UKC

Tonight's Friday Night Video comes from UKC user Dave Linnett aka BALD EAGLE, documenting his trip with a group of friends to the Écrins National Park in the French Alps last summer.

The beautifully-shot video shows their two-day adventure and features butterflies, marmots and even a rarely seen Brocken spectre as they attempt an ascent of the Barre des Écrins and the Dôme de Neige.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69527

In reply to UKC News:

Enjoyed that Dave, very professional. It's not a destination I know much about but this has got me interested.

In reply to UKC News:

Brought back happy memories.

In reply to UKC News:

lovely vid.

In reply to UKC News:

Nice vid. Makes me want to go there.

In reply to UKC News:


Seems like you've answered your own question but, just in case you still have doubts, sunk cost (time, money, effort) is... sunk. You can't have it back. If the desire to justify it clouds your decision making, it's a fool's game with, in the mountains, sooner or later, the same old sad conclusion.

You made the right decision. The graveyards are full of my mates who pressed on.

RBJ said it best:

'Come back.
Come back friends.
Top out.'

Sounds like you got two out of three - and a lovely, lovely video. (Thanks!) Where I come from, that's a pretty good result.

Mick

In reply to UKC News:

Stunning video - just being alive in the mountains is good, whether you summit or not and you capture that perfectly. Much better to stop if you aren't up to it. Then, you have slight regrets rather than a memory of misery. Or, as Mick said, no memory at all.

I've turned around lots of times in the mountains and I've always been happy that it's been the right decision.

But good grief, the popular routes are busy these days! Not summiting seems like an excellent way to get a bit of solitude.

In reply to UKC News:

Nice video. Brought back great memories (this was my first 4000m mountain).

One of the most beautiful glaciers.

In reply to UKC News:

Nice job Dave,yet again you make me want to go to this venue!lets hope this year is filled with many more adventures!

In reply to UKC News:

Thanks, brings back memories from long ago (early 1990s, not sure what year)

In reply to Mick Ward:



Hey Mick you are absolutely right and the Brocken Spectre and amazing views from the Dôme more than compensated for missing out on the summit of the Barre so happy daze! Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed my wee video! Cheers Dave

In reply to pneame, deepstar, Bill, dan, toated, tistimetogo, jon and Doug:


Hi All
A massive thanks for taking the time to post some positive feedback as it is muchly appreciated and glad you enjoyed the video!
Cheers and happy climbing
Dave

In reply to UKC News:

Thought I wouldn't find the video that interesting but it has me wanting to visit the Ecrin. Nice.

In reply to Roberttaylor:


Hi Robert thanks for posting and I hope you enjoyed the video. The Ecrins is a superb place to go whether you are walking or climbing and makes a very pleasant change from the honeypot routes of Chamonix. Well worth a visit!
Cheers Dave

In reply to UKC News:

Very enjoyable video, thanks for posting.

In reply to UKC News:

Friday Night Vid? Nice one Dave. Enjoyed it as always but got a bit confused - did I see the Pom giving El David's signature hand gesture? Where will it end?

In reply to UKC News:

Some great shots. What is the music used in the video?

In reply to Mark123:


Hey Mark glad you enjoyed and many thanks for the positive feedback!
Cheers Dave

In reply to Bobling:


Hey Bobling thanks for the kind words and yep that was the Pom giving it large with some "Rock and Roll baby"!


Probably in tears and spandex after they are both arrested by the lycra and euro-tights police...

In reply to UKC News:

Another top quality production Dave. Its great to have coverage of the adventures punters like us get up to once in a while

Keep up the good work.

In reply to Skipinder:


Hi Skipinder and thanks for taking the time to post some positive feedback. The first piece of music used is Elysium and the second is Alice in Atlantis, both from Audio Network! Cheers Dave

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

Thanks

In reply to prog99:



Hey Pro99 thanks for the positive feedback as it is greatly appreciated and "yep" once a punter always a punter. That's me! Anyway another video coming out in a few weeks time so watch this space...
Cheers Dave

In reply to UKC News:

Loved it. High on my tick-list, and great photography.

And after feeling a bag of s**t on Kilimanjaro last month, I sympathise with you with the AMS. I usually feel grim, but this time was special....o2 level of 75% - Not good. Made the top, but the plan had been to stay in the crater, but I had to scuttle down. Thank heavens for the scree, as it made for a rapid descent to 4000m, where I was fine.

A lovely video, promptly shared with my partners as we plan this summer's adventures.......

In reply to UKC News:

Another great video ! Amazing Broken Spectre ......
Great work !

In reply to JohnnyW:




Hey Johnny thanks a million for the positive feedback, the share and glad you enjoyed the video. Obviously you could empathise with my mild AMS symptons and congrats plus a top effort on making the summit of Kili after feeling like a bag of bo**ox!
Cheers Dave

In reply to UKC News:

Great video, makes me even more psyched to climb this peak (Ecrins has been on my holiday hit list for a while). Many thanks!

In reply to BALD EAGLE:


No botox involved Dave. I have luscious enough lips

In reply to UKC News:

Or is that bottox?

In reply to I like climbing:



Heya I like climbing and a big fat thanks for the kind words!
Yep the brocken spectre was pretty amazing and I have only seen about 5 in around 25 years of going into the mountains. I suspect that some mountaineers from a bygone era must have thought that they were seeing a ghost before the rationale behind them was fully understood...
Cheers Dave

In reply to thedatastream:


Hi datastream many thanks for taking the time to post some positive feedback as it greatly appreciated!
Glad you enjoyed the video and hope you make it to the Ecrins and climb the Barre soon as it is a magical place to visit! Cheers Dave

In reply to UKC News:

Once again Bald Eagle has come up tops, even when he doesn't top out it doesn't matter because the content and stunning scenery on the film is enough, I reckon he's on his way to be the David Attenborough of Climbing UK, keep em coming and we all look forwards to your next adventure on film

In reply to UKC News:

Have very happy memories of the Ecrins - it was my first big peak as a young un, going to the top of the Dome. Then I did the Barre Noire couloir with friends but had to come down because we were late. And then the following year I went and soloed the couloir and up the NE ridge to the summit. It was one of the best outings I have ever done and meant so much to me to get to the top on my own. Brings it all back and makes me miss the area which I spent many many summers exploring as a kid!

In reply to UKC News:

very well done video that. Nice job.

In reply to BALD EAGLE:

Hi Dave, it's a great video. I was wondering what (main) camera you use? The shots that open the film are beautiful.

In reply to zigzag:


Hey zigzag many thanks for the kind words! I've been called a few things in my time but never the new David Attenborough...

In reply to John Roberts (JR):


Cheers John I appreciate your appreciation!

In reply to climbwhenready:


Hey climbwhenready

Yep Ailefroide and the Ecrins are a haven for fantastic alpine flora and fauna and the butterflies + performing marmot in the opening sequence were most welcome!
Anyway I use a Panasonic V700 camcorder on a Slik tripod, complimented with a few shots of GoPro2 to add an interesting mix of angles and views. When my long suffering better half is available (not on the Barre outing!), she can normally be bribed with the promise of chocolate, cava and a meal in a local pub to film some long shots on my other Panasonic V720 + Slik tripod as well. With regard to editing software I'm a big fan of Sony Vegas and have the 11 HD Platinum version which costs about £30 though I think Sony are up to version 13 nowadays.. Although it is very powerful software, I found it straightforward to pick up the basics but have barely scratched the surface in what it can do after a couple of years of using it. Anyway hope this helps!

Cheers

Dave