Nepal & the Himalayas

[Blumine]

I have been fortunate enough to have been invited by a friend to trek for 4 weeks in Nepal later this year. We are going to do the classic Everest Base Camp & Gokyo Ri trek and probably hike the Annapurna trek as well.

Both of us being slightly insane are going to take our 4x5 cameras on this trip. We are arranging for porters/guides so they can take some of the weight off of our shoulders (literally and figuratively) So I am not worried about the weight of the gear too much. What concerns me is I have never taken camera gear this high up and was trying to think what filters and other considerations I need to make. I am leaning towards my Canham DLC, though I am open to other ideas.

For BW I will be shooting FP4+ and Acros. The Acros will mainly be for some star trails and night shots. For color it will either be the new Kokak Ektar or Portra 160. (Though I have a few hundred sheets of Fuji 160S as well.) I don't plan on shooting many trannies, but I do plan to do some star trails on either Astia or Provi2a 100.

For lens I am thinking about taking 75mm, 105mm, 180mm, 300mm and a 450mm. Though I can add a wider or longer lens if necessary. I also plan to carry the new Fuji GF670 for quick shooting when the LF gear won't work. (No digital camera).

My main concern at this point is what filters are necessary. I have never shot at such high altitudes before and not really sure what is best. For starters a linear Polarizer, a yellow no. 8, orange No.16 and a Red No. 25 as well as a UV filter on every lens.

I am not sure what else I really need at this point, but if anyone has any pointers that would be great.

Blumine

[Drew Wiley]

I would definitely take as long a lens as possible. Otherwise, filter choice should be
simple. Sky and shadows are more intense blue as you go higher up, so expect the
effect of filters to be a little stronger than you're accustomed to. Since Acros is orthopan, don't use anything stronger than a 25 red filter, but this is a wonderful
combination in the mtns. I also like to use a yellow-green for something more subtle.
A set of thin gloves would be nice, so if the metal of your gear is very cold in the
morning your skin doesn't stick to it! If you do any color film work, you'll want an
appropriate UV filter. I don't personally like the effect of polarizing filters, but if you're
careful with them you can tame some of the glare on snow, but I prefer to do this
with color filters and develpment, which comes out looking much more natural. The
Annapurna trek can be rather dry in areas. Haven't done it myself but have printed
other people's shots of it - dust might be an issue, so carry plenty of plastic bags,
and treat filmholders with antitstatic solution, just as in the desert.

[Drew Wiley]

Got interrupted - Several of my friends and my own nephew have taken hundreds of
shots for publication from even the summits of many of those peaks, including Everest
itself. I've set them up with gear and film many times. Color doesn't look much different than at half the altititude. For color film you really don't need anything other than a UV filter for distance shots. But the trick is to find the correct one. For mountain work I have three different types, depending on which color film(s) are involved. Basically, they're either going to be colorless, a pale pink, or a pale amber - but you should test in advance. With black and white film you don't need a contrast filter plus a UV - in fact, I never use UV for black and white, and can't see any sharpness issue - but again, test if in doubt. And remember to sleep with your light meter battery so it won't be too cold to function in the morning. With porters, 4x5 gear shouldn't be any big deal at all. Just remember to pay a little premium for someone extra dependable, who will be willing to accompany you so you can shoot at leisure. Most of the porters amble along at their own pace, of course, and just need to be to camp on schedule. Arrange for a dedicated camera porter in advance.

[Brian Sims]

Tips:
Close your eyes when landing at Lukla (it's a runway on a hill with a rock wall at the end) It's even more exciting taking off.
Don't forget amodium...everything is septic. Don't drink anything that isn't boiling hot.
Treat your own water (don't bother with a filter).
Don't eat the Yak. Yaks that end up in the stirfry are animals too poor to work.

You might want to bring a good point and shoot. After getting over the spectacular mountains, I found myself focussing more on the people....they are wonderful, friendly, hardworking.

I didn't bring my 4x5. I will if I return. I would spend more time in one place with daytrips to shoot. Once you get to Tengbouche...the views will melt your lenses.

Here are a few shots "http://www.pbase.com/briansims/image/121016879"

[spkennedy3000]

Beautiful shots Brian!

You won't get Annapurna and Gokyo/Base Camp in 4 weeks - not possible I would say and if it is too fast for acclimatisation and no way would you get time to do 4x5 photography. I would definitely go for Gokyo out of the two and allow extra time for photography. If you fly to Lukla rather than walk from Jiri it is much less effort, but the effort of walking from Jiri is great acclimatisation.

I personally found myself using a very wide lens a lot, so I will take my 58mm when I go back, and a long lens for mountain close-ups is a good call also. A polariser is nice to have but not essential I guess. I agree something more portable for shooting people would be good.

The most important bit of kit is good quality factor 50 sunblock, at 5500m I got sunburned even wearing it in less than 2 hours, also lip moisturiser.

I lived in Nepal for 6 months, I just used a drop or two of Iodine to purify water as I went.

You will get ill while you are there, the thing is not to let it ruin the trip...

Good luck I hope you will post some 4x5 work when you get back, I would love to see it and hear about it also...

[Blumine]

Thank you all for the great information. I spent some more time reading through the books I have and managed to convince my friend that Annapurna and Gokyo Ri wouldn't be such a great idea. My friend has hiked up there before and will be arranging for all guides and porters. He is arranging for somebody especially to carry all the gear.

I may change my lens load to something like a 65mm, 90mm, 150mm, 240mm, 300mm, and 450mm. I have a 600mm telephoto, but its big and heavy.

Lots to think about.......I am sure I will have many more questions to come.

Thanks.

Blumine

[Frank Bunnik]

I trekked from Lukla to Everest base camp and then to Gokyo a couple of years ago. I brought a Hasselblad with 50, 150 and 250mm lenses. I used the 50 much less than the 250mm but to each his own. This took me about 2.5 weeks, taking enough time to enjoy the scenery and get acclimatized well. Annapurna Sanctuary takes about 10 days, not counting the days getting to and from the starting point. Doing them both in 4 weeks is impossible.
Some of the photo's from my treks in India and Nepal (including Everest & Gokyo and Annapurna circuit) can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/asialover/sets/72157600230333399/

Enjoy the trek, it is sublime though the villages on the way are not very interesting (compared to Annapurna circuit or Ladakh in India), the scenery is magnificent.

[Drew Wiley]

My only further comment is why bother with two different b&w films? FP4 and ACROS
has similar curves and similar speed, and even a similar look when printed. The spectral sensitivity is a little different. But for me ACROS has replaced FP4 for mtn use;
I disinctly prefer the filtration effect of orthopan - it makes the quality and atmosphere
of high-altitude light seem more natural, and is also wonderful with conifers and vegetation, like using a lt green filter. Just a thought.

[Brian Ellis]

I've photographed fairly extensively in Tibet, mostly 35mm color, and never did anything special about filters. I used a skylight/haze filter almost all the time and a polarizer occasionally. The photographs were mostly fine and on the few occasions when they weren't it wasn't the fault of the equipment.

[marduk]

Sorry for bringing up this old thread. I'm going to Annapurna trekking in December, the plan is to start with a Annapurna circuit route, go to Tilicho (if the weather permits), cross the Thorung La and finish in Jomson. I'll bring along my Chamonix 4x5 with I think 2 lenses, a Rolleiflex and a Leica M3 (will carry only two cameras during the day). I have the 90, 120, 150, 210 and 300mm lenses and was planning to bring a 150 and 300 lightweight lenses. Now I've read the comments from some people who found themselves using a wide-angle quite a fair bit. It's quite a surprise for me since I was thinking that mountains are relatively distant on this trek and a normal lens should be fine (however I must admit that I have a "normal" in the Rolleiflex anyway).
I'd like to hear more opinions about it. Should I consider bringing a 120mm Super Symmar HM or 90mm SA instead of a normal lens? Maybe I will take a third lenses but trek with 2 at a time, since this kit plus a second camera, light tripod and a bottle of water packed in my LowePro Compurover AW bag already weights 12kg and this is about maximum I'd like to walk with.

[Frank Bunnik]

First of all, remember it can get very very cold in December and chances are that there is snow on Thorung La and that crossing might not be possible because of the snow.

I used a 35mm camera on this trek (I walked it in spring (thick snow on Thorung La) and in the fall of 2001), using a 85 or 100mm lens most of the times and occasionally a 28mm lens. Although you walk in the mountains, they are often on the other side of the valley from where you walk and at some distance. For the occasional broad sweeping view you might use your 120mm but I would certainly take the 300mm with me if I were you. 90mm might be too wide given the distance to the mountains.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the trek, I envy you.

[marduk]

First of all, remember it can get very very cold in December and chances are that there is snow on Thorung La and that crossing might not be possible because of the snow.

I used a 35mm camera on this trek (I walked it in spring (thick snow on Thorung La) and in the fall of 2001), using a 85 or 100mm lens most of the times and occasionally a 28mm lens. Although you walk in the mountains, they are often on the other side of the valley from where you walk and at some distance. For the occasional broad sweeping view you might use your 120mm but I would certainly take the 300mm with me if I were you. 90mm might be too wide given the distance to the mountains.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the trek, I envy you.
Frank,
Thank you. It sounds like I could save some weight by bringing only the 150mm and 300mm.
I'm aware of the possible weather hiccups and if Thorung La is closed we will retrace our steps back. To keep the discussion going, I have a friend who went to Nepal for the EBC trekking last weekend but he sent a message saying the Lukla airport has been closed due to snow for 6 days in a row now! There is even snow and harsh weather conditions at Namche Bazaar too. He's going to the Annapurna region instead as it's warmer now :)

[mdm]

IMHO 3 cameras is too many. You would need to mount a minor expedition to get all that gear and film home. Pick 1.

Personally, I value my people photos most from trekking in the Hindu Kush, Karakorum and one end of the Himalayas. Any of your cameras would do. My best mountain pictures are from very high altitude with a standard lens. I would take a fast film and fast lens to use in dark houses, go with the leica and a 50mm f1.2, maybe trix and a little acros. Slap a yellow filter on and forget about it for the trip.

Carrying stuff detracts from the experience and enjoyment, not worth it unless you want to produce a major documentary work, in which case you should be prepared to spend plenty of time and make photography the the focus of the trip.

David

Also, when you are trekking you are seldom in the right place at the right time to make good landscapes. Always moving or stuck in a shithole at the bottom of a steep valley. That is why you need time.

[Mak_Towl]

Thanks for sharing these useful suggestions about Nepal trekking. Definitely Nepal is a tracking paradise. It is a beautiful place to go trekking and enjoy the wonderful sights that surround you. You should be careful on your trek and watch out for altitude sickness. These given suggestions will definitely help.