tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69461612024-03-07T10:49:21.153-08:00Digitally ExposedPhotography is one of my passions (fitness being the other). This blog is focused on anything and everything to do with photography.Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-69018348103115681352017-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:002017-02-16T11:40:55.367-08:00Four Pillars (Char Khambe) of Santa Cruz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO9SshGS9RJCUj110k_aTFj5E3255CbthfUGYJBtkCWXlj4pa0RvpTb_WEXiUSxjw1JWSNTEIojxEaPHVj5n-DFJdTU1FQrkBqBpn7Asg7CDQOTllFJWvqgdn-L1HOdR3a8x4/s1600/DJI_0367_Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRO9SshGS9RJCUj110k_aTFj5E3255CbthfUGYJBtkCWXlj4pa0RvpTb_WEXiUSxjw1JWSNTEIojxEaPHVj5n-DFJdTU1FQrkBqBpn7Asg7CDQOTllFJWvqgdn-L1HOdR3a8x4/s640/DJI_0367_Small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of the 4 pillars with the backdrop of Panjim city.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><i>By: Sanjeev V Sardesai</i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The history of the <b>village of Santa Cruz</b>, which is more popularly known as <b>“Calapur” or “Kalapur”</b>, a small
peaceful hamlet, primarily with an agrarian heritage, and just about 5 kms from
the capital city of Panaji, is quite amazing, when one is exposed to many of
its facets of ecological, historical & natural assets, from time
immemorial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To better understand the history of this
quaint Goan village, we must travel back in time to understand the possible
identity granted to this area. Immediately preceding the arrival of the
Portuguese rule in 1510, the territory on the island of <b>Tiswadi, comprising 30 wards/ villages</b> <b><i>(“Tis”= Thirty;
“Wadi”=wards/villages</i></b>) was under the tutelage of the Adilshahi dynasty.
This region of the Konkan belt came under Muslim rule since 1469, when the
Bahamani reign overthrew the Kadamb rulers and anchored themselves on these
lands. Later it was the Adilshahi Empire that took charge of these lands, after
the breakup of Bahamani Dynasty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But prior to the Muslim rule being
established here, these lands, along the banks of River Zuari, were a natural
& strategic trading port, <b>constructed
during the Shilahara Dynasty</b>, prior to the Kadamb reign. This village, then
known as <b>“Gopakapattan”,</b> and
presently identified as <b>“Goa Velha”,</b>
was chosen to shift & establish their <b>Second
Capital</b> by the <b>Kadamb Monarchy</b>,
after <b>River Kushawati at Chandrapur
(Chandor) - their first capital, got silted</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The <b>reign
of the Kadamb’s, at Gopakapattan</b>, illustrates a very blooming rise in the
trades with traders from as far as Africa, Middle East, Gujarat and such far
off countries from the Far East arriving here. This movement of people &
vessels required good governance, not only for management of sea borne traffic,
but also for revenue collection. It is said that the Kadamb Kings’ had put
their faith in a Muslim individual, who had assisted one of the Kadamb Kings,
during one of his crucial sailing expeditions, to govern Gopakapattan. For this
they had granted lands around Gopakapattan (Goa Velha) to him. It is said that
a <b>Muslim edifice</b>, <b>“Michigiddi</b>”, was <b>erected at Calapur (St. Cruz</b>), towards the present National
Highway, in the region of the ‘Bandar’ (Port), now identified locally as
“Bondir”. Though till a decade or two ago, there were traces of its ruins,
today no trace of this structure remains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The place, today known famously as “Santa
Cruz” or St. Cruz”, was earlier (and still) known as “<b>Calapur</b>”. This etymology is inferred from the inscription found on
a copperplate which addresses “Gopak” or “Gopakapattan”, - that the <b>Kadamb</b> <b>King Shastadeva II </b>(1107 AD), granted these lands to one <b>Kalapa Kelima</b>, a rich merchant, who was
surmised to be the father of one of the Kadamb Minister’s, during the reign of <b>Kadamb King Shasthadev III</b>. It follows
that after being granted these lands by the Kadamb King, Kalapa Kelima may have
possibly changed the name of this village, after himself, as <b>“Kalapa-Pur”</b> or ‘<b>land of Kalapa’</b>. This may later have got corrupted to <b>“Kalapur”</b> or as the Portuguese inscribe
it, as <b>“Calapur</b>”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It was only in the year 1565, after the
advent of the Portuguese in Goa that the <b>Church
dedicated to the</b> <b>“Holy Cross”</b>
was established in this village. The <b>“Holy
Cross”, in Portuguese language, was referred to as “Santa Cruz”</b>, from where
the identity of the village St. Cruz arose. It was much later in 1710, that the
Dominican Order of the Christian Faith rebuilt this majestic Church which <b>celebrates its Feast every 3<sup>rd</sup>
May</b>. Later, in 1776, due to amends in the Royal administrative edicts, the
administration of this Parish Church was taken up by the Diocesan Clergy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In an interesting, researched article by <b>Dr. Nandakumar Kamat</b>, who was born and
brought up in the village of “Calapur” writes - “<i>This villages’ story is uniquely intertwined with ecological and
economic factors. The entire village was under the sea some 12,000 years ago.
The Holocene transgression of the Arabian Sea, an epochal event of global magnitude
which occurred around 6,000 - 10,000 B.C., pushed back the sea water from the
Santa Cruz - Chimbel area</i>”. This transgression of sea waters gifted another
unique aspect to this village - The <b>Khazan
Lands</b> or the tidal terrains. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These Khazan lands extended northward
towards the River Mandovi & westward to border Panaji, the present day
capital of Goa. It is pertinent to note here that after consistent epidemics of
plagues, in Old Goa, the then flourishing capital city of Portuguese Goa, in
1700’s, the Portuguese decided to shift their capital to a safer & more
strategic location - Panaji. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Panaji at that time was a very marshy,
forested land, with huge tracts of palm groves. The initial Panaji, evolved in
an area of a palm grove called “Palmar Ponte”, around a natural spring, which
was developed & named as “<b>Fonte
Phoenix</b>”. The present day “<b>Fontainhas</b>”,
is the corruption of this identity “Fonte Phoenix”. The status of Panaji, as a
capital city was granted by a Portuguese Royal Decree, only in 1843.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When Panaji started to take shape, its
population was restricted to the eastern foothills of the Altinho Hillock,
which separates the main Panaji City, with its distinctive <b>Latin Quarters –</b> <b>Fontainhas-Mala</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Even during the time of its progression,
this Fontainhas area had the ad-hoc status of a city, with “strict city rules
& regulations”, as governing them. This new city, taking shape at
Fontainhas-Mala, shared its eastern boundary with the historic village of
“Calapur” or “St. Cruz”, along the “Khazan lands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Today, when one travels along the Rua de
Ourem road towards Mala, proceeding to Santa Cruz, and immediately crossing a
“Manos” of a traditional tide water controlling lock-gate, one can see a very
cute structure, right in the middle of the Khazan lands. This structure comprises
of four beautifully designed pillars, placed at the corners of a pair of curved
masonry seating provision, called as “Sope’s”, facing each other across a
motorable road. The seats are said to portray “<b>Meia de Laranga</b>” or <b>the
shape of an “Orange slice”.</b> These are the historic “<b>Four Pillars</b>” or “<b>Char
Khambe’s</b>” of St. Cruz.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDJ5vnxl5nxFZFrW-RGzco_BwTPE2hByYg96mcGmntK5Fh6vmofrElkggGS1gsGWeEkYVtotNAHXvypbo7fC56xrBH1s8-VEZIzDvymfM74DgQG9LupCK-d5anCfwPCrepvSk/s1600/FOUR+PILLARS+OF+SANTA+CRUZ+VILLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDJ5vnxl5nxFZFrW-RGzco_BwTPE2hByYg96mcGmntK5Fh6vmofrElkggGS1gsGWeEkYVtotNAHXvypbo7fC56xrBH1s8-VEZIzDvymfM74DgQG9LupCK-d5anCfwPCrepvSk/s640/FOUR+PILLARS+OF+SANTA+CRUZ+VILLAGE.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four pillars. Photo by: Sanjeev</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Santa Cruz had the honour of hosting two
eminent villagers’ who have been </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">granted
the title of a “Baron” by the Portuguese Royalty - Baron Purushottam (Baba)
Quencro & Baron Krishnagiri Dempo</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. The main arterial road connecting
Panaji to Bambolim via Santa Cruz, passes through these Khazan lands, and has
been named after the scion of the Dempo Family and mining magnate, as </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">“Vasantrao S. Dempo Marg”.</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> The start of
this road precedes the “Four Pillars”, about 20 meters, towards Panaji.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Dr. Teresa Albuquerque’s book on Santa
Cruz, informs that these structure was erected by <b>Barao Baba Quencro (Baron Kenkre) of Santa Cruz</b>, <b>to welcome & receive a Royal Dignitary-a
Prince from Portugal, - Infante de Portugal</b>, who arrived in Goa, to sign
the peace treaty with the rebelling Rane’s of Sattari. The book also informs
that the <b>Prince had resided</b> in the <b>mansion of the Gonsalves family at Guirim</b>,
because they were from a <b>princely
‘Kshatriya’ lineage</b> and the mansion was closer to Sattari. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It is said that the <b>Prince visited Santa Cruz at the invitation of Baron Quencro</b>, in a
pair of <b>four horse drawn carriage</b>,
somewhere <b>in the month of February</b> (<b>year not specified</b>), and was accorded a
traditional welcome, by being garlanded here at Four Pillars. The retinue had
then proceeded to Santa Cruz, accompanied by a <b>traditional band</b>, to a <b>‘noble
pavilion’</b>, erected in an open space, just opposite a bend in the road,
after the <b>“Bandar” (old port), the area
presently known as ‘Bondir’</b>. Today, the stately house of the Kenkre Family
stands in this open space, which once honoured a Portuguese Prince. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Due to <b>consistent
flooding of this area, every monsoon</b>, and the only connecting road between
Panaji & Santa Cruz going underwater, the <b>height of this arterial road was sizably increased</b>. This led to the
both seating provisions of the “Sope’s”, to be literally buried below many
layers of tar & hot-mix. However, the Four Stately Pillars, very stoically
make their presence and identity felt to every passerby. It is heartening to
note that the pride of the <b>“Calapurkars”,</b>
and with the able assistance from the Directorate of Archives, attempts are
being made to beautify this complex, and possibly restoring these “Four
Pillars” area, to their original glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These <b>Four
Pillars</b>, at all four corners, of this complex have a very unique shape.
They are not just square, but are <b>concavely,
pyramidic in shape</b>, starting upward from a <b>round platform base, placed about one meter above the ground</b>. This round platform, in turn, rests on a <b>conical base</b>, which tapers to a smaller
circumference, as it enters the earth. The top end of the pillars have a <b>decorative filial</b>, that <b>ends as a pointed shape</b>. On one of its
pillars, lies hidden under coats of paint, <b>a
marble plaque</b>, which possibly could assist in throwing more light on the
inception of the <b>“Four Pillars” or Char Khambe’s”</b>.
The Department of Archives has commenced work to scientifically clean up the
coats of paint and expose this marble plaque. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Many <b>stories,
legends & myths</b> revolve around these <b>“Char Khambe’s</b>”. An
interesting detail that is conveyed down, as an oral description, is that the
Governor General of Portuguese Goa, would take a respite here on the <b>“Sope’s” - masonry seats</b>, between these
Four Pillars, when he took his evening stroll, from Panaji to this favourite
site.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">An incident is narrated, in the book “<b>Santa Cruz - Calapor: a Profile of a Goan
Village” written by Dr. Teresa Albuquerque</b>, which was experienced by the
Governor General himself. Since the Governor General was the highest dignitary
of the State, every person, - high or small, passing that route would pay
respects and courtesy him. Amongst those passing by, there would be one person,
of labour class, who passed by that way, and never curtsied to the Governor
General, nor did he acknowledge him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This was quiet perplexing to the aide of
this high ranking administrator. The Governor General is supposed to have
remarked that “<b><i>this man must be a sacristan</i></b>”. On enquiry, it was found that
this man was indeed the Sacristan of Santa Cruz Church. The aide was surprised
that the Governor knew this lowly & disrespectful man, and queried with the
Governor. The Governor is supposed to have responded, and I quote Dr.
Albuquerque’s book, that “<i>A man, who does
normally not pause in the course of his duty, even to genuflect to God
Almighty; only that man would neglect to salute the Governor General</i>”. The
Four Pillars has been a humble host, to such lofty dignitaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Just like any other monument of mystery,
and that too bordering two villages, it lives to the reputation and its share
of legends & ghostly tales. Many people have reported sighting of <b>apparitions’ & ‘ghosts’</b>, during
their lives. Though many cannot confirm their personal experiences, these
detailed narratives have been passed down from their ancestors, and are believed,
with interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The most interesting fact of these “Four
Pillars” was the strict act of “<b>city
dress protocol</b>”. The Portuguese had a strict rule that no citizen - with
high or low status, could enter a ‘city’ <u>bare-chested</u>. The individual
had to mandatorily wear a shirt, or a covering of any kind, if there was any
need to enter the city limits. <b>Santa
Cruz being primarily an agrarian village</b>, with lush green fields, there was
a daily need for these farmers, to enter the city, to sell their produce.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">However, the traditional dress pattern of
farmers was that they always worked bare-chested during their field work, in
the hot sun, and <b>wore just a loin cloth,
called as “Kashti</b>”. This dress style was also comfortably practiced in
their own homes & the village. However, they could not enter Panjim, to
sell their products, in this dress code, since Panjim was granted a city
status. Hence, these farmers followed a dressing pattern, to overcome this dress
code hurdle, and the Four Pillars was a mute witness to this daily change-over!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In the absence of motorable transport,
these hard-working farmers would walk to the city, with the load of vegetables,
to sell, in bamboo baskets, carried on their head. They would <b>always carry a long, knee length bush-shirt</b>,
which would be rolled up and kept in the basket. When they approached the “Four Pillars”, they
would lower their basket to the masonry ‘Sopo’ (seat) and wear this long
bush-shirt, to enter the city of Panjim. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">After selling their vegetables, and on
their return journey, they would again set down their basket at the ‘Four
Pillars”, remove their long bush-shirt, roll it up to keep in the basket, and
proceed to their village - bare-chested & with their ‘kashti’. So also <b>the Palanquin Carriers or “Boias”</b> would
follow this dress code, before entering the ‘city limits’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Presently, the authorities have commenced
works to excavate the lovely <b>“Meia de
Laranga” (orange slice) shaped seats,</b> submerged under layers of tar &
mud. The glory of the original heritage is finally returning to the very seats,
on which sat the Governor General’s of Portuguese Goa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Many a times, we pass by a heritage
structure not understanding its value, or watch helplessly as they are pulled
down, to be lost in the sands of time. But one must appreciate & salute the resilience of the “Four
Mini-Towers” or the Char Khambe” or simply “Four Pillars” of Santa Cruz, who
have stood the test of time, in the hot summers & the ferocious monsoons’
of Goa, to carry a message of a “<b>grand
royal welcome</b>” to the generations to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-35680433345735563802015-07-19T04:58:00.001-07:002015-07-19T04:58:04.132-07:00The 360 Degree Spherical Panoramas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I recently did a trek in the Himalayas (Pahalgham, Kashmir). While trekking, and clicking away with my newly purchased phone (A Samsung Galaxy Edge), I discovered that it had a feature called 360 Spherical Panorama (or photo-spheres).<br />
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I started experimenting with this mode and was really amazed at how easy Google had made it to create an immersive 360 degree view. More importantly, these panos could be easily uploaded to Google maps, and then viewed via Google Views. This <a href="http://www.google.com/maps/about/contribute/photosphere/">link</a> explains the process of creating and sharing these photo-spheres.<br />
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I was thrilled, and created a number of these photo-spheres during the trek. Upon returning back to civilization, I realized I had made one mistake. I had switched off the GPS during the trek to conserve battery, which meant that my photo-spheres did not have the geo-coordinates embedded, and Google Maps gives an error, if you try to upload a photo-sphere without the geo-coordinates.<br />
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After much trial-and-error, I downloaded an app called <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pkgGeo.Geotag&hl=en">"GeoTag"</a> (a free Android app), that allows you to embed the geo-tags manually. After downloading the app, and updating the geo-coordinates, I could finally upload my photo-spheres to Google Map.<br />
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Below are some of the photo-spheres that I captured. To view the 360 sphere, just click on the image, and move the mouse up, down, left or right.<br />
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<b><u>1. Royal Sar Lake</u></b> (This is a small lake). Locals believe that you should not put your hands in the water, and we were forbidden to enter the water. We could, however, go a little further where the water was flowing, and enter the water there.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=HUVXwfa4xRUAAAQfDlDffg&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C189.0452%2C%2C0%2C0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6172869410785885554" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Royal Lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>2. Dudhsar Lake.</u></b> A beautiful lake that is nestled on top of the Kolahai mountain. The name Dudhsar comes from the fact that the water from this lake drops straight down into the valley and appears like milk (Dudh).<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=o2gHEjciSqcAAAQfDk7bHw&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C205.8348%2C%2C0%2C0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6172806063071275442" style="color: blue; text-align: left;"></a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>3. Near Tarsar Lake:</u></b> This was actually the first time I discovered the photo-sphere feature on my phone, and this was my very first photo-sphere. It was taken about 2 kilometers from Tarsar lake. I was completely mesmerized by the scene of blue skies, while clouds and the majestic mountains.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=OpNIugvvMmcAAAQfDk6gew&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C174.0307655402906%2C%2C0%2C-10.315833099841441" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173167693355657714" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Near Tarsar Lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>4. Tarsar Lake:</u></b> The lake was half-frozen when we visited it at the end of June, and it looked amazing. The photo-sphere has stitching errors due to subjects moving while the panorama is being taken. Photo-spheres are ideally to be taken of static subjects.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=oLb5HaeOaroAAAQfDlFClg&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C69.49805700140041%2C%2C0%2C2.999011438785274" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173177601397150018" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Tarsar Lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>5. Near Royal Sar Lake:</u></b> I took this photo-sphere while trekking to our camp at Royal Sar Lake. We had to navigate this slippery patch covered in snow. Shooting this photo-sphere was a bit tricky, as I had to make sure I don't slip and fall in the icy water.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=nCp0SiUUpmoAAAQfDlFCuw&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C201.77581188400876%2C%2C0%2C15.042240548959086" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173179100113497170" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Near Royal Sar Lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>6. Royal Lake:</u></b> This is the same view as #1, except it was taken during noon time.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=aJJAUjDRJYcAAAQfDlA-Ww&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C275.2508422043795%2C%2C0%2C8.393511798516144" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173181000053461746" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Royal Sar Lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b><u>7. Base of Kalohai Peak: </u></b>We set up camp at the bottom of Kalohai peak. It's easier to climb from here to view the glacier and the Dudhsar lake (which is a one-day trek from the base camp).<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=45i-EEjXQ0MAAAQfDlFC1w&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C187.54399999999998%2C%2C0%2C0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<div>
<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173183320145111250" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Base of Kalohai peak</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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<b>8. Kremsar Lake:</b> I am not too sure about the exact spelling of this lake. That is what the guide told us. It is part of the Royal Sar Lake. The water first collects here (it was half-frozen like Tarsar lake when we visited), and then then water flows down to Royal Sar Lake, before eventually flowing into the Lidder river.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?layer=c&panoid=bhCOdXan9PYAAAQfDlG1Bg&ie=UTF8&source=embed&output=svembed&cbp=13%2C180.7504%2C%2C0%2C0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<small><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Views</a>: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/view/100882048356457374878/gphoto/6173186179246637794" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Kremsar lake</a> by <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/100882048356457374878" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Cajetan Barretto</a></small></div>
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That's it. I hope you enjoy this new way of looking at places.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-23445703640259108582014-05-03T06:43:00.001-07:002014-05-03T06:43:36.871-07:00When the action gets too close.<p dir="ltr">Whenever a storm rolls in, my first instinct is to grab my tripod and camera and try to capture lightning.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is exactly what I was doing few days back in India. I had managed to capture just one lightning shot and was getting frustrated but kept clicking away hoping for something good.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The shutter was open when I heard a terrifying explosion and a bright and blinding light right in front of me, not more than 30 meters away.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I had the presence of mind to keep the shutter cable pressed, and was rewarded with this crazy lightning shot.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz59Ki-9kMu1VzOdI2oEURunPDL2rzFMIvh-Sr1qV5v2NFeAghBAwXUrXpA-FQ9q6gdhOceXHkAsI8YvDsWQORmTmCNG-YgMcL5eiG5YdJXnKtyIKU_uaKH8wHpxu_TRLWOyUg/s1600/OI000006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz59Ki-9kMu1VzOdI2oEURunPDL2rzFMIvh-Sr1qV5v2NFeAghBAwXUrXpA-FQ9q6gdhOceXHkAsI8YvDsWQORmTmCNG-YgMcL5eiG5YdJXnKtyIKU_uaKH8wHpxu_TRLWOyUg/s640/OI000006.jpg"> </a> </div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0Pune,18.459555 73.903435tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-45137163784334269362013-12-19T11:51:00.000-08:002013-12-19T11:51:18.138-08:00A new way to explore Flickr.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr </a>user ever since the service was introduced as a small start-up in Vancouver, and was subsequently acquired by Yahoo. It is certainly one of the best sites to share and explore photos.<br />
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Every now and then, they introduce some cool features. Their latest one allows you to embed the pictures directly into your website, and explore other pictures in your stream in a very seamless manner.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cajie/11321858194/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
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This will certainly change the way I write blog posts in future.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-28481600083908230842013-12-15T10:14:00.000-08:002013-12-15T10:14:04.695-08:00The 5-Axis IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyd-QAx_ciIpxkiEq5RdQpeqV7yq8Dbb4hzNn4J4yiFQWPeZaDZ9XrmrjqZQ_kXZdQ053kg7fFzyd2Jzh7c4nZozlp9XAx0MSvJl4kg1rQYl4ntcEjK-yK6mwS5nwlHBtd91v/s1600/e-m1_image_stabiliser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyd-QAx_ciIpxkiEq5RdQpeqV7yq8Dbb4hzNn4J4yiFQWPeZaDZ9XrmrjqZQ_kXZdQ053kg7fFzyd2Jzh7c4nZozlp9XAx0MSvJl4kg1rQYl4ntcEjK-yK6mwS5nwlHBtd91v/s640/e-m1_image_stabiliser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5-Axis IBIS illustration. Image copyright by Olympus Corporation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Olympus first introduced their 5-axis IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Interchangeable-3-0-Inch-Tilting-Touchscreen/dp/B0074WDDN8/">E-M5</a>, and further refined it with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Compact-System-Camera-3-Inch/dp/B00EQ07PG2/">E-M1</a> (their current flagship camera).<br />
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When I purchased the E-M1, the IBIS feature was not on my "must-have" list. I purchased the camera because of its other features (weather sealed body, 10fps shooting speed, great viewfinder etc.). My understanding was that image stabilization that is done on a lens (favored by Nikon & Canon) is always better than image stabilization done in the camera body (by moving the sensor, as shown in the illustration above). I was very skeptical that this type of stabilization would give good results.<br />
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I was completely wrong.<br />
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The following video illustrates what the 5-Axis IBIS actually does, and how it differs from traditional systems such as VR (Vibration Reduction), used by Nikon, or IS (Image Stabilization), used by Canon.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KuIoTPeISWI" width="640"></iframe>
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I had seen some examples posted by a popular Olympus blogger <a href="http://robinwong.blogspot.com/">Robin Wong</a>, showing 1-second hand-held exposures using the E-M1. Even with the best VR lenses, I have never got sharp results with my Nikon gear at such slow shutter speeds, so I was highly skeptical about the results posted by Robin.<br />
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Well, I have been using the E-M1 for more than 1 month now. If someone asks me what is the best feature in this camera, then the IBIS feature would beat all other features by a very big margin. In fact, I consider the entire investment in this camera to be worth it, just because of the IBIS feature.<br />
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The first time I experimented with the slow shutter (hand-held), I decided to recreate Robin's attempt at 1 second. I set the camera to shutter priority and selected 1 second. I was completely shocked by the results. It was indeed clean and sharp.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uSJHb70WNfmibiCzuhGSVKdABAjdS6G-Qvsi__U74cR8nzX-5VHmVzgoRG_dSlgFfwtzF-VykCODocGJwDRMLdkaVrA8qASioXV6XECYViSqnqOh4xwI4UNMIy9qkae-8YOo/s1600/10627745383_5efeebd797_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uSJHb70WNfmibiCzuhGSVKdABAjdS6G-Qvsi__U74cR8nzX-5VHmVzgoRG_dSlgFfwtzF-VykCODocGJwDRMLdkaVrA8qASioXV6XECYViSqnqOh4xwI4UNMIy9qkae-8YOo/s640/10627745383_5efeebd797_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very first attempt at 1-second hand-held exposure, with the E-M1.</td></tr>
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A few more tests, and I was a convert of the Olympus IBIS system.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeN86fDnvhJhwR6FjKgwtZxA7vOf-m9Dc-GqYSyj77__35o9xLtopGQtLN-XUpuVzBAkgzAG_1RFz3zPu6Mckx0um_BboZ4WBUx5IA9z8MtDgyRWogda0JTrqFaT2Z-5ByNCM/s1600/10998119903_79966283e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeN86fDnvhJhwR6FjKgwtZxA7vOf-m9Dc-GqYSyj77__35o9xLtopGQtLN-XUpuVzBAkgzAG_1RFz3zPu6Mckx0um_BboZ4WBUx5IA9z8MtDgyRWogda0JTrqFaT2Z-5ByNCM/s640/10998119903_79966283e4_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another 1-Second hand-held exposure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On a recent trip to Dubai, I decided to visit the observation deck of Burj Khalifa, the highest structure in the world, and the highest observation deck. I was carrying the E-M1. I did have my tripod with me, but decided not to take it on top of the observation deck, as I was sure it would be cumbersome to setup (if not prohibited).<br />
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As it turned out, tripods are not prohibited, but they are totally useless, unless you want to shoot through thick glass. The deck has a small opening about 5 feet high, so the only way you can shoot good pictures is by shoving the camera into the opening and shooting hand-held.<br />
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A perfect match for the IBIS!.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbdeQ1V-LDU6GeEajKtm3v-m88QSBofPcQVniczc5kAr2Uy2CPNox2Jakaucp4eBth-q6oIVDpzQSwc_lSXyz1ef7llSeGsLuEggyGf0qkx-3ijS9n1vB8sY3WgNOb6nScJYI/s1600/11321925313_be0dfe1f09_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbdeQ1V-LDU6GeEajKtm3v-m88QSBofPcQVniczc5kAr2Uy2CPNox2Jakaucp4eBth-q6oIVDpzQSwc_lSXyz1ef7llSeGsLuEggyGf0qkx-3ijS9n1vB8sY3WgNOb6nScJYI/s640/11321925313_be0dfe1f09_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from top of Burj Khalifa, Dubai.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oeaReX7DcfDXU7DhCXAWcITBLFYQa4byEgSCizs7XAQ01fp3ECtz3NPMOHjHqeflNou7kdntTnXfLMlMeUbsW7y85rKzJJjAE1Bx7DRQYCQcWzV9hEdfqIww-7SbbuXpVcyV/s1600/11321931623_8241748679_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oeaReX7DcfDXU7DhCXAWcITBLFYQa4byEgSCizs7XAQ01fp3ECtz3NPMOHjHqeflNou7kdntTnXfLMlMeUbsW7y85rKzJJjAE1Bx7DRQYCQcWzV9hEdfqIww-7SbbuXpVcyV/s640/11321931623_8241748679_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from Burj Khalifa, Dubai.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The IBIS has completely changed the way I look at night photography. No longer is a tripod a necessity to take steady shots.<br />
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I am a believer.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-7559860004212591552013-12-14T13:46:00.002-08:002013-12-14T13:46:05.461-08:00The Switch to Micro 4/3rd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuiMOgugjfRwOHuIsTLCBl-nb2hwgMmU63pB-OyRGANuMjxbPd9HEj5inTCsvgDdI_ir4e1i3AkLflx5uNf9E8dOwXmmKWopky6DUE4kynH_9xvu-MoSOOM6tG4ODagMHo1Un/s1600/DSC_3899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuiMOgugjfRwOHuIsTLCBl-nb2hwgMmU63pB-OyRGANuMjxbPd9HEj5inTCsvgDdI_ir4e1i3AkLflx5uNf9E8dOwXmmKWopky6DUE4kynH_9xvu-MoSOOM6tG4ODagMHo1Un/s640/DSC_3899.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current micro 4/3 system.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Photography has become a lot more interesting for me recently, and it has to do with one tiny gem of a camera from Olympus. The rather odd sounding OM-D E-M1.<br />
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Up until now, I have shot mostly with <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-am-now-fx-shooter.html">Nikon D800</a> and have managed to collect some really beautiful Nikon lenses. I still love shooting with the D800, and I know its controls like the back of my hand. But it has one disadvantage that makes it impractical as an everyday camera. It is big and it is heavy.<br />
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I wanted something small and light that I could carry around with me, especially while travelling. About 2 years back, I decided to try the <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-impressions-olympus-e-p2.html">Olympus E-P2</a>. It was a nice and slick camera, but its underwhelming auto-focus speed left a lot to be desired. I also tried the much revered Panasonic GF1 (which has great auto-focus speed), and even invested in the <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/panasonic-gx1-review.html">Panasonic GX1</a> (improvement over the GF1). I still have the GX1 and occasionally do use it, but all of these cameras fall woefully short in terms of image quality, when compared to the mighty Nikon D800.<br />
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I became very interested in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Interchangeable-3-0-Inch-Tilting-Touchscreen/dp/B0074WDDN8/">Olympus E-M5,</a> as it was considered a game changer for the micro 4/3 system. But before I could make up my mind to buy it, rumors started circulating that Olympus was going to introduce something extraordinary. I decided to wait and see.<br />
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The OM-D E-M1 was finally announced, and it seemed to have everything that I was looking for in a smaller camera. I hit the pre-order button the moment it became available on Amazon. I was one of the early recipient of the camera, and the moment I held it in my hands, I knew I had a winner. It was exactly like a mini-version of my beloved D800.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44FNoTFDUzYRQ4IbTKWNF2cCFdRzsz6B2fO_tpfqOAlqogPtzHKViBFLt_vZjOEaU4jrixCy9XiQ7h5sMRTna44xGJthHMhD31ZIDkcez6Bq0IJbKe-mQn2XmG59eo0R_5Gyp/s1600/em1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44FNoTFDUzYRQ4IbTKWNF2cCFdRzsz6B2fO_tpfqOAlqogPtzHKViBFLt_vZjOEaU4jrixCy9XiQ7h5sMRTna44xGJthHMhD31ZIDkcez6Bq0IJbKe-mQn2XmG59eo0R_5Gyp/s640/em1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">E-M1 vs the D800</td></tr>
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I have been using the E-M1 for more than 1 month now and it has exceeded all my expectations. I was thinking of writing one long post about all the unique features of the E-M1, but since that will be a very long post, I have decided to make separate posts highlighting some of the cool things I have been able to do with this camera.<br />
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Detailed <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympus-om-d-e-m1/?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=reviews-latest-widget&utm_medium=image&ref=reviews-latest-widget">technical review</a> of the camera can be found at <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympus-om-d-e-m1/?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=reviews-latest-widget&utm_medium=image&ref=reviews-latest-widget">dpreview.com</a>, where it earned their highest "Gold Award". My subsequent posts will be more focused on real-world use, and my personal experience with this camera.</div>
Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-79611830182159740032013-10-05T03:29:00.001-07:002013-10-05T03:29:23.291-07:00High Speed Flash Photography.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c8rqRnHyssRY8PxTBa9YuX2uFILRVhrmtNCuPLhuDzd1bJPa_0E9sQhaSpb2JqS28kK6Mrv1-feZqRTPYOmfyzRKnjXWzjKVnud5IDMxgA91I6HB3RzrfBovulWPLi7nqrXZ/s1600/DSC_3183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c8rqRnHyssRY8PxTBa9YuX2uFILRVhrmtNCuPLhuDzd1bJPa_0E9sQhaSpb2JqS28kK6Mrv1-feZqRTPYOmfyzRKnjXWzjKVnud5IDMxgA91I6HB3RzrfBovulWPLi7nqrXZ/s640/DSC_3183.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SB-910. Shot at 1/32th power (approximately 1/17,000th of a second)</td></tr>
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When we need to freeze action, the shutter speed of the camera has to be high, otherwise you will end up with a blurred image. Typically for sports, a shutter speeds between 1/500th of a second to 1/1000th of a second should give very sharp images. To get these kind of shutter speeds, one or more of the following should hold true:<br />
1. There is plenty of available light (e.g. daytime)<br />
2. You have a fast lens.<br />
3. Your camera can shoot at high ISO without too much degradation of image quality.<br />
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In broad daylight, you should be able to get those kind of high shutter speeds even with a normal lens, and normal ISO. But once the light starts fading, then your choices are limited to managing with #2 (fast lens) and/or #3 (setting a higher ISO). It is for this reason you see sports shooters with those huge professional lenses that are designed to gather as much light as possible, and big camera bodies that are designed to shoot at high ISO speed and still give excellent image quality.<br />
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But what happens when the light is so low that neither a fast lens or high ISO are sufficient to effectively use a high shutter speed? The answer would be obvious. You introduce light. This could be any type of light, but for the purpose of high-speed photography, we will assume it to be an external flash or the built-in flash (if you have one).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwXrWo7W0CPGxyF5YrsMXOgMAtLgHXvHHdm2X1Lv1xo1kASKU1TgbCdWzfX5405iM2ho_WvgcZDVvz7Hk1E6CiBEkVXvR2x4EWBBmQEppJFoFPMswnKoB7LoPZgc5MSKY4rhU/s1600/DSC_3267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwXrWo7W0CPGxyF5YrsMXOgMAtLgHXvHHdm2X1Lv1xo1kASKU1TgbCdWzfX5405iM2ho_WvgcZDVvz7Hk1E6CiBEkVXvR2x4EWBBmQEppJFoFPMswnKoB7LoPZgc5MSKY4rhU/s640/DSC_3267.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikon SB-900 flash mounted on a mini-tripod.</td></tr>
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External flashes are great to create light, and allows you to use higher shutter speeds. But they have one limitation called the 'sync speed'. Due to the way they generate light, the highest shutter speed you can effectively set on your camera usually ranges from 1/200th of a second to 1/320th of a second. That is nearly not fast enough to freeze action.<br />
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To overcome this limitation, and to achieve very high shutter speeds (like the 1/17,000th of a second that I managed to pull off in the first photo), we need to look at the external flash from a different perspective.<br />
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A flash can generate different levels of power. These are normally referred to as "full-power", 1/2 power, 1/4th power, and so on. What this essentially does is that the flash stays on for a longer period, or shorter period depending on the power output. Here are the typical values of a normal external Nikon flash (SB-800).<br />
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<table border="1" bordercolor="#99CCCC" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; width: 600px;">
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<td><b>Flash Output Level</b></td>
<td><b>Duration of Flash</b></td>
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<td>Full Output 1/1</td>
<td>1/1050th of a second</td>
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<td>1/2 Output</td>
<td>1/1100th of a second</td>
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<td>1/4 Output</td>
<td>1/2700th of a second</td>
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<td>1/8 Output</td>
<td>1/5900th of a second</td>
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<td>1/16 Output</td>
<td>1/10,900th of a second</td>
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<td>1/32 Output</td>
<td>1/17,800th of a second</td>
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<td>1/64 Output</td>
<td>1/32,300th of a second</td>
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<td>1/128 Output</td>
<td>1/41,600th of a second</td>
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From the above table, we can observe that if we lower the output level of a flash, the duration of that flash becomes shorter. We can use this information to convert the flash duration as a virtual shutter speed. i.e. if we were to shoot in a near dark environment, where the only light source is the external flash, the output of the flash becomes the shutter speed. The actual shutter speed of the camera is not important!.<br />
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The following example illustrates how this knowledge can be translated into an useful exercise. I wanted to do some splash photography, by dropping random stuff into a tank of water, and capturing the action by freezing it at a very high speed. I chose 1/32 output, which gave me an effective 1/17,800th of a second shutter speed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6bLTRDslv8Qs1H1Y2LXQAQHUGzudjqLQaSx4aaknUTqUFhwDEWtHLJ6COvaZ66tq9OibL4JD9qaDHYs2xvICQlybQQEEfYv40SWuhjbRErpF47-T4z9FWoKLinoMqNS-eyN4/s1600/WP_20130930_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6bLTRDslv8Qs1H1Y2LXQAQHUGzudjqLQaSx4aaknUTqUFhwDEWtHLJ6COvaZ66tq9OibL4JD9qaDHYs2xvICQlybQQEEfYv40SWuhjbRErpF47-T4z9FWoKLinoMqNS-eyN4/s640/WP_20130930_004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Splash Photography setup.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Equipment used:</u></b><br />
1. Nikon D800 on a tripod with the 105mm f2.8 Micro-Nikkor lens.<br />
2. A fish tank filled with water.<br />
3. SB-910 flash on the side of the tank (The plastic is used to protect it from water splashes)<br />
4. An A4 white paper stuck to the other side of the tank to act as a reflector.<br />
5. A colored backdrop.<br />
6. Random fruits and vegetables used for the photography.<br />
7. A remote to trigger the camera.<br />
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<b><u>Camera settings:</u></b><br />
1. Manual Mode.<br />
2. Aperture f11 (gives nice depth of field)<br />
3. Shutter speed (1/60th of a second). Remember, the shutter speed is irrelevant here - as long as it is lower than the sync speed of the camera.<br />
4. Manual focus. I placed some fruits in the middle of the tank, and manually focused on that before switching off the lights.<br />
5. Flash in manual mode at 1/32 power, controlled by the camera through wireless mode.<br />
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Once everything was setup, it was time to switch off all lights and work in the dark. The actual sequence of events went something like this:<br />
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1. Hold a bunch of fruits in the left hand.<br />
2. Hold the remote in the right hand.<br />
3. Drop the fruits in the water tank at approximately the same place where the camera is focused - and hit the remote at the same time.<br />
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Depending on how well you coordinated the 2 tasks (dropping the stuff in the water, and hitting the remote), you will get results like these:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpANue3EmU9AriLLrp9nRV-pwR2tsWO7MgasPpdFv3rZxODtkEZOKfzlLsVqYR6lG9efQ9igcVKcz72ZO4Eih3H7uczczY7y3nxetsjmNBjf9j0PwRH8dTyN_obrFDYI2FIlS/s1600/DSC_3194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpANue3EmU9AriLLrp9nRV-pwR2tsWO7MgasPpdFv3rZxODtkEZOKfzlLsVqYR6lG9efQ9igcVKcz72ZO4Eih3H7uczczY7y3nxetsjmNBjf9j0PwRH8dTyN_obrFDYI2FIlS/s640/DSC_3194.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shot with Flash power at 1/32.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hUhogNOfTHBsFs9GTUFzz5aOaAhpPSLyWrLaxFQQ8-Mxq27R6d6A2Vc2v5lM2SxvG0TVQQ9w1Jiz2DpN9WHQASR36g6-3Tf82ErgGn6TmM98TC4Isi3H6mwVOMEx22ct2ISi/s1600/DSC_3175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hUhogNOfTHBsFs9GTUFzz5aOaAhpPSLyWrLaxFQQ8-Mxq27R6d6A2Vc2v5lM2SxvG0TVQQ9w1Jiz2DpN9WHQASR36g6-3Tf82ErgGn6TmM98TC4Isi3H6mwVOMEx22ct2ISi/s640/DSC_3175.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From here onward, it is a matter of patience, and timing.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-17132589815316210022013-09-21T04:49:00.003-07:002013-09-21T04:49:45.916-07:00Bramping (Bulb Ramping) on the Cheap.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QjC4bBad0qE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Bulb Ramping, or "Bramping", as it is commonly called, is a technique of creating time-lapse videos by using the 'bulb' mode of the camera, and controlling each exposure using an external timer. These type of time-lapse videos tend to give very smooth transition between day and night (and vice-versa), instead of the flicker you tend to get if you leave the exposure for the camera to determine (or if you change the exposure manually).</div>
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Compare the video above (created using the 'Bramping' technique), to the one below, in which the exposure was manually increased to compensate for the rapidly changing light. The changes in exposure give the video (the one below) a very jarring effect. In fact, this was my first attempt at time-lapse during a sunset.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-h8uoP5oVik?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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As long as you are doing time-lapses where the light is fairly stable (during daytime and nighttime), you can rely on the standard intervalometer (either built in your camera menu, or an external device that connects to your camera to trigger exposures at set intervals). For example, on my D800, I can use the menu function to activate interval shooting for normal daytime or nighttime time-lapses.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitATspHYzyJOUZ0OPbeQUhzuRyg_SNI_yAUpyblbd8T1tBL01GlqhK5b0xFG6SlVYDjqB_UO6d8U9UAOT0yIMh589tqZL8UPKocUQ7ScZ61vh7x7GBXQflSh1FI9hnRGcJVrhP/s1600/d800-illustrations-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitATspHYzyJOUZ0OPbeQUhzuRyg_SNI_yAUpyblbd8T1tBL01GlqhK5b0xFG6SlVYDjqB_UO6d8U9UAOT0yIMh589tqZL8UPKocUQ7ScZ61vh7x7GBXQflSh1FI9hnRGcJVrhP/s640/d800-illustrations-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intervalometer menu on a D800 for standard time-lapses.</td></tr>
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The problem comes when you are doing time-lapses during sunset or sunrise. For example, during sunset, the light is rapidly changing from bright to dark. You need to compensate for this fading light by either:<br />
<b><u> a. Reducing the shutter speed</u></b> (example: If you current shutter speed is 1/200th of a second, then you need to reduce it to 1/160th of a second, or lower). And you need to keep reducing as it becomes darker.<br />
<b><u> b. Increasing the ISO</u></b> (for example if the current ISO is 100 you could increase the ISO to 125, or something higher). You would keep increasing till you reach the maximum ISO setting available in your camera. Most modern cameras go up to 6,400 and some professional models go a bit higher than this.<br />
<i>NOTE: for smooth time-lapses, you should leave the aperture (f-stop) constant otherwise, it will affect the depth-of-field resulting in an inconsistent time-lapse.</i><br />
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In fact, if you left your camera on "Auto" mode or some of the Semi-Auto modes like "P" (Program Auto) or "A" (Aperture Priority), that is exactly what the camera would do to compensate for the changing light. The side-effect of this changes in exposure between each shot, results in flicker. There are software solutions to overcome the flicker problem. <a href="http://www.granitebaysoftware.com/products/productgbd.aspx">GBDeflicker</a> is a popular tool used to remove flicker caused by changing exposures during a time-lapse. It requires extra time in post-processing, and the results may not always be the best.<br />
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That brings us to Bramping. Bramping is the most accurate and high-tech method for creating smooth time-lapses between day and night (and vice-versa). To better understand when we need to switch to Bramping, I have created this handy illustration.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sTZXTTAZEzRD3hsysi7SADw28ujVJTFwWE00gTa9NeJ2YUNgiWnFaAS9VcEd7BFmsxymcQvJ55cNs-mY9t3aJ8-E570YiNbB9U4GEdxF8eplYzhxvB-1ncyLFa-xmZbM8GFR/s1600/Gradient.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sTZXTTAZEzRD3hsysi7SADw28ujVJTFwWE00gTa9NeJ2YUNgiWnFaAS9VcEd7BFmsxymcQvJ55cNs-mY9t3aJ8-E570YiNbB9U4GEdxF8eplYzhxvB-1ncyLFa-xmZbM8GFR/s640/Gradient.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yellow lines indicate times when you need to switch to Bramping.</td></tr>
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Up until now, you required expensive gadgets to program and execute Bramping. The <a href="http://www.promotesystems.com/products/Promote-Control.html">Promote control</a> is possibly the most popular, and also the most versatile. However, it runs into several hundred dollars, and should appeal to only the most dedicated time-lapse photographers.<br />
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I happened to stumble into Bramping, when I ordered the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Triggertrap-Mobile-Dongle-MD-DC0-Nikon/dp/B009ABLQ1C/">Triggertrap dongle</a> from Amazon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBROMD-6j25EIUqryqtJgAe6shZYcL-NUwlhjDgJgKFvRUF09F8HaPzw8cW3zBAljthLe0LwBzY8lN7zxT4mb6QB_Jnyw4B_3UaZdecy1DWkBKCQfR3vJA6VsHA5rZbdiFfogl/s1600/DSC_3156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBROMD-6j25EIUqryqtJgAe6shZYcL-NUwlhjDgJgKFvRUF09F8HaPzw8cW3zBAljthLe0LwBzY8lN7zxT4mb6QB_Jnyw4B_3UaZdecy1DWkBKCQfR3vJA6VsHA5rZbdiFfogl/s640/DSC_3156.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triggertrap Dongle for Nikon (DC0, 9 pin connector)</td></tr>
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The amazing thing about this affordable product is that Bramping is not its primary function. It main function is to trigger your camera using sound (more about that in another post). However, since the device is controlled via a smartphone (both Android and iOS is supported), the clever developers at Triggertrap bundled a whole host of bonus features in this tiny device. Bramping just happens to be one of these bonus features. You are essentially getting the Bramping feature for free. And free (in my opinion) is always good.<br />
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To get started, you connect the 3.5mm jack to your smartphone headphone socket, and the camera connector to your camera. Triggertrap supports most major camera brands. Depending on your camera connection, you choose the appropriate connection cable. The software/app to control the device is available for free in the Appstore (for iOS devices), and Google Play store for Android devices. In my case, I used my old Samsung Galaxy S2. This is how the setup looks like.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-_Y_ofbT8J6iXgaOkWUHNyJ7WSgaRYQJGkB-xIzK8S8FWMcbhXxlKeqvTcdgSrbkTdF6GpLOcYBT6tG99LFMll3a7CtL2cqrc49LdiWj5gGhIe5asn4pCrAn9Hht1kwYqLK0/s1600/P1040031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-_Y_ofbT8J6iXgaOkWUHNyJ7WSgaRYQJGkB-xIzK8S8FWMcbhXxlKeqvTcdgSrbkTdF6GpLOcYBT6tG99LFMll3a7CtL2cqrc49LdiWj5gGhIe5asn4pCrAn9Hht1kwYqLK0/s640/P1040031.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triggertrap dongle connection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To start the Bramping sequence, you input the following values into the app:<br />
a. Shutter speed of the first exposure.<br />
b. Shutter speed of the last exposure.<br />
c. Number of shots that the app should trigger on your camera.<br />
d. Time the sequence should take, starting of the first shot to the last shot.<br />
<br />
Before we understand how to set these 4 parameters correctly, we need to prepare a check-list for the camera itself. I have learned through experience that it is better to have a written checklist with you, because ignoring any one item could render your whole time-lapse useless, and a waste of your time.<br />
<br />
For proper time-lapse, a sturdy tripod is mandatory. Place the camera on the tripod, and make the necessary connections to the Triggertrap dongle, and the smartphone. One problem with the supplied cable is that it is very short, so you will need a way to secure the smartphone close to the camera. I happen to have one of those sports armband that you use for running, which works perfectly to keep the phone secure, and keeps everything neat and tidy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn6dtosR78oPlcetCFuFx-wqyCZG23spzfpMfLwAdDmy2Rta2S489baCFMugcv1B0ZLohSqSd9KDZ8l3Z5mzFFkriQNHxO01g7Bktgzw17p8W6D96uZ0IcV9SFPPUbd_4l-yi/s1600/P1040034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLn6dtosR78oPlcetCFuFx-wqyCZG23spzfpMfLwAdDmy2Rta2S489baCFMugcv1B0ZLohSqSd9KDZ8l3Z5mzFFkriQNHxO01g7Bktgzw17p8W6D96uZ0IcV9SFPPUbd_4l-yi/s640/P1040034.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping the smartphone secure with a sports armband.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the camera is set, choose an appropriate composition and make the adjustments to the camera to make it ready for Bramping. The following check-list can be helpful to ensure that all the settings on the camera are enabled.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzzr63aP9HVrdmy3NTfMo2JZV2sxjb1TXukhRMj1brmwrcOUFyxGyrkivEpZKv1TIs9A3-3Xi7KhUXsDDT29YuAC_pMxBbcYr1gx1f9llqQ_eHHHxNz-b7mIuFX_NmNJTQ_3i/s1600/Checklist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzzr63aP9HVrdmy3NTfMo2JZV2sxjb1TXukhRMj1brmwrcOUFyxGyrkivEpZKv1TIs9A3-3Xi7KhUXsDDT29YuAC_pMxBbcYr1gx1f9llqQ_eHHHxNz-b7mIuFX_NmNJTQ_3i/s640/Checklist.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checklist for your camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once everything is set, it is just a matter of opening the app, setting the 4 parameters, and hit on the 'START' button to start the time-lapse process. How you set these 4 parameters will depend on the time of time-lapse that you want.<br />
<br />
<b><u>1. Shutter speed of the first exposure:</u></b> This is normally the easiest one to figure out. Based on the current light, you can test the first exposure to ensure that it is correctly exposed. Currently, the app does not allow you to shoot faster than 1/15th of a second. So you will have to make the necessary adjustments to ISO and/or aperture settings to ensure a properly exposed image. You can take a test image and check to ensure it is neither over or under-exposed.<br />
<br />
<b><u>2. Shutter speed of the last exposure:</u></b> This is normally the most difficult value to input. The proper way to know this value would be to visit the place one day before, and monitor the light levels at different times of the day and night. For example, if the Bramping sequence starts at 6 p.m., and you want to show the transition up to 7 p.m., then you need to know what is the correct exposure at 7 p.m. This is the value you will input here. You can also estimate the value based on your knowledge. For example, in my time-lapse, I estimated the ending time to be a 15-second exposure. In my case, it turned out to be pretty accurate.<br />
<br />
<b><u>3. Number of shots that the app should trigger on your camera:</u></b> This is really your preference. More pictures means better control over the final output.<br />
<br />
<b><u>4. Time the sequence should take, starting of the first shot to the last shot:</u></b> This is self-explanatory.<br />
Depending on how you adjust one parameter, the other parameter may automatically change.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>What about noise reduction?</b><br />
Depending on how you have configured sequence, enabling noise reduction may cause some of the shots to be missed. I normally set my NR to OFF to avoid this problem.<br />
<br />
That's about it. This is really a neat gadget to explore the world of changing light.<br />
<br />
A few things I would like the developers to add to the current app, to make it more flexible:<br />
1. Ability to shoot faster than 1/15th of a second. Somehow I suspect this limitation is due to most camera's inability to register a start and stop sequence in bulb mode faster than 1/15th of a second.<br />
2. The sliders for changing values on the Android app are woefully small, and difficult to set precise values.<br />
3. Ability to set the start time for bramping. This would allow one to combine normal time lapse with a bramping sequence.</div>
Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-85724705779849582402013-09-06T08:55:00.000-07:002013-09-06T08:55:18.880-07:00Light Painting with Steel Wool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQCxdFlgb23A9BQLaqGh0FeM0BPZkg_dZpAq3JdLb13PM0sYBtSnljiucdNRdIuimV9Mp5tO9bFHfan3u31g1ZKT5ecYntidKxnyiTK9IyiapznCBwT89rO6tD10VoYZuzKWv/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQCxdFlgb23A9BQLaqGh0FeM0BPZkg_dZpAq3JdLb13PM0sYBtSnljiucdNRdIuimV9Mp5tO9bFHfan3u31g1ZKT5ecYntidKxnyiTK9IyiapznCBwT89rO6tD10VoYZuzKWv/s640/banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikon D800, 30 Second exposure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Light painting is a technique where you keep your camera's shutter open for long a period of time in a fairly dark environment, and then use some kind of light source to paint the canvas (in this case, the camera's sensor).<br />
<br />
An interesting technique for light painting is using steel wool as a light source. Steel wool is highly flammable, and burns bright for a short duration, but its sparks can create interesting patterns.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9inaVUeGQ2Hqh9NXQG_A2BDdnOIvZR-GkTD7vP3hw3NzRRBjQTP94wfoM0VTziZbUS6v0GMMsFSCFJHRKAj09kVdXPbZN7jxGGdIM-ie4EvnlYL04JWp0un7DQHRoKG1WLRlJ/s1600/DSC_2680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9inaVUeGQ2Hqh9NXQG_A2BDdnOIvZR-GkTD7vP3hw3NzRRBjQTP94wfoM0VTziZbUS6v0GMMsFSCFJHRKAj09kVdXPbZN7jxGGdIM-ie4EvnlYL04JWp0un7DQHRoKG1WLRlJ/s640/DSC_2680.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinning flammable steel wool in different directions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To get started on steel wool light painting, you will need the following items:<br />
1. Steel wool (Grade #0 seems to work best)<br />
2. Dog leash<br />
3. Cake whisk<br />
4. Lighter.<br />
<br />
Make sure that the cake whisk has a loop at the end which allows you to easily slip on the dog leash. You can try and do this on the cheap by rigging up something similar, but do make sure that all items (except the Steel wool) is fire retardant.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3wNz_oE69x0Lrmigo5j5PsgGv32REpVz0ULFKOIp5PlksJqRa-vNkElZgvSjJQx4akaatx645mMJwWTgZjP67mBP8rZAOnzJvcHO5vlrwYcDgHb1BpchxfYz-JDwhLoO3ru-/s1600/WP_20130325_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3wNz_oE69x0Lrmigo5j5PsgGv32REpVz0ULFKOIp5PlksJqRa-vNkElZgvSjJQx4akaatx645mMJwWTgZjP67mBP8rZAOnzJvcHO5vlrwYcDgHb1BpchxfYz-JDwhLoO3ru-/s640/WP_20130325_004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for light painting.</td></tr>
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Additional requirements to ensure a safe experience:<br />
1. A fire extinguisher at hand<br />
2. Fire retardant clothes (or clothing that will not catch fire easily). Cover your hair with a cap.<br />
3. An area that is not susceptible to fire from sparks generated.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Setting up the camera:</u></b><br />
Once you locate a safe place, set your camera on a tripod and use the following settings:<br />
1. Manual mode.<br />
2. Low ISO (ISO 100 or 200 is more than enough)<br />
3. Aperture (f8 to f11 is sufficient)<br />
4. Shutter speed (30 seconds)<br />
<br />
<b><u>Setting the focus:</u></b><br />
Since you must do this in a dark place, your camera will not work accurately if you use Auto-Focus mode. It is preferable to use manual focus for this work. To ensure correct focus, decide where you will be standing and then focus on this area. Having a friend with you helps. You can tell you friend to stand where the light painting will occur, and then shine a torch on your friend. Keeping the torch on, set focus from your camera using the auto-focus feature mode. Once the focus is locked, switch to manual focus, and switch off the torch.<br />
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<b><u>Setting the stage for action:</u></b><br />
The actual process of light painting is fairly simple. Stand at the exact spot where the focus is set. Shove some steel wool into the cake whisk, and attach the dog leash to the whisk. Slip the leash handle on your hand and you are ready to go. Light the steel wool with the lighter, and when it catches fire, you fire the shutter of your camera and start moving the whisk around, to create whatever patters you feel like. You will either need a remote control to fire the shutter, or use the self-timer of the camera to activate the shutter release. Again, having a friend around would be useful to make this work.<br />
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Here are some samples that I did in the desert.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjt7WRAeOT_x9lvCu6c2JUFWGmPf6gJngy_sXsEfRH2YIhsY4_hT_s0PLtoo84gpzIdlpU9_SC3EbaAUJZt2mBARAHlRfQ7ZECO8NMmo8d9AuGaCZBJdzdl5BuLARZnYcA-Wg/s1600/DSC_2687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjt7WRAeOT_x9lvCu6c2JUFWGmPf6gJngy_sXsEfRH2YIhsY4_hT_s0PLtoo84gpzIdlpU9_SC3EbaAUJZt2mBARAHlRfQ7ZECO8NMmo8d9AuGaCZBJdzdl5BuLARZnYcA-Wg/s640/DSC_2687.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinning the whisk in a circular motion. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GS-ZSMmBzasF4NUixOHsZ6FuhKIdsmy7meY5Yx3KNYkpXIfiXMtPKQyA-NMOA9DN0Hqr9tGxM6AtQKB9-DaNQrnWZ85Dcd2iz4Tqz_RsB8QiWv3iox7k30eVTRNpkiUV9AFj/s1600/DSC_2684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GS-ZSMmBzasF4NUixOHsZ6FuhKIdsmy7meY5Yx3KNYkpXIfiXMtPKQyA-NMOA9DN0Hqr9tGxM6AtQKB9-DaNQrnWZ85Dcd2iz4Tqz_RsB8QiWv3iox7k30eVTRNpkiUV9AFj/s640/DSC_2684.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinning the whisk and walking briskly at the same time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That's all there is to it. What kind of patterns you create is left entirely to your imagination.<br />
<br />
IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that this is fire you are working with, and always remember that fire is dangerous. Treat it with respect, and enjoy the creative results.<br />
<br /></div>
Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-29509830080016492562013-08-30T01:42:00.000-07:002013-08-30T01:42:55.502-07:00The Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 Zoom.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYcPBfHeotxhq5mXCM8_5DD1EJd1n3t0JgaQw3S5h4Ta_-4hW7ONIKDu_vbZ0XY0iHl2gCAPpKzuXFonoVhjz_1pFGBWB953vzBwn-0qjWllesRSCwawNPLM5mqUA7Xooy_gB/s1600/GX1+with+12-35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYcPBfHeotxhq5mXCM8_5DD1EJd1n3t0JgaQw3S5h4Ta_-4hW7ONIKDu_vbZ0XY0iHl2gCAPpKzuXFonoVhjz_1pFGBWB953vzBwn-0qjWllesRSCwawNPLM5mqUA7Xooy_gB/s640/GX1+with+12-35.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 on a GX1 body.</td></tr>
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I invested in the micro 4/3 format some time back, but never got around to taking it seriously especially since I shoot with a <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-am-now-fx-shooter.html">Nikon D800</a>, which is an amazing camera.<br />
<br />
I have used the Panasonic GX1 with the kit lens (14-42mm f3.5-f5.6) during my<a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/08/trekking-padum-to-lamayuru-day-1.html"> Ladakh trekking trip</a>, but the slowness of that lens never really impressed me. It is good in daylight, but gives poor results in low light situations. I tried using prime lenses, but that becomes extremely inconvenient for trekking, where you need to travel as light as possible, and changing lenses on the side of steep trails is not an option.<br />
<br />
Since I do lot of trekking, I wanted something comparable to the results of the D800, but without the bulk. Is that even remotely possible?. When Panasonic announced their professional grade 12-35mm f2.8 fixed aperture lens, I was immediately interested. Could this be it?<br />
<br />
The price of the lens was a deterrent for me. At $1,299 it is priced almost similar to a professional grade FX lens. I thought if the price ever goes below $1000, I would jump at the opportunity to own this lens. Over the last few months, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-H-HS12035-LUMIX-VARIO-12-35mm/dp/B00843ERMW/">Amazon dropped the price</a> by $100 to $1,199, but it still wasn't enticing enough for me.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Few days back, I happened to be browsing eBay and saw a listing by <a href="http://www.t-dimension.com/revamp/">t-Dimension</a>, a highly reputable camera seller based in Hong Kong. They had it listed for $872. A difference of $247 from Amazon's price. After doing a double-take, I did some investigation to make sure it was exactly the same lens, and quickly ordered it. 4 days later, I had the lens in my possession. It's a good thing I bought it when I did. As I am writing this review, t-Dimension has it <a href="http://www.t-dimension.com/revamp/-c-0/panasonic-lumixx-vario-12-35mm-f2-82-8-asph-power-o-i-s-hhs12035-p-4198">listed for $909</a>. Perhaps my purchase caused a spike in their inventory, and they decided to increase the price.<br />
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In terms of focal length, the 12-35mm on a m4/3 format translates into a 24-70mm in full frame format. This is the range I love for my outdoor adventures, as it gives me everything from wide angle (24mm, for landscape shots), to mid-telephoto (70mm, for portraits and close-up work). In fact, in terms of its light gathering capabilities, it is equivalent to the Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 (a lens that stays on my D800 90% of the time).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9phU4YjqIulsD_tHAASD7lxZE0hY9UvjhGlLRNrkomI_oC4zM24SIQjFrIexh376pMFGsVtnz2XW4_J1h7kDPa0PQBJMGJlpPWdlkZUrBxikQOQevaBxwJsjyVrUW2cIx4Zgp/s1600/Side+By+Side+Comparison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9phU4YjqIulsD_tHAASD7lxZE0hY9UvjhGlLRNrkomI_oC4zM24SIQjFrIexh376pMFGsVtnz2XW4_J1h7kDPa0PQBJMGJlpPWdlkZUrBxikQOQevaBxwJsjyVrUW2cIx4Zgp/s640/Side+By+Side+Comparison.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparison of GX1 and D800 with similar lenses.</td></tr>
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As can be seen above, the 12-35mm lens is not exactly a small lens, but when compared to its FX counterpart, it looks diminutive. The GX1 with the 12-35mm lens weighs just under 700 grams, while the D800 with the 24-70mm lens clocks in at approximately 2 Kgs. That's 1/3rd the weight. Carrying the 2Kgs weight of a Nikon D800 for a short period is fine, but when you are trekking for 8-10 hours per day, that weight feels like a block of stone, and it makes all the difference between having an enjoyable trek, and a painful trek.<br />
<br />
Some of the salient features of the 12-35mm lens:<br />
1. Silent and fast focusing (great for videography).<br />
2. Build construction is solid<br />
3. It has nano coating to reduce flaring and ghosting.<br />
4. Weather sealed.<br />
<br />
The last bit is important for me. The lens is weather sealed, which means it can take some rain and dust and not get affected by it. The camera body (GX1), on the other hand, is not weather sealed. So if this is going to be a really adventure combo, I would need to look for a weather sealed body (something like the Olympus OM-D EM5, or the slightly bulkier Panasonic GH3).<br />
<br />
In terms of image quality, I decided to compare the results of both the cameras in a similar environment as they both have the same angle of view, and the same light gathering capabilities.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6DBpEOYBFOD3fee6Iok3Pwu0AF5bWbatVZST2UE7rGl3de-Db4BATXOGtSguHl58T9UnM7lqFt2Gdz55BrAxFTZwpWJw3z5PUT-gNegUf12PU-SIH1boAt2o89B3CBadyTK1/s1600/24mmComparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6DBpEOYBFOD3fee6Iok3Pwu0AF5bWbatVZST2UE7rGl3de-Db4BATXOGtSguHl58T9UnM7lqFt2Gdz55BrAxFTZwpWJw3z5PUT-gNegUf12PU-SIH1boAt2o89B3CBadyTK1/s640/24mmComparison.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Nikon D800, Right GX1 (both shot at ISO 400, f2.8, 1/25th)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In terms of image quality, it is almost similar. The colors on the D800 look more saturated because I just took the default JPEG files without any post processing. Similar results can be achieved from the GX1 by adjusting the saturation levels in the camera, or adjusting it in post processing.<br />
<br />
The glaring difference in the above pictures is the 'depth of field'. On the D800, the background image and the text is blurred because of the shallow depth of field with the aperture opened at f2.8. On the GX1, the same aperture does not give the equivalent shallowness in the depth of field. The text is reasonably sharp. This is due to the smaller sensor size on the micro four third cameras. The equivalent DOF is f5.6. It is something to be kept in mind when investing in either the FX or smaller sensor cameras.<br />
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To further look at the quality of the image, I took 100% crop of each image. I had to re-size the 36 mega-pixel D800 image to be similar in size to the 16 mega-pixel file generated by the GX1.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMJHfDL1hTWNkqpRLgl5Oac-3C3XKMDxE0m06Wc6Xmwe0oc_yC2UZAJdzUncNCHBL5zHkGAmzwxJepmzBZ62fmKYWputAHqVCAT2Czhxn_5ZlydksKNas8_9jy4xp318WXdfV/s1600/70mmCropComparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMJHfDL1hTWNkqpRLgl5Oac-3C3XKMDxE0m06Wc6Xmwe0oc_yC2UZAJdzUncNCHBL5zHkGAmzwxJepmzBZ62fmKYWputAHqVCAT2Czhxn_5ZlydksKNas8_9jy4xp318WXdfV/s640/70mmCropComparison.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100% crop of image. Left is D800, right is GX1.</td></tr>
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In terms of sharpness, the D800 is obviously sharper, but the GX1 (with the new lens) is no slouch either. For the type of photography I want to do with the micro four third, the difference is immaterial to me when I consider the advantages of carrying a smaller package for outdoor activities.<br />
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I'll be using the GX1 with the 12-35mm a lot more often to make sure I am comfortable with the new combo and hopefully, this will be my gear for all those trekking trips I have in mind.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-2099266629736669462012-09-01T00:34:00.000-07:002012-09-01T00:34:45.939-07:00Trekking : Padum to Lamayuru - Day 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZTd6-Y14q5r76iHKGfAglGzBy0Pn1pePHV7sG0BMuCqIgdXeblbWtyKvvdWMVcXoXn8X1zRgeG6l3YG_ika33sf5oYAzLTH-V5diTwkBc9_UFBWqjMpseI8LDfp2QG66GCVw/s1600/P1020629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZTd6-Y14q5r76iHKGfAglGzBy0Pn1pePHV7sG0BMuCqIgdXeblbWtyKvvdWMVcXoXn8X1zRgeG6l3YG_ika33sf5oYAzLTH-V5diTwkBc9_UFBWqjMpseI8LDfp2QG66GCVw/s640/P1020629.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trekking from Omachu to Hanumala base camp.</td></tr>
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Our third day of trekking proved to be not only the toughest day, but also the longest day of trekking. With the exception of few (and short) breaks for snacks and water, we walked non-stop for 12 hours.<br />
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One thing I had learned over the past 3 days was that, the combination of searing heat and the prospect of ascending steep mountains did not agree with my son at all. Since we would start our 3rd day with a steep climb (which we were supposed to do the <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/08/trekking-padum-to-lamayuru-day-2.html">previous evening</a>), I decided to start off early.<br />
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I set the alarm at 5:00 a.m., and made sure our daybags were packed and ready before we went to sleep. My objective was to start off only with Shawn and complete the climb to Snertse before the sun came up. Roy would follow a bit later, and the horses and guide would take their own time to join us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rickety bridge over the Omachu river.</td></tr>
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We set off from the camp at around 5:30 a.m. The sun was not up, so it was nice and cool. Shawn seemed determined to prove that he could do better than the previous day. Our pace was brisk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6U-5TKC97rvUp0Tk18rm4PQ0hLbCcRrzMlKZ3a3i4tH7iBkBR14ufcy50JngH116GD9q8LESknIYCPMPqNQiPn54khLBAv36ie2pkwe6zTcIoAcWB4BLRq8XzlRYc_7jB1Y-/s1600/P1020564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6U-5TKC97rvUp0Tk18rm4PQ0hLbCcRrzMlKZ3a3i4tH7iBkBR14ufcy50JngH116GD9q8LESknIYCPMPqNQiPn54khLBAv36ie2pkwe6zTcIoAcWB4BLRq8XzlRYc_7jB1Y-/s640/P1020564.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ascending towards Snertse.</td></tr>
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We could see the camping area down below, and fellow trekkers slowly emerging from their tents, and getting ready to start their trek. Most of them were going in the other direction. i.e. heading towards Padum.<br />
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The sun was up, but luckily, there was a nice blanket of clouds providing us with natural shade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzCFsmG7SH9Ot1yCygStdNHZktFbthx6k1WuUlCKIlm63E99j21iZOzbMi_M3T1ieouosUkpgQYz2Wn7sxz0u8aQGMt58ZpF2TRWWfjpccADCk7D4IPUiVQXGrXPtPBHpu6-j/s1600/P1020566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzCFsmG7SH9Ot1yCygStdNHZktFbthx6k1WuUlCKIlm63E99j21iZOzbMi_M3T1ieouosUkpgQYz2Wn7sxz0u8aQGMt58ZpF2TRWWfjpccADCk7D4IPUiVQXGrXPtPBHpu6-j/s640/P1020566.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a cloudy day - which is good for trekking.</td></tr>
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It was a tough 500 meter climb, most of it ascending straight up. I had expected it to take us around 2-3 hours to complete the climb. Imagine my surprise when I saw that we reached the top of the pass in just 90 minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtMZ7SLbZ16eXyWo8SNUphn2DEBpCJgRsu2DX5f4qwp6Vc6jC-zHmwZ6XU5N8vULEsunuGNJF_uPzMeg-Gur2oalgjl5WgOetMWhK4hcT_uNwYaBuFn4PbWkrCzE0bpoZHCFs/s1600/P1020572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtMZ7SLbZ16eXyWo8SNUphn2DEBpCJgRsu2DX5f4qwp6Vc6jC-zHmwZ6XU5N8vULEsunuGNJF_uPzMeg-Gur2oalgjl5WgOetMWhK4hcT_uNwYaBuFn4PbWkrCzE0bpoZHCFs/s640/P1020572.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Snertse pass.</td></tr>
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At the top of the pass, there is a small path going to the edge of the mountain. It looks quite scary,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaEzkN6BDTSWTmV5pOSY9V12eSy5Lxu3fwGCFawmMlKLElpVh6y_gKvVQGr5HexjlAcy3X81ppYA5wrl5py6Ylwwk9FTC-k5hHTbAPJaoMLV_iJA5Idx0Iu1AHyBHqd19xUsn/s1600/P1020571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaEzkN6BDTSWTmV5pOSY9V12eSy5Lxu3fwGCFawmMlKLElpVh6y_gKvVQGr5HexjlAcy3X81ppYA5wrl5py6Ylwwk9FTC-k5hHTbAPJaoMLV_iJA5Idx0Iu1AHyBHqd19xUsn/s640/P1020571.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path on top of Snertse pass leading to the edge.</td></tr>
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I decided to walk to the edge. With steep drops on both side, it is like walking a tight-rope. Definitely not recommended if you are afraid of heights, but the view from the edge is breath-taking. You can see the zig-zag path heading towards Padum (which we climbed down the previous evening).<br />
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My original plan was that we would stop in Snertse, in case we got very tired after the climb. But it was only 8:00 in the morning, and the thick clouds were providing nice shade. After making sure that Shawn was feeling okay, we decided to head to the next camping point (Hanumala base camp). We were told by the locals that it takes 7 hours to reach there, and there would be no steep climbing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcm1oqxKgmjLpuspKoDafr-ivFvRQV26NYXe6EjzL5_uEqRKsE9elzkl-shRCNPmD2GeUKHJmqNvm8Mrgom9JE9uxe1185PMf7n6jrkQixJmwZZn5EvYhWM7a3ZqeZ1rxuEq/s1600/P1020575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcm1oqxKgmjLpuspKoDafr-ivFvRQV26NYXe6EjzL5_uEqRKsE9elzkl-shRCNPmD2GeUKHJmqNvm8Mrgom9JE9uxe1185PMf7n6jrkQixJmwZZn5EvYhWM7a3ZqeZ1rxuEq/s640/P1020575.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gradual climb from Snertse to Hanumala peak.</td></tr>
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The climb from Snertse to the top of Hanumala peak follows a slow-running stream, and the ascent is very gradual. We had to criss-cross the stream a number of times, in order to stay on the easy side of the trek. It's a long trek to the top of the peak (around 4 hours). We had to take a number of breaks but luckily for us, the clouds were still holding up. Every now and then, we had to climb a short distance, and then back down to the stream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9K6ClLG_M7WKWaN1uoGsafEfDGDYowzWNBuWawwTYtNEFEQ6T_hboODop0ooGDYz8lWr6jSZq8B_98EcP44Mb8zD5WA3k6_pLc69W1twG7f-g9AnFnYqikHzj6Rpbcn3gvtd/s1600/P1020585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9K6ClLG_M7WKWaN1uoGsafEfDGDYowzWNBuWawwTYtNEFEQ6T_hboODop0ooGDYz8lWr6jSZq8B_98EcP44Mb8zD5WA3k6_pLc69W1twG7f-g9AnFnYqikHzj6Rpbcn3gvtd/s640/P1020585.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trek goes up and down following the stream.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gYLqseEPbAiRaZiCPupsOntvwr4Z0EwBak8H8sE7fA4NgoCLhmfoSJMlNF6tflGaqht3ofOEtY-wqt1lHVDB1-gwGKmKGicMcCTREmMOreRO8TjLyZLREej8Wu8OgoKaxuUA/s1600/P1020590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gYLqseEPbAiRaZiCPupsOntvwr4Z0EwBak8H8sE7fA4NgoCLhmfoSJMlNF6tflGaqht3ofOEtY-wqt1lHVDB1-gwGKmKGicMcCTREmMOreRO8TjLyZLREej8Wu8OgoKaxuUA/s640/P1020590.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookng back towards Snertse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLanxkwDBSJpzjZGBJCMK2UWdZNWmgoB1DOa7B3oXforKI2GzOXuhD8Xneg_ACR3AEzXRT3sxchD1wQ1GBR8jOCqvaf6hEfeEktln_HSu57GJEsMPsBmwmHldd8ds5n9eMH5O/s1600/P1020591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLanxkwDBSJpzjZGBJCMK2UWdZNWmgoB1DOa7B3oXforKI2GzOXuhD8Xneg_ACR3AEzXRT3sxchD1wQ1GBR8jOCqvaf6hEfeEktln_HSu57GJEsMPsBmwmHldd8ds5n9eMH5O/s640/P1020591.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still a long way to reach the peak</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDaV9eW59Z12_1k1idR4VU3yzHFG1QC0PKlFvkzMIgqmr2VmqQQ0MeK_ojlDCkM4ne3HSRSzn_0rOyVf0OALYxeioLgtqvhLN71ggrUo0I5pU-QXLvuDZRV-gOGuvtI9qcqjD/s1600/P1020594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDaV9eW59Z12_1k1idR4VU3yzHFG1QC0PKlFvkzMIgqmr2VmqQQ0MeK_ojlDCkM4ne3HSRSzn_0rOyVf0OALYxeioLgtqvhLN71ggrUo0I5pU-QXLvuDZRV-gOGuvtI9qcqjD/s640/P1020594.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A muddy glacier.</td></tr>
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As we climbed higher and higher, we came across these muddy glaciers, still not fully melted. The stream goes under the glaciers and it seems like the glacier is about to crumble any minute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXW6G2fc5kPZEruDXy-ioNJkpdqx-nTciR8smBbHSZXpnAzNfrhz7QGnMQtg5_WV2S7xwLsTpg_pH8lXP43-uhKu0PO049ENq1IHFA0-bPknNcpsnY8dkbnWgzHoQOYYmjCKU/s1600/P1020605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXW6G2fc5kPZEruDXy-ioNJkpdqx-nTciR8smBbHSZXpnAzNfrhz7QGnMQtg5_WV2S7xwLsTpg_pH8lXP43-uhKu0PO049ENq1IHFA0-bPknNcpsnY8dkbnWgzHoQOYYmjCKU/s640/P1020605.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our support team.</td></tr>
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Eventually, our support team caught up with us just as we were about the reach the top of Hanumala peak. They were pleasantly surprised at the progress we had made, and congratulated Shawn on his achievement. According to them, it was now just a matter of climbing a short distance to the top, and then it is downhill all the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtMP85wqRCabFOeD-F1pIukFfrX1bmo5QpqM2Q6dDipTQZM7b1g3QbeNigvJmwkaiKLRnon-FSYOBHHCYqiEcR4j8Pzz9ZyvUp1_dWHNchR8wwZuPTRBNi1bfhJbJrb2e8CRO/s1600/P1020607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtMP85wqRCabFOeD-F1pIukFfrX1bmo5QpqM2Q6dDipTQZM7b1g3QbeNigvJmwkaiKLRnon-FSYOBHHCYqiEcR4j8Pzz9ZyvUp1_dWHNchR8wwZuPTRBNi1bfhJbJrb2e8CRO/s640/P1020607.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the top of Hanumala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8zeozxncunMEjMZA2mMI2MeUHX-WIHfbMlwzy3HKj14Ru0_Ot3L9U2xHN2XRoPOPBnib3H_2X7cEa8A27AdMmoZZTyu3rJPWlhkHwkmDGQjEp9pFLfsYx9D5xs8sY8m7_WcO/s1600/P1020614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8zeozxncunMEjMZA2mMI2MeUHX-WIHfbMlwzy3HKj14Ru0_Ot3L9U2xHN2XRoPOPBnib3H_2X7cEa8A27AdMmoZZTyu3rJPWlhkHwkmDGQjEp9pFLfsYx9D5xs8sY8m7_WcO/s640/P1020614.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4800 meters above sea level.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZlXfARLNs4yR_CcptDqYsQp8o__BoUkEHrD0Qt4i69kCa0FmMKeb78ehSZRhKI8Oid8QCjWhrnZ4oJwiTnxqx6-jUT_NBrn28xFp_gvS10kP3KNRqHz9uhUP8SDoBoIo3w9F/s1600/P1020621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZlXfARLNs4yR_CcptDqYsQp8o__BoUkEHrD0Qt4i69kCa0FmMKeb78ehSZRhKI8Oid8QCjWhrnZ4oJwiTnxqx6-jUT_NBrn28xFp_gvS10kP3KNRqHz9uhUP8SDoBoIo3w9F/s640/P1020621.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from top of Hanumala (looking towards Snertse)</td></tr>
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This is the highest we have every climbed till date. At 4800 meters above sea-level, the view from the peak is amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xThOr3I5IJsUFJuHLDhHJhuN88_hKp_mPIgMU23Iop9O84D0buqVCUYPGNQl-QH8FB3X5kRFF6VQvDGpJbiwC7r3oJM2N1h10mPSrhFXsz7kYvE_hxPkmYKYniDVE4tiJ1Xr/s1600/P1020628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xThOr3I5IJsUFJuHLDhHJhuN88_hKp_mPIgMU23Iop9O84D0buqVCUYPGNQl-QH8FB3X5kRFF6VQvDGpJbiwC7r3oJM2N1h10mPSrhFXsz7kYvE_hxPkmYKYniDVE4tiJ1Xr/s640/P1020628.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chorten being built.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the top of the peak, locals were building a new chorten to mark the highest point on the trail. Once it is completed, trekkers and locals will use this to hang prayer flags.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DOXUdkgbmCLOKhD5O7fvTfmmwUfRctOzQN9mWyQOGrKbiZHaCLxZKQzKoX_Gs6EAbJdoeuN5J2mIdY-3Kp7SgK8c_w5ptgTTwFaRqM8CkkpO5dhOQF9tSwYN_U-Mfu0ei0dZ/s1600/P1020640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DOXUdkgbmCLOKhD5O7fvTfmmwUfRctOzQN9mWyQOGrKbiZHaCLxZKQzKoX_Gs6EAbJdoeuN5J2mIdY-3Kp7SgK8c_w5ptgTTwFaRqM8CkkpO5dhOQF9tSwYN_U-Mfu0ei0dZ/s640/P1020640.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Lingshed from top of Hanumala.</td></tr>
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On the other side of the peak, we could clearly see the village of Lingshed, and the steep path heading off towards Shinge-la. Even though it looks so close, we were not going to make it to Lingshed today. Our plan was to setup our tent at the bottom of Hanumala, and then reach Lingshed the following evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOMLJ7T47_aHCaA0rflw1L4W-mzwob2hGaNIb9GAUdmGd-Y1hehM6i2E2j1_ZrRtlikMdUm9MKJKZZaQPhFiGgztD08IhxjpypIsn-ukDZRCWyd1l1pw4efNWhXitpxpZCij8/s1600/P1020645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOMLJ7T47_aHCaA0rflw1L4W-mzwob2hGaNIb9GAUdmGd-Y1hehM6i2E2j1_ZrRtlikMdUm9MKJKZZaQPhFiGgztD08IhxjpypIsn-ukDZRCWyd1l1pw4efNWhXitpxpZCij8/s640/P1020645.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending towards Hanumala base-camp.</td></tr>
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It was downhill all the way now, and I gave a sigh of relief, because Shawn would have no problem climbing down. In fact, he relishes it - because this is where he can show off to Roy, who gets scared of descents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4oqwnb8F6etdrWNfiX4srDaiXXYdzQ3p_RZwHFDTYNFUaKon2QL_QYepK0tJTNx2yTeljkXjLJijL1QTJYD4ik5AUVI5JqUkmvRRqbk-iPdIegxCTZC9zK7S7U3WuX9ABPzU/s1600/P1020654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4oqwnb8F6etdrWNfiX4srDaiXXYdzQ3p_RZwHFDTYNFUaKon2QL_QYepK0tJTNx2yTeljkXjLJijL1QTJYD4ik5AUVI5JqUkmvRRqbk-iPdIegxCTZC9zK7S7U3WuX9ABPzU/s640/P1020654.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep descent.</td></tr>
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I had to constantly remind Shawn to be careful because some of the path is really steep and slippery. For those who are trekking the other side (Lamayuru to Padum), this is the toughest mountain to climb.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0uiq0D8lurS8AChEIXCIVhLBX7rU2PmfMh2Qb4EVjFP8mmmNhP3tr3ATYVjeK1s7IUp5hYBRYy2le2QSArlSWa_LbBqiH3IgSRbGD72o583S0UTKBZrW2CRruwb2D4oxXH6J/s1600/P1020646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0uiq0D8lurS8AChEIXCIVhLBX7rU2PmfMh2Qb4EVjFP8mmmNhP3tr3ATYVjeK1s7IUp5hYBRYy2le2QSArlSWa_LbBqiH3IgSRbGD72o583S0UTKBZrW2CRruwb2D4oxXH6J/s640/P1020646.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path from base-camp to Lindshed.</td></tr>
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Up ahead of us, we could see the rather treacherous looking path from base camp to Lingshed. It is not a long climb (around 300 meters), but it cuts straight up to the top of the mountain. It is something we would have to mentally prepare to tackle the next day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2VsMZKjDlSycEl_c6HUFi52qEdRntWLZqRH1_b8st_dt0N9NMMKPBndCNEf-p2h_9V-aIQV16WeShw7rZNgCDzshIkiP7iseMkrn6lTQQQyP5NmUPREr-m1_dqno1cniigZB/s1600/P1020647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2VsMZKjDlSycEl_c6HUFi52qEdRntWLZqRH1_b8st_dt0N9NMMKPBndCNEf-p2h_9V-aIQV16WeShw7rZNgCDzshIkiP7iseMkrn6lTQQQyP5NmUPREr-m1_dqno1cniigZB/s640/P1020647.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reaching base camp of Hanumala.</td></tr>
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It was getting late, as we finally reached our destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIXAZdOpj8VqSRgEljQE8Me80II6GklVos5dbvSczxX3QpK6iSuCFOQukXqiBFXoKVxJ029zBHXeGREkOj1YHNh4iUMX6lEO78HjgndChGp7v-MWfg15ZMTDpfgWpUAqENtdz/s1600/P1020656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIXAZdOpj8VqSRgEljQE8Me80II6GklVos5dbvSczxX3QpK6iSuCFOQukXqiBFXoKVxJ029zBHXeGREkOj1YHNh4iUMX6lEO78HjgndChGp7v-MWfg15ZMTDpfgWpUAqENtdz/s640/P1020656.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base camp</td></tr>
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Our support team had already reached the camping area and setup the camp for us. After 12 hours of walking, our whole body was in pain. We just entered the tent and hit the bed.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-44353625080521407162012-08-19T10:03:00.002-07:002012-08-19T10:03:11.891-07:00Trekking : Padum to Lamayuru - Day 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkD9Z17qrINTUFCeGX6BKzWpG8mt7aZaHygxuFyIVfljnUSciYkc_P6l8_72TPEarDNxFWuGJcipKOBFrn_I8WJmbeqXd0cGVUW_sNZ6xekcxf0h-fiKLzXjyWNSStTVP_RXQ/s1600/P1020491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkD9Z17qrINTUFCeGX6BKzWpG8mt7aZaHygxuFyIVfljnUSciYkc_P6l8_72TPEarDNxFWuGJcipKOBFrn_I8WJmbeqXd0cGVUW_sNZ6xekcxf0h-fiKLzXjyWNSStTVP_RXQ/s640/P1020491.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trekking from Hanumil to Snertse.</td></tr>
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We were warned by our guide that today would be a tough day, as we had to scale 2 mountain passes to reach our destination in Snertse.<br />
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Up till now, I had relied on my iPhone to search for information about the trek route. But now we were in an area, where there was no cell phone reception. I was cursing myself for not carrying a printed copy of the trek route. The <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/igotu-gt-800-gps-logger-review.html">GPS device</a> was giving me accurate data about our current location, elevation, and distance covered from the last point - but I had no means of cross-referencing this data with the trek route. This meant that I had absolutely no idea how far, or how high we had to walk to reach our destination. If I had this data, I could have prepared myself both physically and mentally. Without this data, I had to rely on whatever Trashi (our guide) was telling us - and truth be told, he was not the most encouraging guide I have come across.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQFLdq5DjYwLgJ1qi3c2O-DJ86RUJwRswAwWByEfhfm1fisU7Q-8ChMo0olQNQaWI5UmmAkstE7JHKgjp4azzWdV8bc9OsyqtuOgPXQPtqncq9HDxGh-ypMAKDzuQyrZUrA05/s1600/P1020492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQFLdq5DjYwLgJ1qi3c2O-DJ86RUJwRswAwWByEfhfm1fisU7Q-8ChMo0olQNQaWI5UmmAkstE7JHKgjp4azzWdV8bc9OsyqtuOgPXQPtqncq9HDxGh-ypMAKDzuQyrZUrA05/s640/P1020492.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first mountain pass on the trek, Perfi-la.</td></tr>
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We set off early in the morning, leaving Trashi and Shashi (our horseman) to load the equipment, and catch up with us. The route winds along the Zanskar river for 2 hours, where it veers off to the left, to start the steep climb of Perfi-la. I let Shawn and Roy walk ahead of me, while I stopped to take pictures, and just enjoy the views. I knew I could catch up with them anytime, as they walk at a much slower pace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrBX6TxqnVIq6PJ17mo5XL9d7BNGB7gJ-bUA9W2H76rLmR6BRkNhFJDWUFE2hcqVxdkKIRxmKZ3Y1qQ4S5nbRBnkPKVvl1svBpX1jHoflxy9-ojvRbyOu24UjBJXhPVtcnCS0/s1600/P1020505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrBX6TxqnVIq6PJ17mo5XL9d7BNGB7gJ-bUA9W2H76rLmR6BRkNhFJDWUFE2hcqVxdkKIRxmKZ3Y1qQ4S5nbRBnkPKVvl1svBpX1jHoflxy9-ojvRbyOu24UjBJXhPVtcnCS0/s640/P1020505.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gradual climb towards Perfi-la.</td></tr>
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It was all climbing now, and Shawn got tired quickly. To make matters worse, there were no clouds in the sky to provide any kind of shade. The sun was hitting us directly. We were getting hot and quickly running out of water. We looked back to see if our horses were close by, as we had told Trashi to carry some extra water with him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAPRiC4Ehd_t_HFma1ZYqSLTx4BuHYbZ9XGmdIF9novTDEvcj5EE1mZuo3sfpPWkb_Xl5dqJtX_SOrRzLH6MP1s6ByphOoot3QI893i_EX_u-HCBQwD7LuKAv2Q0JTYAlo6QM/s1600/P1020511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAPRiC4Ehd_t_HFma1ZYqSLTx4BuHYbZ9XGmdIF9novTDEvcj5EE1mZuo3sfpPWkb_Xl5dqJtX_SOrRzLH6MP1s6ByphOoot3QI893i_EX_u-HCBQwD7LuKAv2Q0JTYAlo6QM/s640/P1020511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horses loaded with equipment on the trek.</td></tr>
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Eventually, our team reached us but there was bad news. Trashi only carried 1 bottle of water. This would not be sufficient for us, and we had not even reached half-way up the pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBoTNZhFkvgx6DK-9fV9X7WFwKZGo8g2pMtt_bIDVq7tYhjD4iikp9rj-eQgrE84HUZ9jMqpjtTb3FgrmJsBKTAOIwxi7hHwo8l06E7Mwm-ZyYeIyKgyy-DSKl8BPTbvlhoq2/s1600/P1020516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBoTNZhFkvgx6DK-9fV9X7WFwKZGo8g2pMtt_bIDVq7tYhjD4iikp9rj-eQgrE84HUZ9jMqpjtTb3FgrmJsBKTAOIwxi7hHwo8l06E7Mwm-ZyYeIyKgyy-DSKl8BPTbvlhoq2/s640/P1020516.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half-way point to Perfi-la.</td></tr>
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It was all about steep climbing now. We were forced to take frequent breaks and we were quickly falling behind our schedule. To make matters worse, the water situation was getting rather dangerous. Unless we could reach the top (and then walk all the way down to the bottom of the pass, where there are streams), we were going to become extremely dehydrated.<br />
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Finally, around noon, we reached the top of Perfi-la. It stands at a height of 4,200 meters - which means we climbed nearly 800 meters. Tibetian prayer flags greeted our effort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Y5F5nMq6z4tZ9fKW9R7sIMLZvNgzvkz_upplnDhfeShBnLZxXqhoG7Gtr7epSu4TiXC9ixPa_tNE9arhHrWhpo1phiboc4g1h6cRcRlhTLjqtzyYuJHxFM2JsYzEoqeWUf7/s1600/P1020521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_Y5F5nMq6z4tZ9fKW9R7sIMLZvNgzvkz_upplnDhfeShBnLZxXqhoG7Gtr7epSu4TiXC9ixPa_tNE9arhHrWhpo1phiboc4g1h6cRcRlhTLjqtzyYuJHxFM2JsYzEoqeWUf7/s640/P1020521.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Perfi-la</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfVfWsGmCyYa3AthrK8ySyF7t0zGy3CZqBCou_4AFlKRYJIBslZQWcAGh9zfJjYIR7RyHkbfNtNV7ckwxY-rcR7g8bZ5PAnkV2pK3DMSAxZ6fJRpki1vc8AqlHbX6NLuQO9W7/s1600/P1020520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfVfWsGmCyYa3AthrK8ySyF7t0zGy3CZqBCou_4AFlKRYJIBslZQWcAGh9zfJjYIR7RyHkbfNtNV7ckwxY-rcR7g8bZ5PAnkV2pK3DMSAxZ6fJRpki1vc8AqlHbX6NLuQO9W7/s640/P1020520.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawn and Roy reaching the summit of Perfi-la</td></tr>
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I groaned when I saw the sight in front of me. We could clearly see the route towards the next pass in front of us. The route from the bottom of Perfi-la towards Snertse was marked like a squiggly, which a kindergarten child might have drawn if asked to trace a route.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8KfW1unXgiFe0Jx-ATpkbUuqF3K43qGkqBvQu9r1fy8Xeh04dwYWv8msLzqUNNmnL-6qKySzKcT68CkigA2WdKE4ntRB6DrRLRjkkMyHdgeA5aikK26-e29iOisrblqTb2im/s1600/P1020522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8KfW1unXgiFe0Jx-ATpkbUuqF3K43qGkqBvQu9r1fy8Xeh04dwYWv8msLzqUNNmnL-6qKySzKcT68CkigA2WdKE4ntRB6DrRLRjkkMyHdgeA5aikK26-e29iOisrblqTb2im/s640/P1020522.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trek route towards the 2nd pass - Snertse.</td></tr>
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Here's a wider view of the same pass.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF5wc5rS8v_ANP4AUh6H6r2Ga5_IULqLSpbQsEflGMWl2eXMW8u0-3rjC6vnZms-xLrAFfwsFgbzmNitQxn1D92kYLlagQ-chvX7GwH8ptDc96IjmN5BK9DYzYOYef4Tkts0y/s1600/P1020523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF5wc5rS8v_ANP4AUh6H6r2Ga5_IULqLSpbQsEflGMWl2eXMW8u0-3rjC6vnZms-xLrAFfwsFgbzmNitQxn1D92kYLlagQ-chvX7GwH8ptDc96IjmN5BK9DYzYOYef4Tkts0y/s640/P1020523.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The route to Snertse - just behind the steep pass.</td></tr>
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It looks so close, but if there is one thing I have learned in Ladakh, it is that things are not as they seem. I knew it would take us at least another 4 hours to reach Snertse. In our current condition, it would be very risky to attempt that climb. I consulted with Roy and our team, and decided that we would set up our camp at the bottom of Perfi-la, and leave Snertse for the next day. The good news was that there was a proper camping area at the bottom of the pass. All we had to do now was make the long walk to the bottom of the mountain. No more climbing for the day.<br />
<br />
As we were trying to catch our breath on top of Perfi-la, I noticed that one of our horses was not carrying any equipment - and Shashi was running after him. Apparently, the equipment was not tied properly, and it came off. Our precious gas cylinder went rolling down the mountain, more than 500 meters into the valley. I was expecting to hear an explosion any minute.<br />
<br />
We were dumb-struck. Without gas, we would have to return back to Hanumil and abort our trek. It was impossible to continue the trek without a gas cylinder, as we would be without food and potable water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QMTKPfOFvCrelcRV1Jqzdw3JHGIGqsBdMxqC-SrfnY8WSscRepNlvFfZlpJn0FHu8dMGfKknNQog1a0oCqHZYb2zB7Td8dQ_CGE0dJwK0oZhMb0JSmaB4oaJxDpyvDSeWdOT/s1600/P1020532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QMTKPfOFvCrelcRV1Jqzdw3JHGIGqsBdMxqC-SrfnY8WSscRepNlvFfZlpJn0FHu8dMGfKknNQog1a0oCqHZYb2zB7Td8dQ_CGE0dJwK0oZhMb0JSmaB4oaJxDpyvDSeWdOT/s640/P1020532.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shashi, after sucessfully retrieving the gas cylinder.</td></tr>
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I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Shashi going down into the valley, and then casually climbing up with the 16 Kilo cylinder on his back. If fact, I was so surprised, I did not even think of taking his picture as he climbed up. He had just saved our trek. Credit must also go to Hindustan Petroleum for making cylinders strong enough to survive a 500 meter mountain drop.<br />
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Relieved, we started our descent. The trail was steep, and we had to go down carefully.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FJ8rPwEI4Axf1_DpaThnZr8zNpq15k-CVQbg4lUpFh7_hnxwr1q7Gat_sYzNeI1u68jFypo7MuJ_btTTjRacxAJs5tqc604MNKhWoDV6ELsLMYZaod_NpCzXCakCl_hoa4AC/s1600/P1020540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FJ8rPwEI4Axf1_DpaThnZr8zNpq15k-CVQbg4lUpFh7_hnxwr1q7Gat_sYzNeI1u68jFypo7MuJ_btTTjRacxAJs5tqc604MNKhWoDV6ELsLMYZaod_NpCzXCakCl_hoa4AC/s640/P1020540.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing down from Perfi-la.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ6Ho2eg9xTbwytuDxs2EELXEjyawUHlb0tXMNcveF3qTW3GWPBzJ69-BTX1WqPusjGBND6rScqzHFy7eT2QlGvrnFMCKe4qRJWFa1EBNNS-ntCo9DC2OENI1dMbuunkTULfa/s1600/P1020546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ6Ho2eg9xTbwytuDxs2EELXEjyawUHlb0tXMNcveF3qTW3GWPBzJ69-BTX1WqPusjGBND6rScqzHFy7eT2QlGvrnFMCKe4qRJWFa1EBNNS-ntCo9DC2OENI1dMbuunkTULfa/s640/P1020546.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep descent from Perfi-la</td></tr>
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Some of the places have an almost vertical drop. The trekking poles are a necessity here.<br />
<br />
We sent off the support team ahead of us to setup the tent. The tent would be setup near the Omachu river (seen in the picture below). Omachu river flows and joins the Zanskar river on the other side of Perfi-la, which we had just left behind.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVjJLxuAwA2IdpdnxsSjKsX4ytqEJJp3bdmpNB_2E2Dt5Ni1a6Qjk6nZaW-cyMmykWfu8m9rPjjaF5q7KEYJ56stmiKY7UZUKjyjXiX7T-DzwD_u2iDLvC9CEfRhhWHPhKDJP/s1600/P1020543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVjJLxuAwA2IdpdnxsSjKsX4ytqEJJp3bdmpNB_2E2Dt5Ni1a6Qjk6nZaW-cyMmykWfu8m9rPjjaF5q7KEYJ56stmiKY7UZUKjyjXiX7T-DzwD_u2iDLvC9CEfRhhWHPhKDJP/s640/P1020543.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Support team going ahead to setup the tent.</td></tr>
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After nearly 2 hours of descending, we reached the camping site. Trashi and Shashi had already setup the tent. We rushed into the tent to escape the heat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS8xT2YiQNgvW0q0eodQQDfKYEQTCrgGT-zK3vZDG0lqlcGiBzZCfsJcshJ4KTI1k0-0taqWzpvPabgcYnPos2tCUq674piWofrnSJEEZpHGdBsqeEgt57QP5_1ATSHZ0hWPv/s1600/P1020548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS8xT2YiQNgvW0q0eodQQDfKYEQTCrgGT-zK3vZDG0lqlcGiBzZCfsJcshJ4KTI1k0-0taqWzpvPabgcYnPos2tCUq674piWofrnSJEEZpHGdBsqeEgt57QP5_1ATSHZ0hWPv/s640/P1020548.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tent waiting for us at the bottom of Perfi-la.</td></tr>
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We were extremely dehydrated. Luckily, there was a small hotel serving cold drinks. I gulped down on a Pepsi and nearly choked on it. Important lesson: When you are dehydrated, don't gulp down carbonated drinks. Take tiny sips.<br />
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It was still early in the day. I used the time to wash and dry our clothes. I also had a dip in the icy cold water of Omachu river. Trust me, it is worth it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEucm3-4i2ekglbJSdH5jvokd62ajnzbRsqUOPwYN3Mb5lHc20LWTqVBIen6utPqVgkL1YHl9hnkWuzuxvbZPIra42C7ANs3LHTvUQCPWtG0FJInTfO1LK1FakI4LsWkXeO5bc/s1600/P1020553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEucm3-4i2ekglbJSdH5jvokd62ajnzbRsqUOPwYN3Mb5lHc20LWTqVBIen6utPqVgkL1YHl9hnkWuzuxvbZPIra42C7ANs3LHTvUQCPWtG0FJInTfO1LK1FakI4LsWkXeO5bc/s640/P1020553.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening at Omachu River.</td></tr>
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It was getting late. I realized that if we were to do this trek successfully, we needed to avoid the afternoon heat. This means, we should start the trek early in the morning (perferably at dawn).<br />
<br />
We had an early dinner and hit the bed to prepare ourselves mentally for the steep climb ahead of us in the morning.</div>
Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-90030784882639443662012-08-18T02:38:00.000-07:002012-08-18T02:38:55.458-07:00Trekking : Padum to Lamayuru - Day 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trekking from Pishu to Hanumil</td></tr>
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To start our Padum to Lamayuru trek, we checked out from our hotel in Padum, and loaded our trekking gear in a jeep that would drive us to Pishu. It was still dark outside, but we wanted to reach Pishu early, so that we could start the trek before the sun comes out in full force and makes trekking difficult.<br />
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The distance from Padum to Pishu is about 30 kilometers. Some people still trek on this route (making a pit stop in <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/08/karsha-gompa-zanskar-ladakh.html">Karsha</a>, which is on the way to Pishu). I don't like trekking on motorable roads, as it seems pointless, hence our decision to start our trek from Pishu.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motorable road from Padum to Pishu.</td></tr>
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After about 2 hours of driving, we finally reached Pishu. You may wonder why it took 2 hours to drive a distance of 30 kilometers. I must clarify that when I mentioned "motorable" road, I used the term very loosely. The road needs to be navigated very carefully, due to the large number of rocks and streams on the road, and the vehicles take a heavy beating from the journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIAjFo20tMI-omWiQruKc41NieYs3ioqjLKJrSEnPQXhjkSMMOplo0zRgCilLISICW_ixn47IAJ0Dqn84xK4zW9Xy8ohifFM51gbyfQdzkeSZweqhXi8oIFbN178A5U6k0VMv/s1600/P1020385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIAjFo20tMI-omWiQruKc41NieYs3ioqjLKJrSEnPQXhjkSMMOplo0zRgCilLISICW_ixn47IAJ0Dqn84xK4zW9Xy8ohifFM51gbyfQdzkeSZweqhXi8oIFbN178A5U6k0VMv/s640/P1020385.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pishu</td></tr>
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Pishu is a tiny village located by the side of the Zanksar river. A chorten (A buddhist Stupa) and a prayer wheel welcomes the visitors. Also, all the houses have these colorful stones with the Buddist prayer intricately engraved on them. We would find these type of stones all along the trek.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDQxuu0PYWJuSekCk2oHork1YjXQudIFEjyXD8MzdCSisVnkhaS5XOjlZdtG-TEpDnsikWv4CeYzcRdefZLIOjMsEXVIGwFx4fWe9kQIDW0O6RirFR7kS4Iw0LTKUM2MsjeA_/s1600/P1020388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDQxuu0PYWJuSekCk2oHork1YjXQudIFEjyXD8MzdCSisVnkhaS5XOjlZdtG-TEpDnsikWv4CeYzcRdefZLIOjMsEXVIGwFx4fWe9kQIDW0O6RirFR7kS4Iw0LTKUM2MsjeA_/s640/P1020388.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stones with engravings of Buddhist prayer in Pishu.</td></tr>
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We could see some tents already setup by the riverside. Normally, if we had trekked from Padum (or Karsha), this would have been the place to stay overnight in tents. In our case, this would the the starting point of our trek, and we would go all the way to Hanumil, where we would set up our tents for the first night.
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We had one more thing to do before we could start our trek. We did not have a guide with us, and we were hoping to locate one in Pishu. After checking all the houses, we finally found one person who was willing to accompany us. His name was Trashi. After negotiating his fees, we were invited inside his home for a hot cup of tea and roti (Indian bread).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTBwYVyxAc_brfml6p9ahHRgZnNsGk73axhbmT5Gw4LJpaaVS5WADCeSnUrZN_LMVzflp-gQFTUYs-1BKLF0YerUD0U16l9nSYWuIzPfRMBxKI7INwJiU7NHmGfpBggW2jhMq/s1600/P1020879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTBwYVyxAc_brfml6p9ahHRgZnNsGk73axhbmT5Gw4LJpaaVS5WADCeSnUrZN_LMVzflp-gQFTUYs-1BKLF0YerUD0U16l9nSYWuIzPfRMBxKI7INwJiU7NHmGfpBggW2jhMq/s640/P1020879.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide, Trashi.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7hfV-qxmSvZiBr0PwkCq2S0_rWAyyB9z7xhBXHZK7ghQVJpGg4kCkA7qocBzD0nQU-V4vORvvZUIMHAcaIF8io2N1G0ySE1tQdU1etr-D6PZt04vW1N_maihCFdpcF7f3pbh/s1600/P1020390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7hfV-qxmSvZiBr0PwkCq2S0_rWAyyB9z7xhBXHZK7ghQVJpGg4kCkA7qocBzD0nQU-V4vORvvZUIMHAcaIF8io2N1G0ySE1tQdU1etr-D6PZt04vW1N_maihCFdpcF7f3pbh/s640/P1020390.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trashi's home in Pishu.</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, our plans to start off early from Pishu went horribly haywire. Our horseman (the resourceful Shashi), somehow lost one of his horse, and he had to roam the entire valley trying to locate it - while we dozed off in Trashi's house. If he couldn't locate his horse in time, we would have to stay put in Pishu for the night, thereby losing a valuable day from our trekking schedule.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxN2LkGJ2W3S7Ag2ve1qIieksG49AZ3HV0ApZWY2UX3w2IhAvi2pE6JBMWfqVPXYS_d6ZjddGcp64dismEBOx3tYXu1XfCGP_0MWuQOnXIxWREn8AfLKiwgvZtgkS_Ptz1jtc/s1600/P1020878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxN2LkGJ2W3S7Ag2ve1qIieksG49AZ3HV0ApZWY2UX3w2IhAvi2pE6JBMWfqVPXYS_d6ZjddGcp64dismEBOx3tYXu1XfCGP_0MWuQOnXIxWREn8AfLKiwgvZtgkS_Ptz1jtc/s640/P1020878.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our horseman, Mr. Shashi.</td></tr>
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While we were waiting for Shashi to find his horse, we decide to explore the tiny village.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHECDj3TKufJRx2pKKPSr-vvsyeCffEQggIXnrvWPA44vVsG6J12UK7S3XLHnTytFBNoCA8BsJYVUOZfGMH0tIMphIn2d_Mhszi9mXjXpnCnwmsb2YqY-WZ9TyW-ENXkQqRmy/s1600/P1020395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHECDj3TKufJRx2pKKPSr-vvsyeCffEQggIXnrvWPA44vVsG6J12UK7S3XLHnTytFBNoCA8BsJYVUOZfGMH0tIMphIn2d_Mhszi9mXjXpnCnwmsb2YqY-WZ9TyW-ENXkQqRmy/s640/P1020395.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawn ringing the buddhist prayer wheel.</td></tr>
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The village has a large buddhist prayer wheel/bell. Everyone who passes by, gives it a push. As it turns round, it rings a bell. Every village in Ladakh has at least one of these wheels in the center of the village.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkfkvLHk4ebwY58yaFTI8NgDcH8bhZz22wqgzJ08Mpagxi48CEOEOm1ssc8BK_mRUIGkZOMDuzwzRIx1FdBqqkfVx7wu1zUPi0nHRnIsex1xAQVvbiqdJJyrsxUVkm0jg8caJ/s1600/P1020397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkfkvLHk4ebwY58yaFTI8NgDcH8bhZz22wqgzJ08Mpagxi48CEOEOm1ssc8BK_mRUIGkZOMDuzwzRIx1FdBqqkfVx7wu1zUPi0nHRnIsex1xAQVvbiqdJJyrsxUVkm0jg8caJ/s640/P1020397.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The route from Pishu to Hanumil.</td></tr>
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We could see the trek going towards Hanumil. We felt like starting our trek - but until Shashi could locate his horse, we were stuck here.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLD69ZDZ-hDHi1NVljDCEgKcuS4j7Xz4gonC2rpBIZ_WwCcmLiu4YJ4UwuF_nvjq6LwDxg-PjTKz3XKi-MF1BGFk5AvavaW9NvTk1PyjSNl3QzZTk_77wgi-lzyvSt3YRwK7Dk/s1600/P1020415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLD69ZDZ-hDHi1NVljDCEgKcuS4j7Xz4gonC2rpBIZ_WwCcmLiu4YJ4UwuF_nvjq6LwDxg-PjTKz3XKi-MF1BGFk5AvavaW9NvTk1PyjSNl3QzZTk_77wgi-lzyvSt3YRwK7Dk/s640/P1020415.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch break for school children in Pishu.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We passed by a group of children who were on their lunch break from the nearby school. I guess they were very hungry, as they were fully engrossed with their food, and paid no attention to us.<br />
<br />
It was nearly 2 p.m., by the time Shashi finally located his horse. The distance from Pishu to Hanumil is supposed to be 5 hours average. We felt we could do it before sunset, so the three of us (myself, my son Shawn, and my brother Roy) headed off towards Hanumil, while Shashi and Trashi loaded our gear on the horses. Since they walk much faster than us, they would catch up with us.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKMb_u0ODUttr-zZ6XJUQr2VF24yrPmKUL9U223X6DOo-8zrKM9ZRvZVok468MIA4FqnDzVvc0vjVkAT4hsQQBfB7OSUcJ9Hm6VxUQARTNKvQpl-ZayFHV7h-xeQoUvyWY1Ox/s1600/P1020407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKMb_u0ODUttr-zZ6XJUQr2VF24yrPmKUL9U223X6DOo-8zrKM9ZRvZVok468MIA4FqnDzVvc0vjVkAT4hsQQBfB7OSUcJ9Hm6VxUQARTNKvQpl-ZayFHV7h-xeQoUvyWY1Ox/s640/P1020407.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trekking gear.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I felt a sense of elation as we started our trek. After all the troubles we had gone through in the last 3 days, it had seemed that we were destined not to do this trek. Now that we were actually doing it, I couldn't believe it.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U5R13IQV01igbXAra0RP8wV9iZXFd0TscHjwyFkqXVJrp-Df0FgKY2lzkxMZfNMkoEzjX74gCoWiYKrYZfsnbkp9RbwuPBCYfqPsZHz_Q97hfbHmKKREsXvfTn3DNDhwJJ33/s1600/P1020419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9U5R13IQV01igbXAra0RP8wV9iZXFd0TscHjwyFkqXVJrp-Df0FgKY2lzkxMZfNMkoEzjX74gCoWiYKrYZfsnbkp9RbwuPBCYfqPsZHz_Q97hfbHmKKREsXvfTn3DNDhwJJ33/s640/P1020419.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shawn, leading the trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The route from Pishu to Hanumil is an easy route - following the Zanskar river. There are no steep climbs or passes to cross. I decided to give myself a challenge on the first day. I left Shawn in the care of my brother, and quickened my pace. I wanted to see if I can really do the trek in 5 hours.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG1K0erDL8LtzLf2Xr5dIzZ9PkLRHOwWYixr-yFuiybZCWgoDPWiIhxPo3XaelMjdMZEEWKs3iqilWhFGtU5OGX-9CRJNygOwBaxTzsKMiJ8bQ91fKq44G-xKYOMc7utK4ank/s1600/P1020425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTG1K0erDL8LtzLf2Xr5dIzZ9PkLRHOwWYixr-yFuiybZCWgoDPWiIhxPo3XaelMjdMZEEWKs3iqilWhFGtU5OGX-9CRJNygOwBaxTzsKMiJ8bQ91fKq44G-xKYOMc7utK4ank/s640/P1020425.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trekking route from Pishu to Hanumil</td></tr>
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Roy and Shawn quickly fell behind - as they were unable to match my pace. Here they look like tiny dots on the horizon, as they follow the trail.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fWwaOt9NblcTqMIT0ezaeCaOtuRDhodU82bk_mXBQ372FXVj6qib4H0t8MBD-bkFiBZmBkf_0kpsDlkCis7alpuAMLuIHlAdzF_isTa4aOdBLSkpnvC4u27PtX2-5aBKYHD-/s1600/P1020427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fWwaOt9NblcTqMIT0ezaeCaOtuRDhodU82bk_mXBQ372FXVj6qib4H0t8MBD-bkFiBZmBkf_0kpsDlkCis7alpuAMLuIHlAdzF_isTa4aOdBLSkpnvC4u27PtX2-5aBKYHD-/s640/P1020427.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanskar river with Pishu in the background.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, after 3 hours of walking, I saw the first sign of civilization, marked by a chorten. It was the village of Pidmu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMVZ-tZTAlv3C0rhYoGr343aJUzCrezHP7mefx9MQJJQEYlHFO_UUdAibkE5MuiJ7OP-AmrAEXBOR-vBwZgsxRoQxcW7oq74eZJIuraHnEsCVV96ZlrXeTj7ci7ppkPaJ3maH/s1600/P1020446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMVZ-tZTAlv3C0rhYoGr343aJUzCrezHP7mefx9MQJJQEYlHFO_UUdAibkE5MuiJ7OP-AmrAEXBOR-vBwZgsxRoQxcW7oq74eZJIuraHnEsCVV96ZlrXeTj7ci7ppkPaJ3maH/s640/P1020446.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A chorten on the hill indicates sign of a village ahead.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4oWr074eosezHqnlJIvw5Fh11OYKpcdPq3vqnWmtXeT2_j8eI4iPquCRr1-BPVtccvingQ3nerRdDS5yrieE-oAbuRETBlLBnQJUALhyZk4CVodTKBDVyI5lnJ6SC9cUL-j2/s1600/P1020450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4oWr074eosezHqnlJIvw5Fh11OYKpcdPq3vqnWmtXeT2_j8eI4iPquCRr1-BPVtccvingQ3nerRdDS5yrieE-oAbuRETBlLBnQJUALhyZk4CVodTKBDVyI5lnJ6SC9cUL-j2/s640/P1020450.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Village of Pidmu.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The villagers greeted me warmly, and informed me that I have another 2 hours of walking to reach Hanumil.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEURfk1yUWNvMLWmQoqBU_Ry6FfbQ9jzwUPQDA_VHmAC_g62VfImg_znxB3gGgru1deyY5Ri5W_Y1vaVH-WaLbJdRD4S3Hwv0hryTJ5Duy94mg_o-wUb40KVwXUzKHrZOgYDP/s1600/P1020452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEURfk1yUWNvMLWmQoqBU_Ry6FfbQ9jzwUPQDA_VHmAC_g62VfImg_znxB3gGgru1deyY5Ri5W_Y1vaVH-WaLbJdRD4S3Hwv0hryTJ5Duy94mg_o-wUb40KVwXUzKHrZOgYDP/s640/P1020452.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route from Pidmu to Hanumil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I crossed the village of Pidmu, and passed through green fields, and continued my trek towards Hanumil. After nearly 2 hours, I finally reached Hanumil. It had taken me exactly 4 hours and 35 minutes. I felt energized knowing that I had completed the trek in less than 5 hours.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W1ku3S-VRdKwa2wP8SL0m3oO7vayI2B0T5WqIq3C3MuBvp5t_2EsCjBQZgLaohvI_O6JxN6dISo14Ohf13e2OCjsb8K56SjDfjOtM7o2XGOVSYrzhpBa4oH5Ne7Sl1XLxuG3/s1600/P1020457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7W1ku3S-VRdKwa2wP8SL0m3oO7vayI2B0T5WqIq3C3MuBvp5t_2EsCjBQZgLaohvI_O6JxN6dISo14Ohf13e2OCjsb8K56SjDfjOtM7o2XGOVSYrzhpBa4oH5Ne7Sl1XLxuG3/s640/P1020457.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanumil Guest House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ukLkqJcHwmAyhEudFb-3itVwidhML7PZOe8LURi64KNFWtBN2QggQauKfeyY_B0d9ABG4sLGWdLVMO2-OUoKZj1gKVa6pMq7vCtV7qq-OjNdj0300Wi0p2YaV9enNNZHJ-bO/s1600/P1020472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ukLkqJcHwmAyhEudFb-3itVwidhML7PZOe8LURi64KNFWtBN2QggQauKfeyY_B0d9ABG4sLGWdLVMO2-OUoKZj1gKVa6pMq7vCtV7qq-OjNdj0300Wi0p2YaV9enNNZHJ-bO/s640/P1020472.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roy and Shawn arriving in Hanumil.</td></tr>
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It was another 1 hour before Roy and Shawn finally made it, closely followed by Shashi and Trashi with the horses and our gear. It was nearly dark, so we decided to stay in the guest house, instead of putting up the tent.<br />
<br />
The distance from Pishu to Hanumil is 16.12 kilometers (according to my GPS logger). The elevation of Hanumil is 3,430 meters (a little lower than Padum, which lies at 3,570 meters). This makes sense since we followed along the flowing river, which has a downward path.<br />
<br />
We were feeling good - but it would not last for long.</div>
Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-70750868166968707652012-08-17T04:13:00.000-07:002012-08-17T04:14:18.532-07:00Karsha Gompa, Zanskar (Ladakh).<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWji6tUrh42Vdf6KkiYmHVYDhX4e6J4xRgXzSBlIAhQ4cjHJoCQ9n18zY0GlgzTW6UDJr249kCEwbndRz6DN2Dso0cV0qs4i769gSqYHwncZ1WHtGOctP3aSNsIYHvf_OPOlxR/s1600/P1020343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWji6tUrh42Vdf6KkiYmHVYDhX4e6J4xRgXzSBlIAhQ4cjHJoCQ9n18zY0GlgzTW6UDJr249kCEwbndRz6DN2Dso0cV0qs4i769gSqYHwncZ1WHtGOctP3aSNsIYHvf_OPOlxR/s640/P1020343.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karsha Gompa (Monastery) in Zanskar, Ladadkh</td></tr>
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The population of Ladakh is predominantly buddhist, and this is reflected in the landscape of the region - which is dotted with Gompas (monasteries). Most of these Gompas are imposing structures, built high on the mountain side. The Karsha Gompa is one such imposing structures.<br />
<br />
The village of Karsha lies 14 kilometers from Padum (which was supposed to the be starting point of our <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/08/padum-to-lamayuru-trek.html">Padum-Lamayuru trek</a>). However, we were unable to find any horseman in Padum, willing to take his horses on the difficult route we had selected. Some locals suggested that we might get lucky in Karsha. There is a motorable road from Padum to Karsha and the local jeeps charge a steep amount of Rs. 1,500/- for the return journey. Since we were already in the mood for trekking, we decided to pack our daybag with some water and snacks, and trek all the way to Karsha.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0enIa-61q09mMCl_nsvpZEaQ-1KhS5DnwInCZREfmUbBnOvW4GN89lkZWRH9l8JSj4bzJmsp7NAfts8P7RbTs1SfVlfDyegkEFlb4WQPLeSqAFLLsYAfRDgJOK4uKhAgJN_c/s1600/P1020328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0enIa-61q09mMCl_nsvpZEaQ-1KhS5DnwInCZREfmUbBnOvW4GN89lkZWRH9l8JSj4bzJmsp7NAfts8P7RbTs1SfVlfDyegkEFlb4WQPLeSqAFLLsYAfRDgJOK4uKhAgJN_c/s640/P1020328.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trekking from Padum to Karsha.</td></tr>
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We started at around 9 A.M. The sky was clear and it was bright and hot. I managed to find some caps in the local shop to cover our head (it would prove to be one of the most important piece of gear for the actual trek).<br />
<br />
It was on this morning that we first encountered this strange phenomenon that seems to be applicable only in Ladakh. I am assuming it would be same in any high-altitude region, where there is almost no haze. Things that are very far, seem like they are just a stone throw away, but as you keep walking towards it, it never seems to get any nearer. I started calling this the "distance illusion" and I would keep encountering this throughout our journey from Padum to Lamayuru. Let me explain:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPzzD1zvOV4Liz7IGHs-FQgm6hpRYmXULIkyUFZmfiq3HoNtiW7cX9ZHSIyeo-w1fI6xoQEBpR5A99gZsX_fgFybvO9iCmYVWieF6qFZw0rrkjmLCmFZGGy-RD_4LvvQhS6BW/s1600/P1020341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPzzD1zvOV4Liz7IGHs-FQgm6hpRYmXULIkyUFZmfiq3HoNtiW7cX9ZHSIyeo-w1fI6xoQEBpR5A99gZsX_fgFybvO9iCmYVWieF6qFZw0rrkjmLCmFZGGy-RD_4LvvQhS6BW/s640/P1020341.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The distance illusion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The picture above is of the Karsha Gompa. From where I stood, it looks fairly close. I assumed it would take us around 30-40 minutes to reach there. A local boy who greeted us, told me that it would take us 2 hours to reach the monastery. I thought he was joking.<br />
<br />
It took us 3 hours.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODS8hV-sihfMr5I0HKCpsSJIOVoqe-UA6-JkDZB9dACtkUa9mnNUesP3j2D6k9bsj6p406SKIA87BLChLnE_iJIl5_VvmRP1poMKHjBk-NJSKzemmljPBRzDtlB_tj3nZ7IzN/s1600/P1020334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODS8hV-sihfMr5I0HKCpsSJIOVoqe-UA6-JkDZB9dACtkUa9mnNUesP3j2D6k9bsj6p406SKIA87BLChLnE_iJIl5_VvmRP1poMKHjBk-NJSKzemmljPBRzDtlB_tj3nZ7IzN/s640/P1020334.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking towards Karsha Gompa</td></tr>
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The monastery seems to be etched into the side of the mountain. That small cluster of tiny houses by the side of the mountain is the Karsha Gompa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaCJC-O8xyNBW4axEsPVFTIfARADKcfKkVO0Q_vFPxbDe-zWNyhwRIcNZrdnoRwRmeZiIA5xSsVqwBiAZdpNe-zmxFCf_v117XUiyLYFrI9UhMGP6hCF4OszOzscd9MbFpgpE/s1600/P1020342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaCJC-O8xyNBW4axEsPVFTIfARADKcfKkVO0Q_vFPxbDe-zWNyhwRIcNZrdnoRwRmeZiIA5xSsVqwBiAZdpNe-zmxFCf_v117XUiyLYFrI9UhMGP6hCF4OszOzscd9MbFpgpE/s640/P1020342.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karsha Gompa at the base of the mountain.</td></tr>
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It was noon by the time we reached the base of the monastery. We were exhausted, and my son groaned when he saw the steep climb to reach the top of the monastery.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdIxsM4sIWEN8pTdF471MAtiDgS8C9NM99tVsihDU7TXpeNS_TTrEwupQHlUcXRh9HzEtzcaSiLz4GZEKDzjYpJYFQx4zqzLvK-C54GbXIwnyPCk413WR50dtqk8hXUybdGuA/s1600/P1020346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdIxsM4sIWEN8pTdF471MAtiDgS8C9NM99tVsihDU7TXpeNS_TTrEwupQHlUcXRh9HzEtzcaSiLz4GZEKDzjYpJYFQx4zqzLvK-C54GbXIwnyPCk413WR50dtqk8hXUybdGuA/s640/P1020346.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People climbing to the top of the Gompa.</td></tr>
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We took frequent breaks, but finally managed to reach the top. The view from the top is breathtaking, and you can see the whole valley. Padum looks very close from here, due to the distance illusion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1yp-5wPijOZ_LbYIsFIsDNuFHwKrI7QPMdwye_OkLHc8M7PctcFeuEtbZmfVoNvXInjitCUzCuOGomNqcpg7OD2edhq17uzjosVZmbGwh0ZxP4EuxecnxkJzavIoaF6aW8di/s1600/P1020349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1yp-5wPijOZ_LbYIsFIsDNuFHwKrI7QPMdwye_OkLHc8M7PctcFeuEtbZmfVoNvXInjitCUzCuOGomNqcpg7OD2edhq17uzjosVZmbGwh0ZxP4EuxecnxkJzavIoaF6aW8di/s640/P1020349.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Padum valley, with the imposing mountains as the backdrop.</td></tr>
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There was a reason why we wanted to reach the top of the monastery. Every year, the monastery holds an annual 3-day festival, and today was the last day of that festival. This was our first encounter of a buddhist festival.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNxDM5Ss1DhovtzRYFpiw10DgBzZDFV-fnOJAgoJ9Vz4OEXwQPJnB12kC1IS6J2x5-51ifT4kSUceYtinn2l7qDP_vesTP9okgS1eQcsbFKu6SdKSI1c2raXlLVfwKgp-UinI/s1600/P1020351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNxDM5Ss1DhovtzRYFpiw10DgBzZDFV-fnOJAgoJ9Vz4OEXwQPJnB12kC1IS6J2x5-51ifT4kSUceYtinn2l7qDP_vesTP9okgS1eQcsbFKu6SdKSI1c2raXlLVfwKgp-UinI/s640/P1020351.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festival at the Karsha Gompa.</td></tr>
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The locals were already gathered for the festivities. There was no shade available, and we were getting hot and tired. There were plenty of foreigners too - some of them had travelled all the way to Karsha - just for the event. We learned that this is the only time during the year, when the public can see the high priests of the Gompa.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQYAxfqBlvYYg8hRsh6qLl2k_v5ptoNqyDUkzTPN6T7Sgt7I0hJ_p_sD8V_0szHikhVytF8tUiEQF8y7VhO8WdDylFcZLbPLKU_GZPoMSxDViFvMKTQ-q91gFKL5ziryvYnM-/s1600/P1020361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQYAxfqBlvYYg8hRsh6qLl2k_v5ptoNqyDUkzTPN6T7Sgt7I0hJ_p_sD8V_0szHikhVytF8tUiEQF8y7VhO8WdDylFcZLbPLKU_GZPoMSxDViFvMKTQ-q91gFKL5ziryvYnM-/s640/P1020361.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Karsha Gompa Festival.</td></tr>
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The program started at around 1 P.M. It started with monks arriving with trumpets and drums, with dancing and parades.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy8zM0dXIia5YoLyFALjjNun_47r64Mpo9ea-MPsiaQaGvaB2XXVOjk9Y0Lz5GuOvAkFWRBhVtt455YXkDPY-asolvRXm0VzBEZ-6tW_-6rbIn9qVPwjIWHd3RyYn8VgrH6oD/s1600/P1020363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy8zM0dXIia5YoLyFALjjNun_47r64Mpo9ea-MPsiaQaGvaB2XXVOjk9Y0Lz5GuOvAkFWRBhVtt455YXkDPY-asolvRXm0VzBEZ-6tW_-6rbIn9qVPwjIWHd3RyYn8VgrH6oD/s640/P1020363.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A monk lighting the candles to start the festivities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdYcrz_Or4I3K8T36cmB-CpAiPxXkS1wqZYI8o9pdtg0L2SHRDu1Wmb5c03cioaUmb3iz_UOerJ99JRmHaz3lSJGJfC9zMX4t6ouFEH7pcYv6jo-70MOjHXev9BuiIw4vkAb5/s1600/P1020371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdYcrz_Or4I3K8T36cmB-CpAiPxXkS1wqZYI8o9pdtg0L2SHRDu1Wmb5c03cioaUmb3iz_UOerJ99JRmHaz3lSJGJfC9zMX4t6ouFEH7pcYv6jo-70MOjHXev9BuiIw4vkAb5/s640/P1020371.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parade of people and animals.</td></tr>
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I would have loved to stay for the entire event, but my son had enough, and the sun was making it unbearable for us to stay any longer. We decided to head back to Padum.<br />
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My brother wanted to walk all the way back to our hotel, which would take us another 3 hours but I thought it would be too risky to walk in such hot sun, and I did not want to risk getting sun stroke. We hired a jeep and returned back to the hotel.<br />
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Oh...and regarding the horses, we did find one horseman (perhaps the only horseman) who was willing to take his horses to Lamayuru. We immediately paid him a down-payment and agreed to meet him the next morning in Pishu (a liitle further from Karsha) to commence our trek.<br />
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Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-5425825170608537632012-08-11T13:22:00.000-07:002012-08-11T13:22:09.124-07:00Understanding 36 mega-pixels.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I purchased the <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/i-am-now-fx-shooter.html">Nikon D800</a> more than 1 month back, and I have been really enjoying the amazing detail and colors that this camera produces.<br />
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One of the key features of the camera is its massive 36 mega-pixel full frame sensor. It is capable of capturing detail that even our eyes cannot pick up.<br />
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To understand what I mean, look at the picture below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2RJoU8IKu3Q4LnepIuNHX-Eg8gO_BmKsKXTrkRmJY-ahl1YBnlOVjDQ1A5ab4Io0b7sG8DibcQz2GysAEWaUh-Mqy4JTNPxlWMYo237umFI4-7oyWEDYk6yIoRmapjE7ZU3F/s1600/100percentcrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2RJoU8IKu3Q4LnepIuNHX-Eg8gO_BmKsKXTrkRmJY-ahl1YBnlOVjDQ1A5ab4Io0b7sG8DibcQz2GysAEWaUh-Mqy4JTNPxlWMYo237umFI4-7oyWEDYk6yIoRmapjE7ZU3F/s1600/100percentcrop.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100% crop of a 36-megapixel image. D800 with 70-200 f2.8 VR</td></tr>
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This is a picture of my daughter's eye. She was standing on the beach. You can clearly see the sunset and the waves, as well as my silhouette, as I stood in front of her with my camera.<br />
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This is the actual picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGXVZsfphox_KUzyQXcKHNyK0xn3CJjk9aAmpivrdbWtbGGcergzJwjO-f3OVLUfbacauw0sw4f476ag2_lqYKh5q2_Nnp1ub-Gfm4r5ukSJxH0UMExikiH4iNsezYbtvY7qH/s1600/reference+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGXVZsfphox_KUzyQXcKHNyK0xn3CJjk9aAmpivrdbWtbGGcergzJwjO-f3OVLUfbacauw0sw4f476ag2_lqYKh5q2_Nnp1ub-Gfm4r5ukSJxH0UMExikiH4iNsezYbtvY7qH/s640/reference+pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It doesn't get any more impressive than this.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-82117143746080512072012-08-09T16:00:00.000-07:002012-08-09T16:00:04.760-07:00Padum to Lamayuru Trek.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ONzx5wOfkdykhcWcK2N_KMRQQoDFruwtO6NXday33PNULjfSqvq4bifkgSiWSAN9kgUjNx50YEetj7JC_baApcsRcMzGSw0LoM3sU3bqsC3BPmQjXl4m7WB09qWXyXH3N2Yt/s1600/Trekking+Route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ONzx5wOfkdykhcWcK2N_KMRQQoDFruwtO6NXday33PNULjfSqvq4bifkgSiWSAN9kgUjNx50YEetj7JC_baApcsRcMzGSw0LoM3sU3bqsC3BPmQjXl4m7WB09qWXyXH3N2Yt/s640/Trekking+Route.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padum-Lamayuru trekking route (data generated by by<a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/igotu-gt-800-gps-logger-review.html"> GPS Logger</a>)</td></tr>
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The Padum to Lamayuru trek has to be one of the most challenging treks in India. Cutting through the remote Zanskar region in Ladakh, the trek goes through several high mountains passes (some reaching as high as 5000 meters). It is a fantastic trekking option if you:<br />
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1. Are physically fit.<br />
2. Not scared of heights.<br />
3. Do not suffer suffer from HAS (High Altitude Sickness).<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
The first 2 points are easy to figure out, but how to know if you might suffer from HAS?. The best way would be to travel to Leh (altitude 3,500 meters), and acclimatize by staying there for 2-3 days. If you don't get sick, you can proceed with the trek.<br />
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While it is possible to do the trek from Padum to Lamayuru, it should be noted that rough (but motorable) road links Padum to Pishu (marked in blue line in the map above). At the other end of the trek, there is a motorable road from Photoskar to Lamayuru. So in reality, the actual trek can be made from Pishu to Photoskar, and you can arrange to have a car pick you up in Photoskar. So instead of it being a 10 day trek, it can be reduced to 5-6 days.<br />
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Our actual trek was from Pishu to Hanupatta (after Photoskar). The reason we trekked all the way to Hanupatta was that we had not made any arrangements for pick-up at Photoskar, so we had to continue an additional day of trekking to Hanupatta, where there are cars available that can take you straight to Leh.<br />
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To start the trek, we had to first travel to Padum, and the only way one can reach Padum, is via a very long and unpaved road from Kargil. The journey from Kargil to Padum takes approximately 10 hours by car (which can you hire in Kargil for about Rs. 12,000). The road winds through some fantastic Ladakh scenery, and gives you a taste of what you will encounter during the actual trek.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzzaUqPw7boipkYyXWcowqAF1L606iCl99qqqaJrqr0kLb_YrXYT-NuWli-xcYYvvZuT2cN1RCrYoyux0Bzi2W9bXCjHavBOV6Nd6KrvVTE5raqOLfpFKOCHO3Ns2vE8-D5OF/s1600/P1020319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzzaUqPw7boipkYyXWcowqAF1L606iCl99qqqaJrqr0kLb_YrXYT-NuWli-xcYYvvZuT2cN1RCrYoyux0Bzi2W9bXCjHavBOV6Nd6KrvVTE5raqOLfpFKOCHO3Ns2vE8-D5OF/s640/P1020319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long and winding road from Kargil to Padum.</td></tr>
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Some people prefer to do the trek from the other side (i.e. from Lamayuru to Padum), especially those who travel directly to Leh, as Lamayuru is just a few hours drive from Leh, while Padum is a 2 days drive from Leh (via Kargil). Also the Lamayuru to Padum route is a bit more easier since you are coming down from a higher altitude to a lower altitude, but it is just as challenging. And you still have to do the 2 days drive from Padum back to Leh, since there is no other motorable route out of Padum.<br />
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Since we were travelling from Srinagar, it made more sense for us to start the trek from Padum, and then travel to Leh. We first travelled from Sringar to Kargil (Elevation : 3,800 meters).<br />
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Kargil is a bustling town. We managed to find a decent hotel and decided to hit the bed early, in order to prepare ourselves for the very long journey to Padum the following day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgYMedE8NCIG52CN7xRyQAbAt-yvBMlLu81hVKm-2tEyUSHWE1CQLFKba2CePALlsoNoHTqS13ooYyqk-txIw-0CY9bpXfSGowhSBbI2UVIlacGLZQp9sb1Smvj7_JFC42JRV/s1600/P1020212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgYMedE8NCIG52CN7xRyQAbAt-yvBMlLu81hVKm-2tEyUSHWE1CQLFKba2CePALlsoNoHTqS13ooYyqk-txIw-0CY9bpXfSGowhSBbI2UVIlacGLZQp9sb1Smvj7_JFC42JRV/s640/P1020212.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kargil</td></tr>
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Our driver came to the hotel early in the morning at about 5 A.M. We quickly loaded all our luggage and hit the road. The road is bad and your body keeps bouncing in the car, like a roller coaster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBq1cmJODnJiWH4iWrNjWnL0ru7NszBhAbOs-HUSJYOP9AcJ_PWXv52gdkoDoZfWSGUfbdgNjuy6QOH-c8NAtNvyEYyIannCXcCh5w_z-vvz90bKlGP8XPDn70-y9GNrV3A-k/s1600/P1020285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBq1cmJODnJiWH4iWrNjWnL0ru7NszBhAbOs-HUSJYOP9AcJ_PWXv52gdkoDoZfWSGUfbdgNjuy6QOH-c8NAtNvyEYyIannCXcCh5w_z-vvz90bKlGP8XPDn70-y9GNrV3A-k/s640/P1020285.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to Padum</td></tr>
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The views, on the other hand, are fantastic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNQNtRxSGafG6YhqqPEJyqzf0gNFXc2UkrPScTRh2ghNTA98xguwwTBxCNhXiIsHr3Yg3hyphenhyphenohtjmg6D0vDfOaFwrx7zX2cJXr4V4j-B1FK8JwWAkw8unrmwlUlOeXc5uVmDCA/s1600/Darang-Durung+Glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNQNtRxSGafG6YhqqPEJyqzf0gNFXc2UkrPScTRh2ghNTA98xguwwTBxCNhXiIsHr3Yg3hyphenhyphenohtjmg6D0vDfOaFwrx7zX2cJXr4V4j-B1FK8JwWAkw8unrmwlUlOeXc5uVmDCA/s640/Darang-Durung+Glacier.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darang-Durung Glacier on the Kargil-Padum Road</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOcLTZ-meYaKDfFE9bK-GAFfaednuo4A3bVAmqWcIeLp7UO1daLaGkGtD9CRk4e8VZOsQ3vfyMsHkDm14egu3ykyFkyEkeV48m-TBuBrpIvJCtfyY9WLEzK4v-6HaAtbFDscl/s1600/Rangdum+Gonpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOcLTZ-meYaKDfFE9bK-GAFfaednuo4A3bVAmqWcIeLp7UO1daLaGkGtD9CRk4e8VZOsQ3vfyMsHkDm14egu3ykyFkyEkeV48m-TBuBrpIvJCtfyY9WLEzK4v-6HaAtbFDscl/s640/Rangdum+Gonpa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first view of a Gonpa (Buddhist Monastery) in the Zanskar valley. Rangdom Gonpa.</td></tr>
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The road goes over the very high Penzila Pass (14,000 feet or about 4,300 meters above sea level). Stop here for a few minutes to enjoy the scenic beauty of the Zanskar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4My5uILOGSWLyQoeK50ST4LAXvCuaEmo_jyima7jODylWOyyoRNZmgC_oKm6riwTQpYTpdAnkVa-GOzgjiY4TNPNQChEZ2uCaBDu08SL1ydOdwYzZvFZ2m3ZebNHEo34VKo26/s1600/Penzila+Pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4My5uILOGSWLyQoeK50ST4LAXvCuaEmo_jyima7jODylWOyyoRNZmgC_oKm6riwTQpYTpdAnkVa-GOzgjiY4TNPNQChEZ2uCaBDu08SL1ydOdwYzZvFZ2m3ZebNHEo34VKo26/s640/Penzila+Pass.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penzila Pass (approximately 4,300 meters above sea level).</td></tr>
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Finally, at around 4 p.m., we arrived (tired and stiff) in Padum. Padum is a small town that sustains itself mostly from trekking tourism. It is a starting point for either the Padum-Lamayuru trek, or the more popular Padum-Darcha trek. There are a number of hotels and restaurants with facilities for telephone and internet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZcVtApV64miYGvglJtycHU1lWFrlRoo8qEc4NK_Mkn-vFz1rmCLE700jCEZR6w1PpYnZQch0JOG1CJnR8LYEhoVW9qPf2JXxSTHeI5cvHL3BCY2yDaDRLsWQo8WbiyNvTCSV/s1600/Padum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZcVtApV64miYGvglJtycHU1lWFrlRoo8qEc4NK_Mkn-vFz1rmCLE700jCEZR6w1PpYnZQch0JOG1CJnR8LYEhoVW9qPf2JXxSTHeI5cvHL3BCY2yDaDRLsWQo8WbiyNvTCSV/s640/Padum.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padum Town.</td></tr>
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We managed to find a room in the Tourist Hotel, which provides cheap but decent rooms. Our plan was to find some horses in Padum, and then commence our trek the following day.<br />
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As it turned out, things did not go exactly as we planned. Details of that will follow in the next post.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-88998923697705678152012-08-08T07:47:00.000-07:002012-08-08T07:47:21.271-07:00World's Most Dangerous Road - The Zoji-La<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zogi Pass (Zogi-La)</td></tr>
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According to <a href="http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/worlds-deadliest-roads-098394?page=0,1">this CNN article</a>, The Zogi Pass (or the Zogi-La as it is known in Kashmir), is the 5th most dangerous road in the world.<br />
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I disagree. It should be atleast number 3. The 2 other roads mentioned as more dangerous are not really that dangerous. At no. 3 is "The Highway of Death" in Iraq. Well, that's not really a dangerous road. It was just something that got bombed during the Iraq war. And the road listed at no. 2 (The Road of Death, Bolivia) is no longer an active road as there is an alternative road available for travellers there.<br />
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The Zogi-la, on the other hand, is part of National Highway 1 linking Srinagar to Leh (Ladakh), and is the lifeline connecting these 2 places in north India.<br />
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During our recent trekking trip to Ladakh, we were forced to travel on this road as there was no other alternative. My first reaction when we hit the road was "WTF?". My brothers reaction was a bit more practical - but more on that later.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Once you cross Sonamarg (the starting point of the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarnath_Temple">Amarnath Yatra</a>), you immediately hit the Zogi Pass. The BRO (Border Roads Organization), which builds and maintains all the roads in Kashmir region has actually created 2 different routes on the Zogi. Our driver decided to take the top one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpn6lzUShLV6oxJ8lp-R7BFjHUec36C5jWmfnerw7DC8_VrcLzAUJcwAv7rduNqrB5NjfwG6-ptiWD_Nr6nqWirfm8JmEOpGQp91ljUqwWc8emGP0buMj0GKaiciyvwEPXq3X/s1600/P1020099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpn6lzUShLV6oxJ8lp-R7BFjHUec36C5jWmfnerw7DC8_VrcLzAUJcwAv7rduNqrB5NjfwG6-ptiWD_Nr6nqWirfm8JmEOpGQp91ljUqwWc8emGP0buMj0GKaiciyvwEPXq3X/s640/P1020099.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of Zogi Pass, overlooking Sonamarg.</td></tr>
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A zig-zag route that resembles a trekking path took our car straight up on the Zogi mountain. When my 8-year old niece first saw the above picture, her comment was "oh...pretty and colorful pebbles". I had to explain to her that those are not pebbles, but tents about 600 meters straight below in the valley.<br />
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The road (and I use the word "road" very loosely here), is always under maintenance. I assume this is because of the mountain itself. The mountain appears to be made up of loose gravel, and landslides on this road are not un-common. In fact, during winter time, the road is closed disconnecting all access from Srinagar to Leh.<br />
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We happened to reach the pass at the exact time some maintenance work was going on. We were calmly told by the supervisor that we were stuck for 2 hours till they complete their work for the day. Since the work was being carried out on the top road, the bottom road was also closed by default, due to the rocks falling on the bottom road.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIwaXg5iGbxQDluRR3MUFwnB2NZ19yhIeR4vWrgCgNjMSz87Dz6Gj3LuimMkxNGW3xDJfE2pxKd1Gnwe5Y1lVtVf25OVm80LKpfNvbo-GlcMMdnCDzbfPnmiK9PTybTk4yjUq/s1600/P1020125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIwaXg5iGbxQDluRR3MUFwnB2NZ19yhIeR4vWrgCgNjMSz87Dz6Gj3LuimMkxNGW3xDJfE2pxKd1Gnwe5Y1lVtVf25OVm80LKpfNvbo-GlcMMdnCDzbfPnmiK9PTybTk4yjUq/s640/P1020125.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truck carrying construction workers and equipment.</td></tr>
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The road seems to be hacked out of the mountain using crude tools, with loose rocks on one side, and a 600 meter straight drop on the other. There are no barriers for protection and no place to pass safely.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7JsmQain3XHRLIVouuK47QYh34s-StUH8c2R6sXDmkX3ipMeUbNK8pLJ0JzD3cuAvxp4f2OnFGXiY3cU_O0aLv1SG-JcmrSTQzs3dE2vQs8QkbYiIrQZGIICfHjgvhGZVyw2/s1600/P1020166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7JsmQain3XHRLIVouuK47QYh34s-StUH8c2R6sXDmkX3ipMeUbNK8pLJ0JzD3cuAvxp4f2OnFGXiY3cU_O0aLv1SG-JcmrSTQzs3dE2vQs8QkbYiIrQZGIICfHjgvhGZVyw2/s640/P1020166.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge boulder is shoved down the mountain.</td></tr>
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I could only marvel at the steel nerves of the construction workers, as they delicately shifted huge rocks and gravel over the side of the mountain. Even a slightest mistake here would mean certain death for the operators of the cranes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkKB2ln2vKusWydJmDQr4yIo76uM90rXTsc71Ih05Mylro3YKbPsNlKbcWZGnFi1wAi53HKAyBRkIbDZNEvCzgN4_3aR6FlKHDGJQ59tjUISJCJ55POjiEBc1Mfo3eardMpse/s1600/P1020160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkKB2ln2vKusWydJmDQr4yIo76uM90rXTsc71Ih05Mylro3YKbPsNlKbcWZGnFi1wAi53HKAyBRkIbDZNEvCzgN4_3aR6FlKHDGJQ59tjUISJCJ55POjiEBc1Mfo3eardMpse/s640/P1020160.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was shivering as I watched the crane operator go right at the edge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig29TGaVd_UZ6BjB-EQk_GbEkDNpUCAnKuBFIohz-d5AyylwxolXU94191dvLrK7eDbER6FLRElIs9qvDrVpFeiY3qUszAXIYUs0y1d3J1ghi-vvTqi7sjoPHtJidO-eR6Zr6c/s1600/P1020145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig29TGaVd_UZ6BjB-EQk_GbEkDNpUCAnKuBFIohz-d5AyylwxolXU94191dvLrK7eDbER6FLRElIs9qvDrVpFeiY3qUszAXIYUs0y1d3J1ghi-vvTqi7sjoPHtJidO-eR6Zr6c/s640/P1020145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress on the Zogi-La.</td></tr>
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While we patiently waited for the work to finish, my brother decided the best way to safely cross the pass was by walking. He packed his daybag and headed off while we sat in the car. I thought of joining him - but then, who would take the pictures?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJqDWm9-AUrptyHKP9v0SFcth5kMYepC2jMDl51R33v-E4bYCSS4S2rD4l-ZAU7pvSkjLxGqwSQTHp_Tpyze-jIHzlSYIrjgWH_nRJdkmZjaarwiM4XcEh0WV7FXhiDEx5k1f/s1600/P1020153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJqDWm9-AUrptyHKP9v0SFcth5kMYepC2jMDl51R33v-E4bYCSS4S2rD4l-ZAU7pvSkjLxGqwSQTHp_Tpyze-jIHzlSYIrjgWH_nRJdkmZjaarwiM4XcEh0WV7FXhiDEx5k1f/s640/P1020153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We suddenly noticed some traffic on the lower route of the Zogi-La. The road is supposed to be closed, so it's not clear how they managed to get right under where the construction work was going on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdOz7s56H0sTxER1hrRxIVdcxyTtnwO2WBu_WajYpHBJKoSI14QgwJf0QS8Jxx6YTB2Sp8Xc9g-gW3o4kGWb3wAdVngN2TMIJ12oSmQ2bBaoS-xYCW5hFYQVVVmefC146Iksz/s1600/P1020132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdOz7s56H0sTxER1hrRxIVdcxyTtnwO2WBu_WajYpHBJKoSI14QgwJf0QS8Jxx6YTB2Sp8Xc9g-gW3o4kGWb3wAdVngN2TMIJ12oSmQ2bBaoS-xYCW5hFYQVVVmefC146Iksz/s640/P1020132.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cars on the lower route.</td></tr>
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The workers frantically started waving everything they could to make them stop. Luckily they did, and they were directed by hand signals to go back, and come on the upper route. I have no idea how they managed to reverse on that narrow road. I was too scared to look down.<br />
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Eventually after 2 hours, the workers completed their work and cleared the path for us to pass. I closed my eyes as we navigated the pass. No pictures.<br />
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As we reached the end of the pass, we found my brother who had trekked for more than 2 hours and crossed the entire pass on foot. Perhaps its the safest way to cross the Zogi after all!.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-85210011248612745732012-08-01T20:10:00.000-07:002012-08-01T20:10:40.252-07:00The Trek that almost never happened.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzX2dVNFtNq5lgzOCt4pRbsevdqtmKLeAY8LzVLhGaoEJYr3WZAoT6OcztchfhUM3oItP-AySz4d_j9jrEaXHrJDgSXbGarMgSzg4jAmdx2RV7q44wBC4GnGDZ4vm6R4rAtve/s1600/P1020810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKzX2dVNFtNq5lgzOCt4pRbsevdqtmKLeAY8LzVLhGaoEJYr3WZAoT6OcztchfhUM3oItP-AySz4d_j9jrEaXHrJDgSXbGarMgSzg4jAmdx2RV7q44wBC4GnGDZ4vm6R4rAtve/s640/P1020810.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Padum-Lamayuru Trek.</td></tr>
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After nearly a year of planning, we finally selected our Ladakh trek (Padum to Lamayuru), and traveled to Srinagar to commence our trek. However, the entire trip seemed like a series of misadventures, designed to ensure that we do not go ahead with our trekking plans. If we managed to do this trek, it was because of sheer determination, and a huge dose of luck.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">1. The lost suitcase:</span></u></b> When we landed in Srinagar, we found that our suitcase (containing key trekking equipment) was missing. Without the suitcase, it would be extremely difficult to proceed with the trek. Besides the trekking equipment, it also contained the Nikon D3200 camera, which I was carrying for a friend, and the money from the camera would be used to partly fund the trek.<br />
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After submitting the lost luggage report, we had to wait patiently for 1 day till Air-India located our suitcase in Delhi, and had it transferred to Srinagar. It also meant we were already 1 day behind schedule.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eGMS0cOiIY3nmFU9TznvItbDyrGmvHe_Wc50bFh3c-SCpHjRlPrqhx9YGCZsjbY_P3Nqc-oSVL54Eexc2_ioqzek3voHBAsxftGWcl8-oWb6awgo7XQBz1UYp7q2IgJtyv6o/s1600/lost+suitcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eGMS0cOiIY3nmFU9TznvItbDyrGmvHe_Wc50bFh3c-SCpHjRlPrqhx9YGCZsjbY_P3Nqc-oSVL54Eexc2_ioqzek3voHBAsxftGWcl8-oWb6awgo7XQBz1UYp7q2IgJtyv6o/s640/lost+suitcase.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lost Suitcase.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>2. The missing travel agent:</u></span></b> Our trekking plans were supposed to be finalized by our travel agent. When we landed in Srinagar, there was no sign of the travel agent. We were at a complete loss as to what to do next. After collecting our suitcase from Air-India office, we finally decided to take our bags and head to Leh, where we would (hopefully) be able to locate someone who could make the necessary arrangements for our trek.<br />
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We hired a taxi and decided to make the 2 day journey to Leh. As we were driving off, our travel agent finally got in touch with us (he had been urgently called to a remote region and had no access to phone). We cancelled our taxi and headed back to the boat-house to wait for our travel agent to return. One more day lost.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">3. The reluctant guide/cook:</span></u></b> As it turned out, the travel agent had not made any concrete plans for our trek. An elderly person from Srinagar was hastily brought and we were told that he would be our guide and cook. Guides should ideally be local with good experience of the local terrain. Someone from Srinagar is not the right person to act as a guide in the harsh Ladakh region.<br />
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Matters got worse as we started our journey to Padum (via Kargil). The guide kept insisting that we will not be able to do the trek. Guides are supposed to encourage us - not discourage us. When we finally reached Padum, I guess he realized we were serious about doing the trek. He finally came clean and confessed that he did not want to do the trek as it was too hard for him. We gave him some money and sent him home.<br />
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We were not only behind schedule, but we were now without a guide or a cook.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">4. The missing/runaway gas cylinder:</span></u></b> We started our journey by car from Srinagar to Padum early in the morning. After about 30 minutes, our reluctant guide realized that he had not put the gas cylinder in the car. We had no option but to turn back and collect the cylinder.<br />
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But our gas cylinder troubles would not be over so soon. The gas cylinder had a life of its own - like you see in those horror movies - and it would continue to haunt us every day.<br />
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- The cylinder was empty, which meant we had to find a place to fill it up (not an easy thing to do in Kashmir). We kept stopping at every shop but no one was willing to give us a full cylinder. Finally, in Kargil, we found a shop that was willing to give us a full cylinder at 3 times its normal price. We hastily paid the premium and picked up a full cylinder. If we had reached there 5 minutes later, we would have not got that either - as the shop was about to close.<br />
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- On the second day of the trek, the horse that was carrying the gas cylinder was getting nervous. When the horseman went to calm the horse, the gas cylinder came loose, smashed the horseman's toe, and went flying off to the bottom of the mountain (a drop of more than 400 meters). We were now without gas, and an injured horseman. It seemed like our trekking adventures for 2012 were over. Without gas, we would be without food in the middle of nowhere. By sheer determination, our injured horseman (the one and only Mr. Shashi), went to the bottom of the ravine, and hauled the cylinder all the way up. I had expected the cylinder to either explode, or be smashed to bits - but it appears that Hindustan Petroleum makes sturdy cylinders (or it was really evil). It survived.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAEbMCn69Yh79jISeDa6ZLBMeB6TkJvKzCcwlXn9KJ3SM7cHNpQ7Nb1PdoDdSZFH9Hx9UFoi7mZiNILmBa1rjW4-n3jyoJeqA5J1UGchcZQy1UL-7EbcfaOkX9vl-67NQiA3i/s1600/P1020872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNAEbMCn69Yh79jISeDa6ZLBMeB6TkJvKzCcwlXn9KJ3SM7cHNpQ7Nb1PdoDdSZFH9Hx9UFoi7mZiNILmBa1rjW4-n3jyoJeqA5J1UGchcZQy1UL-7EbcfaOkX9vl-67NQiA3i/s640/P1020872.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shashi - carrying the heavy gas cylinder from the ravine.</td></tr>
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But the cylinder would not give up so easily. On the 7th day, it repeated the drama, and Mr. Shashi again went to the bottom of another ravine - and retrieved the cylinder.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">5. The runaway horses:</span></u></b> When we finally arrived in Padum, we expected to find horses to carry our luggage. But every horseman that we checked with, refused to come on the Padum-Lamayuru trek. All tried to convince us to do the Padum-Darcha trek. Apparently, the trek from Padum to Lamayuru is over harsh terrain, without any grass for the horses. Perhaps our reluctant guide was right after all.<br />
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We eventually managed to locate one horseman who agreed to do the trek - but once again - at a premium. We had no choice but to give in to his demands and paid him the deposit.<br />
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We were getting excited to finally start the trek and went off to get a good nights rest. We were rudely awakened in the middle of the night by the horseman. Apparently, 2 of his horses had run away and he could not locate them. He returned our money and we were once again back to square one. One more day lost.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>6. The missing horses:</u></span></b> We were on the point of giving up and opting for the Padum-Darcha trek (also called the Ladies trek). We decided to give one final shot by walking to the nearby town of Karsha. We found one horseman willing to go to Lamayuru. We grabbed him and shoved the money in his pocket and agreed to meet up with him the next morning at another village called Pishu. The next morning, as we loaded our luggage and headed off to Pishu, we found our horseman wandering aimlessly in the desert. Apparently, his horses also ran away. But he assured us that he would find them, and instructed us to wait for him in Pishu. We waited patiently for 4 hours. If we did not start off today, we would not make it in time. Finally at around 1 p.m., we saw our horseman (Mr. Shashi) with all his horses walking towards us. We were ready to start our trek.<br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">7. The "Shawn" factor: </span></u></b>The last time we did our trek in Srinagar, we had hired a dedicated horse for my son, to assist him while traversing difficult passes. We did the same this year. But we were not told of one key piece of information until we reached the mountains. It is not a good idea to use horses for climbing passes on this trek. It is just too steep and too dangerous. This meant that Shawn would have to scale all the mountains on his own.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBva2MFdhRxsadVAmrHnoPg7nPS54HF1am3Goz9IQmtp6wvzy0ocnGBcsQN4j9dwjADkZasrbQxuwvCBYAOI5NY4-tkEbQfi-Z818Rrt56l3xs6gvqsMLJHNMF30q6nfT4CtZb/s1600/P1020592.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBva2MFdhRxsadVAmrHnoPg7nPS54HF1am3Goz9IQmtp6wvzy0ocnGBcsQN4j9dwjADkZasrbQxuwvCBYAOI5NY4-tkEbQfi-Z818Rrt56l3xs6gvqsMLJHNMF30q6nfT4CtZb/s320/P1020592.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son Shawn scaling one of the passes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These mountains are big, and the ascents are steep and slippery. I thought of cancelling our trip and returning back, but we were already too far in the mountains. I would not only have to do this hard trek, but I would also have to assist Shawn every step of the way.<br />
<br />
When my wife sees all the pictures and the videos, I am pretty confident that I will be forbidden to take Shawn on any future treks until he reaches voting age.<br />
<br />
But in the end, we did it. We completed the Padum-Lamayuru trek and we felt a sense of achievement doing this on our own. I have taken plenty of pictures to document our journey, which I will do over the course of the following weeks.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-27395656971350434242012-06-22T07:16:00.000-07:002012-06-22T07:16:33.988-07:00iGotU GT-800 GPS Logger - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7CdzXyjfx8dPXUwgfvk_FRpIgnLLELfwyyLjno76aulY7rbO-ePIP8Tde7DaqaMDN97eZZTY3XDLeJcPTZOmhTMeR_G_QotCdQTscOLOXn6UCmVf9Qtt9uc8ZW93kELvhb63/s1600/P1010556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7CdzXyjfx8dPXUwgfvk_FRpIgnLLELfwyyLjno76aulY7rbO-ePIP8Tde7DaqaMDN97eZZTY3XDLeJcPTZOmhTMeR_G_QotCdQTscOLOXn6UCmVf9Qtt9uc8ZW93kELvhb63/s640/P1010556.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iGotU GT-800 GPS Logger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've been experimenting with different methods of geo-tagging my photos. The <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-geo-tag-your-photos.html">last experiment</a> I tried was with my Samsung smart-phone, plus a free application from the Google market-place. It works fine but it made me realize that for long trekking trips, it would be more advisable to have a dedicated GPS logger. After some research, I decided to go with the<a href="http://www.amazon.com/i-gotU-GT-800-Travel-Sports-Computer/dp/B004Z1R8UK/"> igotU GT-800</a> (yes, I know its a very strange name). Reviews were mostly positive, and the price (though not cheap), seemed reasonable. The following features attracted me to this device over others:<br />
<br />
1. IPX 7 water-proof (1 meter underwater for 30 minutes).<br />
2. Small size (you can wear it like a watch, with the supplied strap).<br />
3. Motion sensor which automatically puts it to sleep when not moving - thereby conserving battery power.<br />
4. Comes with software to geo-tag your photos, and then show them on the map.<br />
5. Has lots of bonus features such as pedometer, current speed, compass etc.<br />
<br />
In short, a geeky device. Just my sort of thing.<br />
<br />
I was a little wary of the battery as it runs on a rechargeable battery. Ideally, I would have preferred a device that runs on AA batteries, so that I could carry spares with me, when it runs out of juice. The GT-800 comes with a rechargeable battery that charges via USB. This would be a problem for long treks where there is no access to electricity, but since I have resolved that problem with a <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/solar-charging-solution.html">Voltaic solar charger</a>, this should no longer be an issue. In fact, when I first received the device, I charged it with the solar charger, just to make sure everything will work in the wilderness, when we go for our trek in Ladakh next month.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The GT-800 is equipped with a SiRF Star III Low Power chipset. It has difficulty getting a satellite lock-on while indoors (but since I've faced that problems with all GPS devices, I don't consider that to be a problem). Once we are outdoors, however, it acquires the satellite lock very easily. <br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
The device is very light, and comfortably fits my hand (with the supplied strap). I kept it on me the whole day and it felt like I was wearing a watch - abeit a big watch that seems like it is crying for attention with its bright yellow bezel.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">At the end of the day, I downloaded all the photos that I took with my camera (I had made sure that both the camera and the GPS logger time are in sync).</span><br />
<br />
The supplied software "@trip PC" (yes, another strange name) is straight-forward. It installs the device drivers (software works on Windows 7 and Windows Vista only - as per the CD), and launches a simple-to-use interface.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkOtv5YLs4_nv5XZuoj7v6_4qFD38gGUTeGvmeDAb5IQOlMbva5xFenRmetrfVceyGmW_7r6xcR1gmc1zhKfxhtiiHiY39DOu9sGK1bIngxslVkFGHFjwd26BFuur1Hd7VOhC/s1600/TripPC+Software.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkOtv5YLs4_nv5XZuoj7v6_4qFD38gGUTeGvmeDAb5IQOlMbva5xFenRmetrfVceyGmW_7r6xcR1gmc1zhKfxhtiiHiY39DOu9sGK1bIngxslVkFGHFjwd26BFuur1Hd7VOhC/s640/TripPC+Software.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@trip PC Software</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Using the software, you can download the GPS data from the device, and use that data to geo-tag your photos, or create a trip report or both. <span style="background-color: white;">A simple wizard-style interface guides you through the process of creating your trip, and geo-tagging your photos.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh66KOfDY_rbUohHfao-xc31iim4cSWsHcYtbDRXeaqA-n18Y7ByQQ5ddfo4T1GbMjPUrkgA4D397Je81M5Z9GGWgSSfKYU5zEhswMuu3N1mosgzchJubwJaGtPG75Cg5A1dod/s1600/Importing+from+Device.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh66KOfDY_rbUohHfao-xc31iim4cSWsHcYtbDRXeaqA-n18Y7ByQQ5ddfo4T1GbMjPUrkgA4D397Je81M5Z9GGWgSSfKYU5zEhswMuu3N1mosgzchJubwJaGtPG75Cg5A1dod/s640/Importing+from+Device.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wizard interface guides you through the process.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The software comes with different styles for creating your trip report.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzHGWHwPPKogeaiIau6oMqcA8UV8HEMRsOuoJui6VPteDyyt7m46eGwF1JpM9yTfUuYkGN8Ez2b9wRY41arQDbFxczreZleIjVcKDPlib87CqiQljiB2UYYwyZtsYlxzhvmLq/s1600/Select+Trip+Style.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzHGWHwPPKogeaiIau6oMqcA8UV8HEMRsOuoJui6VPteDyyt7m46eGwF1JpM9yTfUuYkGN8Ez2b9wRY41arQDbFxczreZleIjVcKDPlib87CqiQljiB2UYYwyZtsYlxzhvmLq/s640/Select+Trip+Style.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trip styple.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once you trip is created, and the photos are geo-tagged, you can view them directly on the map, or even lauch Google Earth and view them via Google Earth.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiso2y-svyRXZgOeMp7vSx-cqjCfHz_ZJCg1OHdD3Wk-S4zyavVl4PXHzaSOT7g4F8xaocEMsCoSjMyKwhwlJPYt6Kj_B5zGUL7nD4APguHgODSwJ0mYWlqnmytzGXU6MULqJIY/s1600/Preview+on+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiso2y-svyRXZgOeMp7vSx-cqjCfHz_ZJCg1OHdD3Wk-S4zyavVl4PXHzaSOT7g4F8xaocEMsCoSjMyKwhwlJPYt6Kj_B5zGUL7nD4APguHgODSwJ0mYWlqnmytzGXU6MULqJIY/s640/Preview+on+Map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos tagged and shown on the map.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is definitely a handy little device - especially for someone like me who:<div>
1. Loves outdoors and long treks and</div>
<div>
2. Loves Photography.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you fall in the above category, then this is a must-buy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-65765136613795918192012-06-15T07:56:00.000-07:002012-06-21T15:26:24.371-07:00The Solar Charging Solution<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4Specc4S1aQoYZnUzoW42bBDTOgxMrVIdRKyp-1rj-pXbRuXm-vgBA-7irx8-e54hpcCmO4IiSw0N8Yp773d3H3l4oxzV9clUl-37YUsXuGvm3htxzHjG7tY_RQ7rpssML0t/s1600/P1010315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4Specc4S1aQoYZnUzoW42bBDTOgxMrVIdRKyp-1rj-pXbRuXm-vgBA-7irx8-e54hpcCmO4IiSw0N8Yp773d3H3l4oxzV9clUl-37YUsXuGvm3htxzHjG7tY_RQ7rpssML0t/s640/P1010315.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voltaic Fuse 4W Solar Charger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As part of my preparation for our <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/trekking-in-ladakh-introduction.html">10-day trekking trip to Ladakh</a> (Kashmir), I have been franctically looking around for a solution to keep my <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/panasonic-gx1-review.html">Panasonic GX1</a> camera charged, since we would be in the wilderness for the entire duration of the trek - with no possibility of finding an electric source for charging the batteries.<br />
<br />
I ordered 3 <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/wasabi-power-replacement-battery-review.html">extra batteries</a>, and even purchased an <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/06/electronic-viewfinder-for-panasonic-gx1.html">external viewfinder</a> for the camera, hoping it will extend the battery power, and allow me to complete the full trek without the need for any re-charging.<br />
<br />
But real-world usage of the camera made me come to the conclusion that there was no way that the 4 batteries would last for 10 days. These new cameras, with their reliance on LCD or electronic viewfinders for composition, and electronic systems for controlling all aspects of the camera, simply need more juice than the traiditonal dSLR cameras that use optical viewfinders, and use the battery only for triggering the shutter, and saving the resulting image to the memory card.<br />
<br />
I had 2 options. Buy more batteries - perhaps another 4 or 5 (which I would use only once for this trek), or look for other alternatives.<br />
<br />
The obvious choice for me was a solar-charging solution. They are reasonably affordable, and instead of worrying about just charging the camera, the solar-charging solution would charge a number of other devices (most importantly, our mobile phones). Most of the solar chargers in the market seem to be targetted for charging just mobile phones, but I found an interesting device that is geared towards trekkers like me, and has the ability to charge camera batteries.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/">Voltaic Systems</a> makes a number of solar charging solutions that can charge everything from mobiles, cameras and even laptops. I was not interested in charging laptops (as the solution is unwieldy and heavy for trekking), but instead settled on a device that would charge both mobiles and camera batteries.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwT0ayygF_oAfH-kCCDF6eAVk0rwylQ9Hz61_fobFR3wKUSpQbusWVGAH6EO-78sFkt8aMWv0hf99nWzNV2jDxPmFmh9Rh9ZKasB4zAovJAK9BJUt9-mgXiaoEa5bVCQKNsAWY/s1600/P1010324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwT0ayygF_oAfH-kCCDF6eAVk0rwylQ9Hz61_fobFR3wKUSpQbusWVGAH6EO-78sFkt8aMWv0hf99nWzNV2jDxPmFmh9Rh9ZKasB4zAovJAK9BJUt9-mgXiaoEa5bVCQKNsAWY/s640/P1010324.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Solar charging solution.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/fuse4w.shtml">Voltaic Fuse 4w Solar Charger</a> is a small 2 panel bag that you can carry on your back, or strap it to your backpack (which is what I plan to do). Surprisingly enough, I found a local dealer (<a href="http://www.blink.com.kw/product-detail/voltaic-1021-fuse-solar-charger3000mah-battery-sil.html">www.blink.com.kw</a>) in Kuwait selling it for about the same price as the manufacturer, which is great since I would not have to worry about shipping or warranty. I immediately ordered it from their website and the product was delivered to me the same day.<br />
<br />
The charger is light (about 700 grams), so it's not too much extra weight to the back-pack.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtNyMJ_gjmM3JaD6olmBAW6F7lV4HUOqonm03oau5VBWrY133G1uT2-2QYH6-MTFR6w26RZLw1wAhygchsH29rSJl0pbkoIxvO3UzwiNkSFl-iuCTISIQB2KmcXrtthQV6No8/s1600/P1010319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtNyMJ_gjmM3JaD6olmBAW6F7lV4HUOqonm03oau5VBWrY133G1uT2-2QYH6-MTFR6w26RZLw1wAhygchsH29rSJl0pbkoIxvO3UzwiNkSFl-iuCTISIQB2KmcXrtthQV6No8/s640/P1010319.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside of the solar charger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Charging mobile phones is pretty simple. It comes with a battery pack with a standard USB outlet, as well as a number of adapters that fit most mobile phones on the market. In addition to the output, it also has a 3000mAh re-chargeable battery that is good for charging an iPhone about 2 times. The battery is continuously charged whenever the solar panel is facing the sun - which means, you can charge some of your gadgets even at night.<br />
<br />
But how would I charge the camera battery with this solar charger? Camera battery chargers are designed with AC input, and this thing outputs DC current.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF9SXYM6dhyphenhyphen_xxI5UjlAi1IJlyIx3mzVcxLttdDIJXleSWuHV0rxDVqBlHu_HL94LnQs8kjbjmcSqs3Ct-6gkmT5g_G1olTB6E9PFb2nCzjaZ_x1vX8zb7J0faX4FTzAK8k27/s1600/P1010317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxF9SXYM6dhyphenhyphen_xxI5UjlAi1IJlyIx3mzVcxLttdDIJXleSWuHV0rxDVqBlHu_HL94LnQs8kjbjmcSqs3Ct-6gkmT5g_G1olTB6E9PFb2nCzjaZ_x1vX8zb7J0faX4FTzAK8k27/s640/P1010317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selectable 6v or 12v output from the solar charger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The camera manufacturer makes a number of <a href="http://www.voltaicsystems.com/fuse-adapters.shtml">battery chargers</a> with a 12V DC input. Unfortunately for me, the GX1 is a relatively new camera, and they do not have a compatible charger (yet) that can charge the GX1 battery.<br />
<br />
While I was scratching my head for options, I suddenly realized that the<a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/wasabi-power-replacement-battery-review.html"> Wasabi replacement batteries</a> that I purchased, came with its own battery charger, and more importantly, it can charge via a car charger (12V input). I quickly wrote to the company and explained my situation to them. I was very impressed when they immediately replied and agreed to send me a free connector that would fit into the Wasabi!!.<br />
<br />
The connector is on its way, so once I receive it, I will have a very flexible charging solution, and will not have to worry too much about taking pictures, or talking on the phone (as and when there is reception in the mountains).<br />
<br />
This is a perfect solution for modern trekkers.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: I received my connector from Voltaic, and it works perfectly with the Wasabi Charger, as shown in the picture below.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVFz2V_fZKhaxJuo2dZLuyWKtNnCjKVJHvJ1s7_6xMxEW-e7gTtGkn6X1SYzecyfgqOwMSk5M7RsC0bb-TwJxRysXTS_NZgrVUjlmT3uwxSRUuPCmORYavXnO09tcDqTFb0zB/s1600/P1010508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVFz2V_fZKhaxJuo2dZLuyWKtNnCjKVJHvJ1s7_6xMxEW-e7gTtGkn6X1SYzecyfgqOwMSk5M7RsC0bb-TwJxRysXTS_NZgrVUjlmT3uwxSRUuPCmORYavXnO09tcDqTFb0zB/s640/P1010508.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special connector links the Voltaic to the Wasabi charger.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-6607947722517253202012-06-12T13:36:00.000-07:002012-06-12T13:58:30.843-07:00How to Geo-Tag your Photos.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eNa8XU3RUXQrY2brud5MmLkDkO6LZsyA4OMq8LSqq4VM-s_fE8Ae7mGj8QzDNnsHPTATfCfk1pQHARwRJKYh0O7bNvY6fa1gbIDaaqUzVKvGDGsLDMNbQnUmi1X8zffZu87F/s1600/P1010385_Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eNa8XU3RUXQrY2brud5MmLkDkO6LZsyA4OMq8LSqq4VM-s_fE8Ae7mGj8QzDNnsHPTATfCfk1pQHARwRJKYh0O7bNvY6fa1gbIDaaqUzVKvGDGsLDMNbQnUmi1X8zffZu87F/s640/P1010385_Small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Kuwait City - From Dasman Block 2.</td></tr>
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I travel a lot, and I take a lot of photos. When I start reviewing the pictures, sometimes it is difficult to remember where the photos were taken.<br />
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Some modern cameras have built-in GPS which automatically put a geo-tag (latitude, longtitude, and elevation) stamp on each picture that you take. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-COOLPIX-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B005IGVY92/">Nikon Coolpix AW100</a> is an example of a GPS-enabled camera. Other cameras (especially professional dSLRs) have support for GPS. What this means is that you can hook up a compatible GPS unit to the camera, and the camera will read the GPS data from the unit and embed that information on each picture that is taken.<br />
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But what if your camera does not have a built-in GPS or support for an external GPS? My <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/panasonic-gx1-review.html">Panasonic GX1</a> falls in this category. Since I want to carry this with me on my <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/trekking-in-ladakh-introduction.html">trekking trip to Kashmir</a>, I thought it would be a cool idea to geo-tag all the pictures that I take during the trip, in order to make it easier for me to sort them out later on.<br />
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Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can geo-tag your photos.<br />
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<b><u>1. Get a GPS Logger:</u></b> You have many options available. Starting from the expensive dedicated GPS loggers, to the free option of using a GPS enabled smart-phone that most of us own today. For my Kashmir trip, I might get a dedicated logger such as the<a href="http://www.amazon.com/i-gotU-GT-800-Travel-Sports-Computer/dp/B004Z1R8UK/"> i-gotU GT800</a> (cost $99). The advantage of dedicated GPS loggers is that they work off AA batteries, and require very little setup.<br />
For my experiment, I used my Android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note). I downloaded a free app from the Play Store (unimaginatively called GPSLogger). The app runs in the background, recording geo-points at regular intervals (which you can customize). I set mine to record every 1 minute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cK3ShZ9IiDNQn60_TWlnLY__WbgS1MGFEtZxnDlDBxO5pV5W8Pfo_lVGyAv2jykwiuoaArzNrTWdx-2712JqMgfl1VacnwMzUrTCL-dzByvEsvxDWZdhBq84iQ2GuaKneRDX/s1600/Screenshot_2012-06-12-22-46-43.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cK3ShZ9IiDNQn60_TWlnLY__WbgS1MGFEtZxnDlDBxO5pV5W8Pfo_lVGyAv2jykwiuoaArzNrTWdx-2712JqMgfl1VacnwMzUrTCL-dzByvEsvxDWZdhBq84iQ2GuaKneRDX/s400/Screenshot_2012-06-12-22-46-43.png" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GPS Logger on Android Smartphone.</td></tr>
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<b><u>2. Synchronize your camera & GPS Logger:</u></b> This is very important. Check the time on the GPS logger, and make sure that the camera is set exactly to the same time. Keep in mind that the clock in the camera is not very accurate, so you should check it every few days to ensure both are in sync.<br />
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<b><u>3. Start the GPS Logger & begin shooting:</u></b> Make sure you turn on the GPS logger (or your app), before you start shooting. The GPS logger will keep track of your route, and record it in the log file.<br />
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<b><u>4. Match the Pictures with the GPS data:</u></b> Once you download all your photos from the camera, you will need to download the GPS log file. The standard format for storing GPS data is GPX, but there are other formats available. Also, if you purchased a dedicated GPS logger, it will come with its own software to do the magic of matching the picture with the exact location where the photo was taken.<br />
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In this example, I used a free utility called "GeoTag". You can find all details about the program, and the exact requirements for running the program <a href="http://geotag.sourceforge.net/?q=node/4">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA_J-BrwecYxiKtLljfu21e_8rPkV6NXxRVyXCscqU6WstLmTmBHTy6-kOeq_-Offdz7GB9zxypObEHsnB9biMMqQpMm-WPHE3Kz5vkZTFgMXGEmnWO1iHU53SnwQ2rLCaxx6/s1600/GeoTag+Software.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA_J-BrwecYxiKtLljfu21e_8rPkV6NXxRVyXCscqU6WstLmTmBHTy6-kOeq_-Offdz7GB9zxypObEHsnB9biMMqQpMm-WPHE3Kz5vkZTFgMXGEmnWO1iHU53SnwQ2rLCaxx6/s640/GeoTag+Software.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The free GeoTag software in action.</td></tr>
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You simply run the program, load the images and then load the GPX log file, and the software does the matching and links the correct geo-coordinates for each image. It is as simple as that.<br />
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You can even view all the images on Google Map.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTUC8xhbyNl5pKc_p12hwaS_grVNlh7VRZCeY1jOfd87zV2XdgGuwpZSPeZBTBAOiV8GJ8H5W2-sFex2ptgkx9J86rqk4wurYyaDFGLCDZP1NsOXWt7_KaRl8AE-UdJGY2wPl/s1600/GPS+Location+Identified.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTUC8xhbyNl5pKc_p12hwaS_grVNlh7VRZCeY1jOfd87zV2XdgGuwpZSPeZBTBAOiV8GJ8H5W2-sFex2ptgkx9J86rqk4wurYyaDFGLCDZP1NsOXWt7_KaRl8AE-UdJGY2wPl/s640/GPS+Location+Identified.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The GPS logger nailed the location. I was on that bridge when I took the picture.</td></tr>
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Tools such as <a href="http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/">GPS Visualizer</a> also allow you to check the entire GPS log, as shown below<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNGlm3Wg0JzdVUgNufqN6SD26BVkRTdDh9Z2iZC9V9QYAtmoeBwlu3RnX86_CQBZwhrfWW-OLA3EprVkcHjlAZo1QfTy-gcLXkDvEOquQ9QtvhB89scwwOJYzb6_K-qsWbMPt/s1600/GPS+Visualizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNGlm3Wg0JzdVUgNufqN6SD26BVkRTdDh9Z2iZC9V9QYAtmoeBwlu3RnX86_CQBZwhrfWW-OLA3EprVkcHjlAZo1QfTy-gcLXkDvEOquQ9QtvhB89scwwOJYzb6_K-qsWbMPt/s640/GPS+Visualizer.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GPS Visualizer read the Log file and plots the route on Google Map.</td></tr>
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When you upload a Geo-tagged image to popular photo-sharing site such a Flickr (which is geo-tag enabled), it will automatically identify the location and set the right location for each image.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEZvAsGn0YcvDYjmQcPnh3nM1WVwrbTzhHNYY0Wphf_-siZJqWq-xzI10pqRHwfEzie9W6DVcEMXc9MQztqZa_e5-VdTbhnLLvg7Qj8_szq_1gWFeSmCRuC6SNP1k_KnguuCK/s1600/Flickr+Upload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEZvAsGn0YcvDYjmQcPnh3nM1WVwrbTzhHNYY0Wphf_-siZJqWq-xzI10pqRHwfEzie9W6DVcEMXc9MQztqZa_e5-VdTbhnLLvg7Qj8_szq_1gWFeSmCRuC6SNP1k_KnguuCK/s640/Flickr+Upload.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flickr identifies the exact location of the photo.</td></tr>
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Now your Flickr photo not only has Geo-coordinates, it has the exact location name and country mapped to your photo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEi7vKgD3moxUtxWKWfwONke9wM6KoetUa4BkarJKk-mXU3lEUEx90wgHsyiOdtGSDBwMy2y1OGETFrzmLLGK5IJKkosblzdciiYLA_J_dwCqVk1kU8iBV9LPbJ38Mtd0hIm5/s1600/Flickr+Location+Setting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEi7vKgD3moxUtxWKWfwONke9wM6KoetUa4BkarJKk-mXU3lEUEx90wgHsyiOdtGSDBwMy2y1OGETFrzmLLGK5IJKkosblzdciiYLA_J_dwCqVk1kU8iBV9LPbJ38Mtd0hIm5/s640/Flickr+Location+Setting.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Photo is mapped to the exact place, and country.</td></tr>
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And that's all there is to it. I don't know why I waited till now to start doing this - but one thing is for sure. All my future photos are going to be geo-tagged.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-75233506467613817592012-06-09T07:38:00.000-07:002012-06-09T07:38:56.188-07:00I am now a FX shooter.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AJVhILchOKO8N5s0xBSMMLaVu-MLkgWFVI_teBNWeN7-Fm_RpExJPcbKySZFWhzl94pVAkNk4aff_GW36mLPOp8if-RN0YvPk7AyxGarxjmjGqQUW4bgOLbs7lr5HnifIzRO/s1600/Intro3-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AJVhILchOKO8N5s0xBSMMLaVu-MLkgWFVI_teBNWeN7-Fm_RpExJPcbKySZFWhzl94pVAkNk4aff_GW36mLPOp8if-RN0YvPk7AyxGarxjmjGqQUW4bgOLbs7lr5HnifIzRO/s1600/Intro3-001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nikon D800.</td></tr>
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My journey into dSLR photography started when I first purchased the Nikon D70 about 8 years ago (June 2004 to be precise). The D70 was a 6 mega-pixel camera and cost me an arm and a leg (with the excellent 18-70 mm kit lens). It was a massive leap from the Casio QV-3000EX, a 3 mega-pixel point-and-shoot I was using at the time.<br />
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The D70 made me focus on photography, and I started learning all the technical details of photography, and took some wonderful images in the process.<br />
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As technology kept changing, I kept changing the camera bodies - upgrading first to the D200, and then eventually to the D300. I purchased some great lenses - especially the awesome Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8. I think it was this one lens that kept me from jumping to the FX format when the D700 was announced, because I was getting great results with this lens - especially when it was paired with the D300.<br />
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But there was no denying the need to jump into the FX format, and I decided to wait for the D700 successor, which everyone was expecting to be released in 2010. So I waited. And waited. Eventually, the D800 was announced. And what an announcement it was!. 36 mega-pixels, Full-HD video, 51-point AF system, etc.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
The only problem, it seemed, was that everyone else was also waiting for this camera. Getting hold of one seemed as elusive as finding an unicorn. But I eventually managed to get hold of one - and I found it in the most unlikely place. India. And the strange thing is, the Indian price is currently the <a href="http://www.nikon.co.in/en_IN/product_details.page?DCRPath=templatedata/en_IN/saleable_product_information/data/Digital%20SLR%20Cameras/D800.xml&CategoryID=gp11zkyo&currentTab=&currentLink=">lowest price</a> for this camera anywhere in the world. Nikon India lists it at INR 159,950/- (which is exactly what I paid). At current exchange rate, that works to US$ 2,886/-. The official price of this in the US (usually the country with the lowest prices) is $2,999/-.<br />
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In preparation for my FX shooting, I have also managed to collect some great lenses to compliment the jump into FX. My current line-up of lenses is:<br />
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<b><u>1. Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII.</u></b><br />
This is the fabled FX lens, and should do well to resolve those 36 mega-pixels.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsBpDX-TQvMNZDwBrU8yGvYuH3BkFe8Ve0Sgz8IPBATAxGhjoWTAs38iLD9JUlPaoAVj_XYW9V0fB7XsPAdiUmo9fi9U5KHElwFwSVHJ07rxH9ILIRygmICoyW6IcUe30qENq/s1600/70-200mm_f2_8G_ED_VR_II+600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsBpDX-TQvMNZDwBrU8yGvYuH3BkFe8Ve0Sgz8IPBATAxGhjoWTAs38iLD9JUlPaoAVj_XYW9V0fB7XsPAdiUmo9fi9U5KHElwFwSVHJ07rxH9ILIRygmICoyW6IcUe30qENq/s1600/70-200mm_f2_8G_ED_VR_II+600.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII</td></tr>
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<b><u>2. Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8</u></b><br />
I expect to have this lens on my camera 90% of the time, based on my previous experience with this focal range. (Note: On the DX format, the 17-55mm gives equivalent focal range).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGWEFon3M0q_kIZ7qlWTeOjgtWQM9sDGhyP7yFOKO5iGHbuWWVs0dmnvmeyt-qjyVKjSplK_3hj116-95V1yKOReUb4kN84muprb3ZskIilFuhbyr8b0q7RuiokRVbcCJ4jP7/s1600/Nikon-24-70mm-f-2.8G-AF-S-Lens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGWEFon3M0q_kIZ7qlWTeOjgtWQM9sDGhyP7yFOKO5iGHbuWWVs0dmnvmeyt-qjyVKjSplK_3hj116-95V1yKOReUb4kN84muprb3ZskIilFuhbyr8b0q7RuiokRVbcCJ4jP7/s1600/Nikon-24-70mm-f-2.8G-AF-S-Lens.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8</td></tr>
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<b><u>3. Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro.</u></b><br />
This is a speciality lens that is great for macro photography. I have not used it much in the past, but with the FX format, this will hopefully get used more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKlSLteMjYMausy0ZwvL0acF_unjubSQIzAzSY6hrW9K-N0w5iJ2vF0ndyofSnukeq6WEwWa-WUjUGF2e1iwWpdxq4HluhjSsKcr5LiaJ72pQKgRa0Qwqd5xrCKsfgTUd523y/s1600/Nikon-105mm-f-2.8G-AF-S-VR-Micro-Lens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKlSLteMjYMausy0ZwvL0acF_unjubSQIzAzSY6hrW9K-N0w5iJ2vF0ndyofSnukeq6WEwWa-WUjUGF2e1iwWpdxq4HluhjSsKcr5LiaJ72pQKgRa0Qwqd5xrCKsfgTUd523y/s1600/Nikon-105mm-f-2.8G-AF-S-VR-Micro-Lens.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro.</td></tr>
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<b><u>4. Nikon 50mm f1.4 D</u></b><br />
This is the only lens from my collection that does not have AF-S. However, I have read reports that it actually focuses faster than the AF-S version, so I am keeping it. It is a classic, with its superb low-light capabilities.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIjypCy0oFeiOmk-_2tdFvCAVuvesW9hkjA9TW995C995X3c4IsSYS1aASqxCIqwTGtpo-pqCqjZUfIaGw5pWHFN_Pw1RstLyyWkii08sMwSRMruaA3sN38hEXN8J16HHv1aS/s1600/KEN_0004-600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIjypCy0oFeiOmk-_2tdFvCAVuvesW9hkjA9TW995C995X3c4IsSYS1aASqxCIqwTGtpo-pqCqjZUfIaGw5pWHFN_Pw1RstLyyWkii08sMwSRMruaA3sN38hEXN8J16HHv1aS/s400/KEN_0004-600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikkor 50mm f1.4</td></tr>
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<b><u>5. Sigma 12-24mm f4.5-f5.6</u></b><br />
This is currently the only 3rd party lens that I own. I still haven't made up my mind whether I should keep this, or opt for the Nikkor 14-24 (to complete what is known as the holy trinity of: 14-24, 24-70, and 70-200).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS-sk9gPGhFc2c9_2NUnz-JMsZIfpaROtOxkXSraX4ll88kVio-eZFXV1OJ7P4tpbSoQnC_MCHivc9IoIm9bElGRBY7r-hZ7srONFyF6lLbd7I2QsC5RsVRWbsjjvvHJrCn09/s1600/sigma12-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBS-sk9gPGhFc2c9_2NUnz-JMsZIfpaROtOxkXSraX4ll88kVio-eZFXV1OJ7P4tpbSoQnC_MCHivc9IoIm9bElGRBY7r-hZ7srONFyF6lLbd7I2QsC5RsVRWbsjjvvHJrCn09/s1600/sigma12-24.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigma 12-24 f4.5-5.6</td></tr>
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I am looking forward to shooting in FX in the coming days, and to say "Hello World"....in FX.<div>
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</div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-6084867747025610662012-06-08T08:17:00.000-07:002012-06-08T08:17:00.051-07:00SyncToy: Keep your photo backups synchronized.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZhb5JxvDED9YRX4XNmmaeiShiV2RasGeuZUUsTR9UYzJpyaXWU0-rvAmOz-Qu2YXsTOUUXYcZRHRKK4go5DDuEiHzxXSyaSSCdZEQHGbV-XHPwK-6NbuHjZqT5bmOpjeiSmW/s1600/SyncToy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZhb5JxvDED9YRX4XNmmaeiShiV2RasGeuZUUsTR9UYzJpyaXWU0-rvAmOz-Qu2YXsTOUUXYcZRHRKK4go5DDuEiHzxXSyaSSCdZEQHGbV-XHPwK-6NbuHjZqT5bmOpjeiSmW/s640/SyncToy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Microsoft SyncToy 2.1.</td></tr>
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Have you ever been frustrated trying to keep a backup of a large folder in a separate location? The first time, you will just copy and save the backup, but when you go and change/add some files or folders, how do you copy just the changed files or folders?<br />
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I have an extremely large folder that I use for post-processing of all my photos. When I want to make a backup of this folder, I find it extremely difficult to figure out which folder or files have changed, in order to keep the backup synchronized on an external hard drive.<br />
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I was searching for a solution, and found this nifty utility from Microsoft. The cool thing is, it is completely free.<br />
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Once you download and install the utility, you just select the 2 folders to be synchronized, and the tool does the rest.<br />
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A must have on everyone's PC running Windows 7.<br />
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Download it from <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155">here</a>. You will need to find out if you are running the 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows 7, and download and install the correct package from the download page.<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-47158771198529911532012-06-07T08:42:00.001-07:002012-06-07T08:45:44.499-07:00The Electronic Viewfinder for the Panasonic GX1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP89_PJBVVkc4uhb3k01c3gdpnzLJe3hbPgdkM9UWn20FMynWKQN42rffTlrtwUu0NiO94rWRnZvR5aTU75XAAQlEuQZ36YIUBjSc90Kk22kmye6_HZf69EoBxOj7HA-T6ZyW/s1600/P1010308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxP89_PJBVVkc4uhb3k01c3gdpnzLJe3hbPgdkM9UWn20FMynWKQN42rffTlrtwUu0NiO94rWRnZvR5aTU75XAAQlEuQZ36YIUBjSc90Kk22kmye6_HZf69EoBxOj7HA-T6ZyW/s640/P1010308.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Electronic Viewfinder for the GX1.</td></tr>
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The <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/panasonic-gx1-review.html">Panasonic GX1</a> mirrorless camera that I purchased, specifically for my<a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/trekking-in-ladakh-introduction.html"> trekking trip to Ladakh (Kashmir)</a>, has one major problem. Its battery can shoot around 200 pictures before it requires to be re-charged. Since the trip will last more than 9 days without any access to electricity, my shooting options will be very limited.<br />
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To overcome this problem, I purchased <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/wasabi-power-replacement-battery-review.html">3 additional replacement batteries</a>. Even though the replacement batteries give better results than the stock battery, real-world testing made me realize that even with the extra batteries, I would not be able to shoot for 9 days straight.<br />
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The second problem with the GX1 camera, is that all framing and composition has to be done using the rear LCD screen. While the LCD screen is fine for indoor shooting, it becomes an exercise in frustration when you try to shoot in bright outdoor conditions (exactly what I will face during the trek). The screen is literally unreadable, and shooting becomes a game of hit or miss.<br />
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To overcome these 2 problems (especially the second one), Panasonic supplies the optional electronic viewfinder (EVF), the DMW-LVF2. This viewfinder slips into the flash hot-shoe, and can replicate everything you see on the LCD. This helps framing in bright-light conditions, and also conserves battery power, as the EVF requires less power than the LCD.<br />
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The EVF is a high-grade 1.4 million dot view-finder, but it is not cheap. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMW-LVF2-External-Viewfinder-DMC-GX1/dp/B006FKR1PG/">Amazon sells it for $230</a>, making it a rather expensive proposition when you buy both the camera plus the viewfinder. For me, I felt I had no choice but to buy it, rather than get frustrated during the trek. I found it a bit cheaper (around $200) on eBay.<br />
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I have been using the EVF for the past 2 weeks, and I find it really handy - even indoors. Coming from a dSLR background (which have optical viewfinders), I am much more comfortable focusing with my eye on the view-finder. The EVF has a diopter adjustment cleverly placed under the hood, so it cannot be accidentaly changed (see picture below).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3L-Iwy_tweyFIbLXRy07-Zb3hgOB9qc-gWv6FBAvupBGx18o6ypL7FhoyT7PElCMNsexwn4nIsawvigKvaUoxcqjpRlRdxEq4ORhog3RClOb1m13aBYidiscAwoVPWcvjkpFF/s1600/P1010301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3L-Iwy_tweyFIbLXRy07-Zb3hgOB9qc-gWv6FBAvupBGx18o6ypL7FhoyT7PElCMNsexwn4nIsawvigKvaUoxcqjpRlRdxEq4ORhog3RClOb1m13aBYidiscAwoVPWcvjkpFF/s640/P1010301.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The EVC can be extended to allow shooting from </td></tr>
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Another interesting thing about the EVF is that you can extend the eye-piece vertically, so that you can shoot while looking down into the camera. This should be quiet useful for street photography, as the subjects will not realize you are pointing the camera at them.<br />
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A few things I did not like about the EVF.<br />
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1. To switch between the LCD and the EVF, you have to manually press a button. Newer EVFs (such as the one found on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Compact-Interchangeable-Camera-18-55mm/dp/B005IKZU8O/">Sony NEX-7</a>), have an automatic sensor that detects if your eye is on the sensor and switches automatically. For $230, I feel this feature should have been there.<br />
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2. When you are composing using the EVF, you lose the ability to focus using the touch-screen - as the LCD is essentially disabled.<br />
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Other than these 2 minor quibbles, this is an essential add-on for the GX1, and adds to the whole experience of taking pictures (whether indoors or outdoors).<br />
<br /></div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6946161.post-8840146539397792162012-05-24T01:55:00.001-07:002012-05-24T01:55:42.098-07:00How much Memory is enough Memory?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPHTyeq_2LKDiu698U9Hq-y3ylkiMUU7DVFSlTXi-Sw5NZK5ix56wJhbN5tFDrG8cLck5QiR76ENk6RFopGdkHeZTab7Bx69wruMWp4oK6zMtkSsaQVmzYz_G5vL_ItGQOCA0/s1600/64gbsdcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPHTyeq_2LKDiu698U9Hq-y3ylkiMUU7DVFSlTXi-Sw5NZK5ix56wJhbN5tFDrG8cLck5QiR76ENk6RFopGdkHeZTab7Bx69wruMWp4oK6zMtkSsaQVmzYz_G5vL_ItGQOCA0/s640/64gbsdcard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandisk 64gb SD Cards</td></tr>
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Over the last few weeks, I have been preparing myself for the upcoming<a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/trekking-in-ladakh-introduction.html"> trekking trip to the Himalayas</a>, by carefully choosing the right <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/panasonic-gx1-review.html">camera gear</a> that will allow me to shoot for around 8 days straight, without any access to civilization. This means I should not only have <a href="http://cajie.blogspot.com/2012/05/wasabi-power-replacement-battery-review.html">enough battery power</a> to last for 8 days, but I also need to have enough memory cards to keep all those images.<br />
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Luckily for me, the Panasonic GX1 camera supports the newer (and higher capacity) SDXC cards. I found a good deal on Amazon for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-SDXC-Class-SDSDU-064G-U46/dp/B007BJHEZW/">Sandisk 64 GB Ultra cards</a>, and decided to pick up 2 of them. That effectively gives me 128 GB of memory for shooting.<br />
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I just want to marvel at the sheer amount of data that is crammed into these postage sized cards. Each tiny 64 GB card has about 549,755,813,888 bits inside it. I can't even comprehend that number. Just 10 years back (when we first starting shooting digital), we would feel very good when we could get our hands on a 16MB card (that's about 4000 times less capacity that the one shown above!).<br />
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I am sure in another 10 years' time, we will laugh and remember the good old days, when a 64 GB card was considered capacious, and I am pretty sure we will be shooting images that easily take 1 GB per image (if not more). If you think about it, the current champ (excluding the medium-format system), is the Nikon D800, which easily takes around 100MB for 1 image (75 MB for RAW + 20 MB for JPEG). A 10 fold increase in image size in 10 years seems like a sure bet.<br />
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During my trip, I plan to shoot simultaneously RAW+JPEG fine. This makes it more easy for post processing. 90% of the time, I can just take the JPEG file and do some tweaks or use it as-is. For the few exceptions where some serious post processing is required, I can always revert to the RAW file.<br />
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The RAW file size on the GX1 is around 18MB, and the JPG is around 7 MB. So that's 25MB per image. This gives me the ability to shoot around 5000 images on both the cards - which is more than sufficient for 8 days of shooting. I can even shoot some high-definition video without worrying too much about it.<br />
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The only real danger I can see is if something goes wrong with the card. I will basically lose everything. Most of the newer dSLRs support dual-card slot where the camera writes to both the cards simultaneously. So even if one card fails, you can always rely on the second card as your safety backup. Unfortunately, the GX1 does not have this feature, and I will just have to trust Sandisk and their quality control to make sure something like that does not happen to me.</div>Cajetan Barrettohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09075173157556429867noreply@blogger.com0