on landscape The online magazine for landscape photographers

Landscape Photography in the Death Zone

Recording from the 2014 Meeting of Minds Conference

Alan Hinkes

Alan Hinkes is the first Briton to climb the world's highest mountains. These are the 14 8000m peaks, all of which are in the 'death zone', where human survival rate is measured in hours. They are the most dangerous mountains on the planet.

alanhinkes.info



Alan Hinkes is the first Briton to climb the world's highest mountains. These are the 14 8000m peaks, all of which are in the 'death zone', where human survival rate is measured in hours. They are the most dangerous mountains on the planet. Alan is part of an exclusive club of only 12 people alive who have achieved this feat, which is the same number of people who have stood on the moon. Many have perished attempting this challenge.

Alan began his mountaineering career whilst at Northallerton Grammar School, North Yorkshire. He progressed to the Alps with ascents of many difficult mountains, including the notorious North Face of the Eiger, eventually graduating to the Himalaya.

He currently works as an outdoor equipment technical consultant, writes for magazines such as Trail and lectures on his exploits. He is an accomplished cameraman (filming 11 documentaries), photographer, motivational speaker, environmentalist and mountain guide. Alan was awarded the OBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours.

He is an Honorary Citizen of his home town, Northallerton; Yorkshireman of the Year 2005; an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sunderland; Honorary Doctor of the University of York, Honorary Doctor of Professional Studies, University of Teesside and has received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Royal Institute of Navigation and the President’s Award for Outstanding Voluntary Contribution to Water Aid. He is involved in charitable work for Water Aid, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Mountain Rescue. He works closely with the British Mountaineering Council.

Alan lives in North Yorkshire and enjoys being in the hills, rock climbing and fell walking. You will regularly see him in the Lake District and Yorkshire tramping the fells and moors or clinging to a rock face.

35mm at 800m

Alan's immense achievement of climbing all of the world's 8000m peaks obviously overshadows the fact that he took some photographs up there. However, a leaf through his latest book shows that the images he has produced would be impressive if taken at sea level, never mind taken on film in lethal conditions whilst wearing a full down suit and gloves.

The mere fact of removing a glove in these conditions would well prove fatal. But Alan was a photographer before he was a climber and this experience stood him in good stead. Joe Cornish and Tim Parkin will be chatting with Alan about these experiences accompanied by some of the best of 35mm film photographs that were recently drum scanned for his best-selling book.


GREEN ROOM INTERVIEW


Alan Hinkes Film

There is a documentary launching in October 2017 which is directed by Terry Abraham.




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