Mt. Everest Trek

[coriana6jp]

Hi All,

The wife gave me the go ahead to do a dream trip, a hike to the basecamp at Mt. Everest. Currently its only in the very early planning stages, but one of the first things that popped in to my head was what camera(s), and film to take.:confused:

Since its pretty much 3 weeks of hiking, with a good chunk of time spent above 10,000ft(3000m) and going up to 17500ft(5300m), taking the LF gear(which is my first choice) quickly got thrown out the window.

I have both a Mamiya 7II and a Hassy 501CM. Not sure if these are the best choices, or I should look into something different. I would probably take two of the same body one loaded with BW and the other with color.

For film, though in color I usually shoot velvia, I was thinking shooting Fuji 160 negative film instead. Mainly due to the greater exposure latitude it offers. For BW, a mix of Pan F and Acros, maybe with some faster film thrown in for good measure.

Any hints, advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Gary

 

[DJGainer]

The 7II will be lighter and less bulky. For a strenuous three week trip, that has to count for something.

-Dave

 

[thefizz]

I vote for the 7II also. I have brought it hiking and its a joy to use. Maybe get some 220 Tri-x so you won't be changing film so often.

 

[Steve Smith]

My wife planned to do this two years ago. A week before she was due to leave she got appendicitis and spent the time in hospital instead. She wasn't too happy about that but if the appendicitis came on two weeks later it would have been a problem getting treated on the side of a mountain.

I can't offer any advice other than to take the most compact camera that you will be happy with the results from. However, I did manage to convince my wife to take a film camera (my Nikon F601) instead of her much smaller digi compact.

Good luck.


Steve.

 

[ChrisC]

Wow awesome. I'm heading to Nepal with a good mate in 8 weeks (and counting down every single day!) for the exact same trek. We're also going to go up to Gokyo + Gokyo Ri too as I've heard/seen some amazing things from those lakes.

I've just recently bought a Mamiya 645 Pro to take with me as I wanted something flexible that will still give results that will be worthy o such a trip, and because I'm too much of a poor student to get a Hassy. I'm going to add the 45mm lens to my 80, and I'm thinking about another back too to allow me to shoot colour + B&W, but I'm not entirely sure I want that sorta bulk so I'm tempted to stick to just B&W (HP5+ being my #1 choice).

I guess what to take all comes down to age and fitness. I'm a fairly sprightly 24 but still don't want to get bogged down and will be traveling light and stinky, but at least you don't need to carry food going up to EBC. On the other side of the coin, most days you're only walking 4 hours, so there will be plenty of time to grab some great images. I think me and my mate are going to share tripod carrying duties too, as taking it easy is the best way to prevent altitude sickness, and nothing says 'go slow' like stopping all the time to grab some great photos.

When are you thinking of going?

 

[keithwms]

I think I would pick up a backup 7, then you can load b&w in one and slide on the other. And pack lots of batteries just in case.

You may also wish to pick up a pro-grade UV filter. I have a slightly warming one, I don't recall the make, but it has a name something like KR....

I am sure jealous!

 

[ricksplace]

Sir Edmund Hillary took a Retina.

 

[Andy K]

Alfred Gregory, the photographer on the Hillary expedition, used three cameras: a Kodak Retina II with Kodachrome 10 ASA film, a Rolleiflex with Kodak Plus-X and Panatomic-X and some Ektachrome and a '35mm Contax camera with interchangeable lenses' using mainly Kodachrome. The only camera he took above the South Col was the Retina.

His book, Photographs from Everest to Africa, is well worth buying. ISBN 9781 9209 8961 3

 

[coriana6jp]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the advice. It looks like the Mamiya 7II and my 4 lens set will be the gear of choice. I already have two bodies actually and a couple of dupes on the lenses. So I think I am set, though I need to get a lighter tripod. The one I have is used for holding my 8x10, so will need something smaller.

Chris,

I am pretty much planning the same thing, trip to basecamp and then Gyoko. I am not 24 anymore though, I have 10 years on you. The trip is to be a 35th birthday present to myself actually. I would really like to hear more about your trip when you get back. It will give me a good idea of what I am getting myself into.

Maybe for kicks I should pickup a Retina and some kodachrome, it could be interesting.

Thanks again for all the info, time to go back and spend another hour on the stair master!

Gary

 

[Steve Sherman]

I have a good friend who has just released a new book about various treks he has taken over the last 12 years to that region. Nepal, Pakiastan and the Everest region.

He is now 70+, a slight British fellow who regularly took his 4x5 Toyo and several lens to quite high elevations. Beautiful images.

It is possible and if you are interested I can put you in touch with him. If you are inclined drop me a PM.

Lucky you BTW

Cheers

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

Lucky you indeed. I've always been fascinated with the mountain and those who live there. No advice on cameras, just wishing you good luck... and asking you to PLEASE post the results in the gallery!

 

[ChrisC]

I am pretty much planning the same thing, trip to basecamp and then Gyoko. I am not 24 anymore though, I have 10 years on you. The trip is to be a 35th birthday present to myself actually. I would really like to hear more about your trip when you get back. It will give me a good idea of what I am getting myself into.

Maybe for kicks I should pickup a Retina and some kodachrome, it could be interesting.

We've been planning this trip for the past year or so now, so I'm fairly well read up on it. There's a lot of great information on the net about it, it can just be quite hard to find amongst the rubbish. The Lonely Planet book on Nepal is good, but their Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya is considerably better, and breaks down the walk into hours/day and elevation changes (though one thing I've found out is consider staying at the next village along from places listed in the book if you can, because everyone else follows the book word for word).

We're going quite late in the trekking season by walking late Nov/early Dec, so I'm expecting it to be cold, but there should be less people on the tracks too (fingers crossed).

I'm not sure how much your 7II kit weighs, but if you were planning on taking both bodies, I'd maybe re-think taking all 4 lenses. I'm expecting to burn through ~15 rolls @ 6x4.5 while walking, and combined with the camera and two lenses there's already quite a bit of space taken up. Though if you had a big enough pack it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but big packs can often be no fun, especially for 3 weeks straight. I guess you could hire a porter too if you wanted, but seeing them having to carry the loads some people give them often plucks at my heart strings.

I think you'll be more than fine with the 7II though. My point of view is not to take too much in the way of equipment so that it hampers your time there with the people and the magic of the place. A camera, wide and normal lens should be enough to cover most situations for me.

But yeah, I'll no doubt make some posts about my experiences when I get back (keep your eyes peeled around Christmas time!). It looks like an absolutely wonderful country from what I've seen and read about so far.

 

[ooze]

I think the main question is: are you going to carry ALL your gear or will some of it be carried by a porter/mules?

I also do a a fair bit of trekking in mountains and carry everything (tent, clothing, food, camera etc) myself. Just a few weeks ago I was doing a week long trek in the Kackar mountains of Turkey, usually around 3000m with excursions to 3500m, and the weight + altitude can wear you down. Therefore, when it comes to cameras, simple, light and high quality are the keywords. My choice for some time has been one Bronica RF645 body with the 45 and 65mm lenses. I admit that I'm a bit scared to take just one body, but the fact that I don't have a spare helps
I have taken a Hasselblad to mountains before, and although it works OK I think a rangefinder just carries better. Not having to fiddle with inserts when you're on a steep moraine, with rocks shifting under your feet is another bonus.
So, in your case I think the Mamiya would be a better choice.

One other item which I always bring along is the Gitzo Traveller tripod. Expensive but light and easy to pack...just brilliant really and worth it's price IMO.

Last but not the least, don't forget sun protection. It's more important than cameras...I speak from first hand experience

Good luck

 

[Jaq]

As you already stated, film with a high level of exposure latitude is your friend. You will often have scenes with extreme contrast - bright sunlight and dark shadows. Velvia will be tricky to use and often leaves the sky very dark. I would recommend a slightly less saturated, more tolerant film (if you like positive film, Provia is a reasonable bet). Rapid film will certainly be useful, especially if you will be taking photos inside. The homes are often very dark, lit only by a single naked light bulb or a few candles.


The high altitude will slow you down but you should acclimatise to a certain degree rather rapidly. However, you will get to a point where any camera will be too heavy. The rangefinder is probably your best bet. 220 film is the way to go - less bulk in the pack and altogether more convenient. Regarding weight and bulk in your pack there are a lot of sites that give ideas and hints how to lighten the load on your back. Here is one, but of course there are a lot more: Dead Link Removed This is all in the aim of being able to take more film - you will need more film that you think you will. Just make sure that you have enough clothes to be comfortable at below freezing temperatures.

Finally, people off the beaten path are more receptive and open to you than those on the tourist trail.

Enjoy the preparations!

Emile

 

[Frank Bunnik]

Hi, I did this trek in 2005. It is a beautiful trek but there are some streneous parts, for instance the climb to Namche Bazaar on the second day took me about 2 hours. Going down took me less than 20 minutes!

I brought my Hasselblad with 50, 150 and 250mm lenses, lenshoods, 2 magazines, polaroids, a lightmeter. For film I brought Fuji Velvia 100F. All in all my camerabackpack weighed almost 10 kilos. Carriying this did not cause me serious problems but it was heavy and I sometimes wished I brought something lighter. Since you have the choice I would advice the lighter Mamiya 7 kit. If you have the time, go up to Gokyo as well.

My slides came out great. Some are on my page at www.flickr.com/photos/asialover. Go to the For the love of Mountains set.

Enjoy the trek but take it slow and don't go up to fast or you might suffer from severe altitude sickness. I made several treks in the Himalayas and met too many people with altitude sickness.

 

[ChrisC]

Hi, I did this trek in 2005. It is a beautiful trek but there are some streneous parts, for instance the climb to Namche Bazaar on the second day took me about 2 hours. Going down took me less than 20 minutes!

I brought my Hasselblad with 50, 150 and 250mm lenses, lenshoods, 2 magazines, polaroids, a lightmeter. For film I brought Fuji Velvia 100F. All in all my camerabackpack weighed almost 10 kilos. Carriying this did not cause me serious problems but it was heavy and I sometimes wished I brought something lighter. Since you have the choice I would advice the lighter Mamiya 7 kit. If you have the time, go up to Gokyo as well.

My slides came out great. Some are on my page at www.flickr.com/photos/asialover. Go to the For the love of Mountains set.

Enjoy the trek but take it slow and don't go up to fast or you might suffer from severe altitude sickness. I made several treks in the Himalayas and met too many people with altitude sickness.

Wow beautiful shots. I had written Velvia off my list to take, simply because I've never really got images from it I've been happy with. But those have inspired me to practice with it a whole lot before I go.

 

[Frank Bunnik]

Thanks Chris. I have used Velvia 50 in the Himalayas (Ladakh) but I was not very satisfied with the results though I got some good photos with Velvia 50 in the Alps. The contrast is too much most of the times. Therefore I have not used the similar Velvia 100 as well. I have had good results with Provia 100(f) though it has a slight tendency towards blue. Velvia 100F does not suffer from this, has finer grain than provia 100f and can handle contrast better than Velvia 50.

I shot most of my mountain photos in the (early) morning or in the late afternoon.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Shooting color above 10,000 ft will require special UV filters for best results.

PE

 

[ChrisC]

Thanks Chris. I have used Velvia 50 in the Himalayas (Ladakh) but I was not very satisfied with the results though I got some good photos with Velvia 50 in the Alps. The contrast is too much most of the times. Therefore I have not used the similar Velvia 100 as well. I have had good results with Provia 100(f) though it has a slight tendency towards blue. Velvia 100F does not suffer from this, has finer grain than provia 100f and can handle contrast better than Velvia 50.

I shot most of my mountain photos in the (early) morning or in the late afternoon.

Sorry to pick your brain a little here, but could I just ask you for some tips? I've not done much slide shooting in my time (going to practice a lot before going) so am a little nervous about using it up there. Did you use anything special as far as filters go, and what were your metering techniques?

 

[Frank Bunnik]

Hi Chris, at that altitude I used a skylight filter. I experimented with a polariser in the Himalayas but I did not like the results. The colour of the sky became, in my opinion, a bit fake. At these high altitudes the blue sky already gets quite dark without the use of a polariser.

I use a Sekonic meter with an integrated spotmeter. I use the spotmeter when there is a lot of contrast and/or when I want to get a ridge in silhouet against a lighter slope/peak. I measure at the brightest spot or a blue sky and set the result on the camera. With slide film, you could also measure a white cloud and overexpose the measurement by 2 stops but try this first. For some effects I underexpose a bit, however in those cases I bracket about 3 photos.

However most of the times, I use the dome of the meter (ambiant light I think it's called, English is not my native language). If I am standing in the same kind of light as most of the landscape I want to photograph, this gives me fine results.

Slidefilm is not very difficult, just make sure you do not overexpose it since this gives very bad results. Expose only correctly or slightly underexpose and your pictures will be great. Try a few rolls before you go.

 

[ChrisC]

Hi Chris, at that altitude I used a skylight filter. I experimented with a polariser in the Himalayas but I did not like the results. The colour of the sky became, in my opinion, a bit fake. At these high altitudes the blue sky already gets quite dark without the use of a polariser.

I use a Sekonic meter with an integrated spotmeter. I use the spotmeter when there is a lot of contrast and/or when I want to get a ridge in silhouet against a lighter slope/peak. I measure at the brightest spot or a blue sky and set the result on the camera. With slide film, you could also measure a white cloud and overexpose the measurement by 2 stops but try this first. For some effects I underexpose a bit, however in those cases I bracket about 3 photos.

However most of the times, I use the dome of the meter (ambiant light I think it's called, English is not my native language). If I am standing in the same kind of light as most of the landscape I want to photograph, this gives me fine results.

Slidefilm is not very difficult, just make sure you do not overexpose it since this gives very bad results. Expose only correctly or slightly underexpose and your pictures will be great. Try a few rolls before you go.

Thanks a lot Frank. That's just the advice I was looking for. I'm a predominately B&W shooter but want to take some slides so I get the colours of the Gokyo Lakes, and just so I have a few frames showing the colours of everything else up there (and probably in Kathmandu too). I've ordered some rolls of Velvia 100F with a couple of rolls extra to practice with, so fingers crossed I get the hang of it before I leave!

 

[benjiboy]

Alfred Gregory, the photographer on the Hillary expedition, used three cameras: a Kodak Retina II with Kodachrome 10 ASA film, a Rolleiflex with Kodak Plus-X and Panatomic-X and some Ektachrome and a '35mm Contax camera with interchangeable lenses' using mainly Kodachrome. The only camera he took above the South Col was the Retina.

His book, Photographs from Everest to Africa, is well worth buying. ISBN 9781 9209 8961 3

I used to be into climbing, and I had the pleasure of meeting Alfred Gregory a couple of times in the sixties, he was from Blackpool, and in those days was using Nikon Fs with plain prisms I can't remember if he used a meter or sunny 16, he showed me some slides he had recently shot in the High Andes in Patagonia on Kodachrome. The reason he used Kodak Film was they sponsored him,and he got it free, in exchange for endorsing their products.

 

[mhanc]

Gary / Chris -

I am very envious of you upcoming treks. I took a similar trek in 1988 going to Gokyo, Everest base camp area, and Chukkung over a 24 day period. It was by far the high point of my travels (pardon the double entendre). You will have a wonderful time in so many ways. I just hope it has not changed much in the intervening 20 years.

Every vacation day I have ever had has been to the mountains. I have trekked, hiked and climbed in Nepal, Alaska/Denali, the Alps, Rockies, Tetons, Cascades, Adirondacks and other East Coast US ranges. I have always carried a camera (but have not always used it!). Several things I have learnt which might be helpful in you planning are below -- your milage will definitely vary.

1. Taking photographs in the mountains is just hard. You are expending incredible amounts of physical and mental energy just putting one foot in front of the other. The high altitude, poor nutrition and general malaise are just not conducive to good photography. Therefore, keep it simple.

2. The best photos that I have taken have been either earlier or later in the day. While the light is definitely better, there is just more time and energy for picture taking. When I went, I took my Nikkormat FT2 and a 50mm lens. It was all I had at the time. For film I used mostly Kodacolor 100 negative film. The results were good provided I did my part on the exposure and composition end. If I were ever to go back, I would take a 35mm for use during the day as it is simple, lightweight and, therefore, more likely to be used! For the other times, I would take a MF or LF camera. If your trip will be using yaks to cary gear and you have an absolute bomb proof case, then there is no reason not to consider taking a LF camera. (I would also consider taking a good quality digital camera such as the canon G7 in addition to the 35mm. I know, I know... but, this is a once in a lifetime trip and I would do what is necessary to bring home good photos. The reason I bring this up is that I am not sure of the state of air travel and x-raying of film. I have had success requesting hand inspection of film here in the US, but I would not want to risk ALL my photos being fogged by airport x-ray. Just belt and suspenders here. Maybe someone know more here.)

3. I must have thousands upon thousands of pictures from the mountains. The ones I that I truly like have people in them.

4. The primary colors in the high mountains are blue, grey and brown. All other colors come from early and late lighting and from people. Something to consider when choosing film.

5. The high altitude, clear air and lack of light pollution make the nighttime sky sublime. You can literally read by the stars. If I ever go back, I will photograph it. Something you might want to consider. It will probably be 10 degrees F outside the tent and colder for you, Chirs, since you trip is later in the season, but you will not be disappointed. See #1!

Probably the best high mountain photography I have seen is in the book "White Limbo" by Lincoln Hall which chronicles the 1st Australian ascent of Mt Everest. It is testament to what all mechanical 35mm cameras can do, including the very small Rollei 35. There is a great appendix on still photography which is accurate in my experience.

Hope this helps in thinking through the photographic logistics of your trip. Really, the biggest issue will be #1. To compensate stay well hydrated (for me in addition to water, quarts of tea with tons of sugar was key - YMMV) and eat as much food as possible regardless of how bad you feel. Please, PM me with any questions that I might help with

I really look forward to seeing your pictures posted here. Very best of luck.

-Mark

 

[cdholden]

To add to Jaq's suggestion for lightening the load, check out forums at http://www.backpackinglight.com.
Lightening your pack allows you to save that energy for walking more hours in a day, traversing rivers/creeks safer, faster/safer climbing over rocks. The list of benefits is too numerous to mention here, but freeing up space in your pack for camera gear is a relevant one on this forum.

 

[Frank Bunnik]

One more advice concerning food:
the lodges on the Everest trek, and around Nepal, offer all kinds of nutricious food. However, ordering something like macaroni gets you 1 plate of macaroni and you might still feel hungry after that. I usually order Dal Bhat, a local dish consisting of potatos/potato curry, vegetables/vegetable curry, rice and dal (lentil curry). Almost always you are offered 1 or 2 extra plates once you have finished without extra charge. Instead of most other food offered, this is fresh food and every lodge has it's own recipe so you don't get the same taste every night.