July 2023,Macugnaga – Monte Rosa (IT)
Running from dawn until dusk (and beyond, most often) while also climbing tens of thousand meters. That’s MEHT – Monte Rosa Himalayan Trail. A reportage for Phototoday media agency.
What was good, or easy
The location was stunning – I love being at high altitude, as you can see in the Yearbooks. This made it easier to shoot very nice pics, even in cloudy conditions. Passo del Monte Moro, at 2.868 meters, offers some unique sights: Monte Rosa to the South, the Passo Mondello and the stunning Punta San Pietro to the East; to the North, lake Mattmark with its dam.
What was bad, or hard
The weather was very unstable, but we had only half an hour of light rain: it could have been much worse!
The real challenge was waiting: with only a few hundred runners, scattered on almost 9hours, it was a real game of patience. Being stuck on my spot, this time (unlike Vichy Ironman, where I worked on some composition tricks) I simply looked around, shooting what was happening around me: lots of hikers, clouds making for great landscapes, and the volunteers. Even from a fixed spot, there are lots of opportunities!
Any surprise, good or bad
No surprises, but a very nice confirmation: Olympus is great to work in challenging environments. I had my full kit, including clothes and food, in one large backpack. And for the next time, the kit will be even more squeezed, allowing me more flexibility up there.
A few numbers
Pictures shot: about 4500.
Final output: Beyond what was requested, I selected about 30 photos.
Equipment:
- Em1mkII (automatic camera, with Zuiko 12–40 f2.8.
- Em1mkIII (main camera), 40-150 f2.8
- I used the Zuiko 17 f1.2 during the start, before dawn.
Finally, pictures!
