I had waited out the weather for five days in my basecamp and when I woke up just after midnight on the sixth day the weather looked promising. I got the stove going, melting snow to fill up my thermos and having a quick breakfast before heading for the peak.
I put my snowshoes on and slowly began the ascent up the mountain. In complete darkness, with a clear sky full of stars above me and the thermometer reading -25 °C.
One step at a time. The sound of the snowshoes against the hard packed snow.
As I gained altitude the wind picked up and three hours later I was getting close to the summit. I had to stop 100 meters below it to put on all the clothes I had. It was extremely cold in the wind.
As I made it the last meters to the summit, the wind stopped completely and I was able to capture this 30 second exposure in the very first light of dawn. I couldn’t believe it.
This photograph means a lot to me. It’s a reminder that hard work pays off. Luck is earned.
