TRIP REPORTS: GARDEN OF THE GODS: ANACONDA

The Climb

Yesterday’s rock adventure took place at Garden of the Gods near Colorado Springs, Colorado. My wife and I met up with Dan Dalton and four college guys from Alabama that are relatively new to climbing but simply can’t get enough of it. While their enthusiasm, cheering and hilarious comments were definitely the highlight the day, I can’t replicate the experience with words, so I’ll stick to talking about the climbing. We started the day with a few warm-up runs on an easy 5.7 called New Era. From there, we moved on to the main target, an exposed and runout 5.10c called Anaconda. All of the climbers got a shot at the first pitch, and Dan continued on a bit higher. I was able capture several shots that should give you a good feel for the climb (see below).

The Photos

When I first saw Anaconda, I was convinced that I needed to create a composition that captured it’s scale and fin like shape. I put on my wide-angle lens (Canon 17-40mm L) and turned the camera to portrait orientation. However, even at 17mm, I could not get the shot that I had envisioned. As I tilted the lens up, lens distortion made the rock look much fatter and shorter than it actually was…so I abandoned my original idea. I had already climbed up to the next highest point in the area, so there wasn’t much hope for getting a better angle. At this point, I noticed some interesting cumulus clouds forming to the left of the route. I threw on my Canon 28-135mm IS lens to create a more intimate shot while using the clouds and blue sky to contrast the glowing rock. With the sun at my back and shining directly on the route, the dynamic range was well within my camera’s reach (without a polarizer). Thus, I was able to capture bright red rock and dark blue skies in the same shot, all while Dan Dalton was climbing a very aesthetic line (see photo #234). As Dan was climbing above the second anchor, I heard him yell “I’m going to take a huge whipper.” A few seconds later, I see Dan sailing through the air for bit longer than anyone had planned. A very solid anchor, rope stretch and belay slip ensured a generous landing to few seconds of flight (see photo #235). For my final shot, (see photo #236) I returned to the wide-angle landscape for inspiration. The view from my vantage point had so much to offer beyond the route itself: There was a set of fins that grew smaller along the horizon and the bright sun created a diffused sky that contrasted well with the dark blue sky to the left of the route. I used my fisheye lens to capture the entire expanse while my wife (Rebecca) climbed Anaconda.