Salute to the Sun by AlisterBenn

Celebrating the first day of the New year by looking back to arguably the highlight of 2015; co-leading the tour to Kharta Valley in Tibet with Marc Adamus.

This image was taken from our camp 4 when Marc and 4 of the clients had headed further up the valley towards Everest and Lhotse.

Handheld 14mm pano of 11 verticals.

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The Lost World by AlisterBenn

I scouted this location out one afternoon and we went back nearer sunset in the hope of some good light spilling down the valley as the sun set behind Lhotse and Everest.

This is an 11 shot vertical pano with thee 14mm handheld and stitched in CC 2015.

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Lost Horizons by AlisterBenn

Shangri La – a hidden valley in the Himalaya, as written about in the book Lost Horizons by James Hilton.

Surely this is the valley?

Overlooked by Everest, Lhotse and Makalu with over 4000m of vertical elevation.

This shot was taken from near our camp 4 in the valley floor at 4250m – a rest from the higher altitude areas above us.

The frost on the foreground plants was so blue compared to the sunlit mountains behind.

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Dreamline by AlisterBenn

This image was taken on our second night of the trek from near our Camp 2 at 4950m/16240 feet.

Marc Adamus had found this little lake earlier in the day and although we had headed for our tents with the peaks shrouded in low cloud – by 10:30pm everything was clear.

Finding the lake again in the pitch dark was a laugh, all of us floundering around in the dark, breathless at the altitude and the pressing cold.

However, all turned out well and watching the Milky Way over Everest, Lhotse and Makalu was breath-taking.

As usual, I managed to find the water by stepping up to my knees in it!

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Tranquility Pool by AlisterBenn

On our recent trip to the Everest Region of Tibet, this was the first morning I was shooting over 16,000 feet, a short climb uphill from our second camp.

The group had climbed up here the night before to shoot the Milky Way over Makalu, but I wanted to experience a quiet dawn and used the 24mm TSE lens to stitch this horizontal Pano.

The delicate light on Everest (to the right) and the slight frost on the foreground created a very calm and tranquil mood.

Certainly into thin air though, and every action was a breathless one.

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As Night Recedes by AlisterBenn

The Kharta Valley in Tibet – located here at 4300m, with mountains rising over 4000m above us.

The side light spilling into the valley helps to shape the peaks in front of me.

The large peak on the right is 7805m, and forms part of the Makalu Massif.

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