Planning the UTS Adventure – Cameras, Coffee & Questionable Alarm Clocks
So, preparations are underway for photographing the UTS race across Snowdonia National Park, which sounds wonderfully adventurous until you actually start planning it properly.
At first glance, it seems fairly straightforward. Pick some scenic mountain locations, drive there, take dramatic photos of ultra runners looking heroic against rugged Welsh landscapes, job done.
Unfortunately, reality quickly steps in.
What actually happens is several evenings spent staring at maps, weather forecasts, bus timetables, parking restrictions and estimated runner timings while trying to work out whether it’s physically possible to get from one mountain pass to another before the front runners disappear into the distance. Add in the fact that Snowdonia parking during race weekend will likely resemble absolute chaos, and suddenly the logistics become almost as demanding as the race itself.
The current mission is to overlay route locations, estimated race timings, weather forecasts and available access points to figure out where the best photography opportunities might be. Easier said than done when the runners are covering huge distances across mountains while I’m trying to balance camera gear, traffic, parking headaches and the occasional need for caffeine.
And then there’s the big question…..
Do I really want to get up at 05:00 for the 100 mile start?
On one hand, early morning mountain light can be absolutely incredible. On the other hand, 05:00 is aggressively early for someone who still needs functioning brain cells to operate a camera. Plus, photographing ultra runners at that point of the race might mostly involve capturing people questioning every life decision they’ve ever made and it's 0500 hrs!!
That said, exhausted runners often make for the best photographs. There’s something brutally honest about ultra-distance events. No posing, no pretending, just determination, stubbornness and varying levels of sleep deprivation.
Camera kit for the trip will stay fairly simple and reliable. The Nikon D850 will be doing the heavy lifting, paired with my two trusty Tamron lenses a combination that has never really let me down. Alongside that will be two batteries, a couple of freshly formatted SD cards and the vague hope that Welsh mountain weather behaves itself for at least part of the day.
I’ll also throw the flash into the bag just in case the light and location refuse to cooperate. There’s definitely potential for a few creative off-camera flash shots along the route, although ideally without blinding runners moments before they tackle uneven mountain terrain. Nobody wants to become that photographer..... even me :-)
Beyond camera gear, survival essentials are equally important.
There’ll be plenty of water in the car, along with the all-important brew kit. The trusty Jetboil stove is making the trip too because there are very few problems in life that can’t be improved slightly by a quick coffee in a windy car park somewhere in Snowdonia.
So that’s where things currently stand: maps spread everywhere, weather apps permanently open, and a growing collection of parking plans that will probably collapse the moment thousands of runners and spectators arrive in the national park.... what can possibly go wrong ?
It’ll almost certainly be chaotic.
But hopefully the good kind of chaotic. Hopefully see you out on the course... Pob Lwc!