Sigma 150-600 Goes Ice Climbing

Rob Bye

Senior Member
This past Saturday, my Sigma 150-600mm and I joined members of the Club d’escalade de Saint-Boniface to record their day of ice climbing.


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There were much lighter lens choices available (to be sure!), but we had gloriously bright sunshine to work with, and I wanted the extreme reach this zoom would provide me. It was awesome getting in nice and tight on these climbers. Plus, dragging the big Sigma around helped keep me warm in the crisp -25C air. Not warm enough, as I suffered serious frostbite on my nose from having it pressed into the back of my frozen camera for so long. :nightmare:

Most images were taken between 400-600mm, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 400
 

J-see

Senior Member
It reminds me of days past when I still had hobbies that involved physical labor. ;) Too bad Ménière forced me to quit those.
 

Rob Bye

Senior Member
Thanks all. Winters here are long, and a bit rough. I'm not interested in locking myself indoors for five months, so I get out and shoot!

It reminds me of days past when I still had hobbies that involved physical labor. ;) Too bad Ménière forced me to quit those.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything more physically demanding than ice climbing. It inspires me, watching these guys make it look so much less demanding than it really is.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Thanks all. Winters here are long, and a bit rough. I'm not interested in locking myself indoors for five months, so I get out and shoot!



Off the top of my head, I can't think of anything more physically demanding than ice climbing. It inspires me, watching these guys make it look so much less demanding than it really is.

I've always been climbing rock (not mountains) and assumed that to be more difficult than ice since they use loads or material while climbing. That illusion was shattered within five minutes when I started to climb my first frozen waterfall in France. I've never been sweating that much during severe minus temperatures and I've also never felt as uncomfortable during climbing as that first time.

When you've never tried it, you think those axes and crampons are firmly attaching themselves to the ice but in reality it is often scary how little of them is holding your whole weight.

It was nice hobby and not only for the climbing. The landscape and views were phenomenal too. No tourist pollution in those areas.
 
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