Photo of the Month 12/07 - Clearing Storm over Ama Dablam
by Michael Anderson
I just returned from a long trip to Asia and the Himalayas and will have a lot of new images to post here on ES&S and M&N. I'm still getting caught up on the amazing fall images you guys have posted the last few weeks and will be around a lot more to comment on your images now.
This is Ama Dablam, a spectacular mountain in the Solu-Khumbu region of the Himalaya. I took this from a high ridge near Island Peak Base camp in the region most famous for the trek to Everest. Fifteen minutes before this I was surrounded by fog and visibilty was 20 feet. The fog magically cleared at the peak of alpenglow light and I felt extremely lucky to get this image.
Thanks for looking and I appreciate any critiques you have.
-Mike
Comments
89 commentsVery nice! Nothing I can add to what has already been said. To catch that magical light just at dusk is the reason one should never depart a location until very last light. You just never know when conditions will change.
Question: Amadablam is the first peak, right? The one behind is Nuptse, correct?
This is an unusual view of Ama Dablam looking directly at the NorthWest face (The more familiar view is from the Southwest). The point on the left is the true summit and the one on the right is a much lower shoulder formation that appears huge from this foreshortened perspective. Lhotse is to my left and Everest directly behind Lhotse. Nuptse is behind me to the left. I could not see Everest from here.
Thanks for the compliment, and to be honest, these mountains were completely off the scale of my imagination. I would constantly stop in utter amazement at the scenes unfolding around every corner. The alpenglow was the most intense I've ever seen and the mountains look taller than your wildest imagination. My most memorable moments were the twilight walks back to camp as the moonlight started to touch the highest snows and a billion stars lit up the sky above me. There is something about the dim blue light of the moon that makes a mountain look bigger than life. I wish every mountain lover could have a chance to see these mountains once in their lifetime.
Guy
This is just plain fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Dan.
Chris
Jack
A very powerful image.
The trip you journeyed sounds like an amazing adventure!!!! I am guessing you used a guide service? I am looking forward to seeing many more of these amazng images. If they are all like this one, we are in for a real treat at NPN!
The atmosphere and feel to this scene is of awe and power. Thse mountains look very unforgiving. One false step, and you are out of luck, but there is a wonderful beauty in them as well. The golden light up top is outstanding and is radiating!!!
Superbly captured!!!!
Quite a stunner you're bringing up here!
Top and bottom really frame the mountains well and there is just the right amount of detail to be seen in the middle to really set up these golden glowing peaks.
Wonder what else you've got in your pipeline from that trip...
Georg
I really dig the lower line of fog and the hints of fog above.
John
I have seen many spectacular photos of the Knumbu Himalaya, and this one ranks right at the very top! The remant cloud is very important to the photo since, in my opinion, it binds the mountains to the bottom of the frame.
Ama Dablam means 'Mother's Charm Box'. The mountain got its name from the box-like hanging snowfield directly below the summit headwall.
Congratualtions on your two 'Picks'! They are much deserved!
-PB
-Mike
Mike, I didn't even know you were on the cover until I went to another computer to log into NPN from scratch. What a magnificent image. Such marvelous light. Yes you were charmed to be where you were when; however, there are no accidents in life, so you were in the right place at the right time.
Way to go!
Carol
John
Awesome shot!
Mark
The funny thing is that if I try to put on this picture my backyard mountain Mt Hood, which overlooks my entire Portland cosmpopolitan area, it would probably not even fit on this picture. Its peak would be probably somewhere below the bottom frame.
Impressive mountain beautifully captured.
P.S. I will add that I have two Nepalese coworkers, and they say that there is practically no snow in Himalayas. They say the peaks are completely bare. It pretty much is visible on this image as the golden colors come from the rocks rather than from the snow.
Is it really true from you observations?
Of course, the lack of snow in Himalayas presents a huge fundamental problem for the Nepalese economy as they rely heavily on the water energy.
http://cheeju.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/8-most-beautiful-mountains-in-the-world/
I found it in a Bing.com result page, because Bing's featured photo was about mountains today. When I saw the thumbnail with those golden peaks, I remembered it, searched NPN and here's your post. Anyway, just thought you should know!