east ridge of
Altmann

Altman at sunrise from Zwingli
Pass

Andrew Kerr on east ridge of
Altmann

Föhn clouds at sunrise above
Bühler

Andrew Kerr on east ridge of
Altmann

Säntis from above Uernäsch

Andrew Kerr on east ridge of
Altmann

Hagenbuch, St Gallen, sunburst in
the fog

Hagenbuch, St Gallen, sun bursting
through the fog

Säntis from top of the east ridge
of the Altmann

East ridge of the Altmann
(right skyline)

Sunrise at Fünfländerblick,
Appenzellerland

Sunset on the Marwees from south
side of Chlus

At first glance a few of the images below might look a bit wierd. A bit unbelievable. But if you go out with your camera in bad weather, then you`ll eventually (with a little help from software like Tufuse) come back with stuff like this. The Armageddon-light in this picture was actually how it was at the time, and I got drenched about ten minutes later after the heavens opened. Most shots here comprise two blended images, one exposed for the foreground and one for the sky. I know some analogue film diehards might not approve of this approach. But it`s intended to show nature more realistically, not less.